Fisherman Mike Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 I have been suffering Tinnitus recently. Doc says it’s a result of progressive deafness which comes with age and may not get any worse and possibly clear up. Ear damage can also be the cause and he asked me specifically if I had exposed myself to any loud noises with any sort of frequency. When I told him I was a shotgun user and had for many years shot without proper ear defenders ( I use plugs ) He said that was most likely to be the cause. My advice to fellow members is get some proper ear protection, this Tinnitus business is a ****** and causes severe sleep deprivation, and we all know that proper sleep is one of the most important contributors to good health. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 I remain amazed at how many shooters will be at the beaters days and vermin days in the coming weeks with nothing in or over their ears. I have noticed that almost all game shooters now where active muffs, so the message seems to getting through, but some still think it's a bit gay to wear hearing protection. Having heard of two people now with chronic tinnitus who have both contemplated suicide due to the constant ringing and sleep deprivation, I will carry one wearing earplugs thanks very much. I even take a couple of those roll up ones on the hill, in case a couple of us end up shooting at once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artschool Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 i am thinking of splashing out on some of those custom made jobbies. with the active hearing built in. anyone use them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenyan Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 i am thinking of splashing out on some of those custom made jobbies. with the active hearing built in. anyone use them? Waste of money unless you want to spend a serious amount of money getting them professionally fitted, and the electronics tuned. The cheap ones are based on hearing aide electronics, aren't water proof and can't be tuned to your hearing needs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vole Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 I have had tinnitus for about 5 months now . Forgot to put my ear defenders on when having a go with a .30 06 shooting down a tunnel . Instant deafness for 2 days then waking every morning with jet engine noises ( airport 5 miles away). Think am stuck with it deservedly . If only the noise was a bit nicer instead of monotone tuneless whistling . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artschool Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 Waste of money unless you want to spend a serious amount of money getting them professionally fitted, and the electronics tuned. The cheap ones are based on hearing aide electronics, aren't water proof and can't be tuned to your hearing needs. http://www.censdigital.com/cens_range.html these are the ones i was looking at? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentKill Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 i thought Tinnitus was a progressive thing! I spent my youth installing car stereo's and tuning them! i get s slight whistle now! i'm only 27! let alone the thousands of shots ive fired! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyatt Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 I was in the Army for over 8 years, on the range proper over-ear protection was enforced. When off the range though (firing blanks etc) it wasn't and it did have an effect. I now use a shotgun for mostly rough shooting, I fire few shots, most of which are snap shots and feel (incorrectly I know!) that ear defence isn't as important for minimal exposure. The land I shoot over had a clay shoot on Boxing day, I was the only person who had on ear defence, over 450 shots were fired and even with it I was still feeling the pressure from each shot quite vividly. One of the people was quite young (teens), I'd hate to be him in a few years and did mention it, he wasn't aware and wasn't really bothered once I tried to explain. Wear protection where possible, if you're already suffering from loss use them to stop it worsening! As to which are best, active certainly seem most popular and work for me but are bulky. In-ear type can be fitted to you but can cost more. Do some research! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artschool Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 http://www.shootforum.com/forum/ShootForum_hearing_protection_test.pdf i found this link to be helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
officerdibble777 Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 from past experience of noisy environmets Iv'e found it more effective to wear both plugs and over ear deffenders together. john Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_b_wales Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 I have had tinnutis for over 35 years. Caused by firing shotguns in a old quarry when I was in my late teens. It's something I've learned to live with. Most days, it's just in the background, but when I get a head cold, or my surroundings are quiet, then it seems amplified. No known cure as yet, and I know friends who have spent many £100's to try and mask the sound, to no avail. Steve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 I know I have mentioned this before, but the best one I saw was a bloke at a clay shoot with his family, god knows why. He had ear muffs on but the mrs and the youngster, still in a pram, didn't Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloke Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 (edited) Anything you can do to avoid tinnitus/hearing damage, do it! I played in bands and did DJ work in the 70's and 80's, before they got more hot with decibel meters etc, regularly sitting at a drum kit or DJ desk right in front of several thousand Watts of speakers for hours at a time. Add to that about half a million miles on a Harley with straight through drag pipes (yeah, yeah, I know, but I thought it was cool at the time! ) and then the effects of shooting, I now have permanent, loud tinnitus 24/7, (both the whistling and the rumbling type) from waking to sleeping. I am also becoming quite profoundly deaf in one ear and the other ear is beginning to be affected. It's strange how you can really struggle to hear voices, yet the flippin' tinnitus is as clear as day! Ear plugs are better than nothing, but they do not stop the damage from noise conduction via the bony structures behind the ear, it's always better to wear full ear defenders if you can. It's better late than never, and with the electronic ones, speech is as clear as without the defenders on. Edited January 11, 2011 by Bloke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyatt Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 It's better late than never, and with the electronic ones, speech is as clear as without the defenders on. 2nd'ed! I was impressed at how easy it was to hear people around me. They also kept my ears warm! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guest1957 Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 2nd'ed! I was impressed at how easy it was to hear people around me. They also kept my ears warm! You can even turn them up a little more to hear what people quite a way away are saying... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pavman Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 I have it bad in my left ear most likley from my offshore days i am having an aid fitted in feb as i can no longer hear certian tones (like mrs p) http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002HDUSUK/ref=asc_df_B002HDUSUK1730179?smid=AYJHXB7UWZG6H&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22218&creativeASIN=B002HDUSUK I am now using the shooters aid ear plugs from acu-life which i really like when i used to use electronic ones which kept getting in the way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artschool Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 http://www.censdigital.com/cens_range.html these are the ones i was looking at? bumping for more info on cens digital. anyone tried them?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piebob Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 (edited) bumping for more info on cens digital. anyone tried them?? Not heard of them. I had heard about Entec or Emtec through somewhere, and at the last shoot I was on one of the guys had them and thought they were fantastic. Edit: Just did a Google. It's Emtec http://www.noisebreaker.com/ Edited January 11, 2011 by Piebob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigG Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 bumping for more info on cens digital. anyone tried them?? Hi, Yes use the Cens digital. Obviously custom made so it is impossible to try before you buy. I have the hard plastic ones, in short they are fantastic, mine have 2 settings. The settings shut down the noise at 2 speeds. The first setting (game) shuts down (I think) in 1-1000th of a second, the other (clay) shuts down in 1-10,000th of a second. In short the game is more sensitive. You can amplify sounds to hear approaching game. The clay setting shuts down quicker for repetitive shots going on around you. You have to get the volume just right or they can be distracting, also they are precision instruments that need treating carefully, the buttons are very small & I never wear mine in the wet, although they say this is fine if you dry them out. I am going to get the new Cens flex ones that are made from a softer flexible material. When leaving a clay shoot I often leave them in until in the car, sometimes the car park can be near to a stand. If you shoot infrequently £500 is a bit steep, just go the for passive ones, but if you use them regularly..... great value for money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artschool Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 Hi, Yes use the Cens digital. Obviously custom made so it is impossible to try before you buy. I have the hard plastic ones, in short they are fantastic, mine have 2 settings. The settings shut down the noise at 2 speeds. The first setting (game) shuts down (I think) in 1-1000th of a second, the other (clay) shuts down in 1-10,000th of a second. In short the game is more sensitive. You can amplify sounds to hear approaching game. The clay setting shuts down quicker for repetitive shots going on around you. You have to get the volume just right or they can be distracting, also they are precision instruments that need treating carefully, the buttons are very small & I never wear mine in the wet, although they say this is fine if you dry them out. I am going to get the new Cens flex ones that are made from a softer flexible material. When leaving a clay shoot I often leave them in until in the car, sometimes the car park can be near to a stand. If you shoot infrequently £500 is a bit steep, just go the for passive ones, but if you use them regularly..... great value for money. thanks, i would like something more comfortable than the ear defenders i currently have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnbaz Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 Hi Having worked in a foundry for the last 32 years and a grinding shop before that, i'm fairly deaf and have Tinnitus quite badly- it's worth taking every precaution that you can as it's terrible trying to ignore the constant Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep whilst trying to nod off John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dorsey Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 I too suffer from the dreaded constant ringing in an ear. I even remember the day it 'happened', it was a shot from a borrowed 20 bore, I was 16... (but at least I hit the pigeon) so I've had it now for nearly half my life. At that point i'd never considered ear defenders as no-one I knew wore them - I won't shoot without a pair on now it's just a shame it's too late for my left ear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicW Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 A particularly annoying form of tinnitus is 'pulsatile tinnitus' the effect of which is that you can hear your heart beat in your ear. The noise is a form of rasping sound and is very annoying when trying to go to sleep as it determines which side you lay on as it's worse if you lay on the affected side. It doesn't bother me if I am doing something but when you relax you become aware of it.A sometimes worrying side effect is because you hear your heartbeat you are sometimes aware of every time your heart either skips a beat or puts in extra one,which is quite normal. From years of experience of working on aircraft and shooting I would not recommend ear plugs of any sort.Always use full ear defenders/muffs which prevent noise damage via the bony structure behind the ear. Muffs are available that have a cut away portion to avoid banging your stock on the muffs. Vic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daveo26 Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 Iv got one knacked ear, my left one causes unknown. But iv got tinnitus contsantly in it and varying degrees of deafness and i suffer with bouts of dizzyness. It started in about 2005 iv had all the tests including a MRI (scary) and have been diagnosed with B.P.P.V (Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo) So im the worst affected here I wear earing protection as a matter of course now I pray that its not going to get worse. If anyone suspects it will get worse keep it to yourself ignorance is bliss WEAR HEARING PROTECTION OR ELSE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liamp79 Posted January 15, 2011 Report Share Posted January 15, 2011 I've learned my lesson the hard way. Got ringing in my left ear and almost completely deaf in the right ear(ear infection). Can't shoot now without ear defenders on or it makes my ears feel like they will explode. Really painful at times. Really do wish i had worn defenders more in the past for work and shooting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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