To keep it brief, I developed tinnitus from a single round fired back in December. I’m curious to know how many of you deal with this? How has it changed your daily routine? How long was the healing process, and did you take time off work immediately? I’ve posted on the tinnitus subreddit, but it’s a bit of a downer over there. I figured this community would be more helpful since my issue stems from a firearm-related injury.
It’s definitely annoying. The volume fluctuates for me, but the sound is constant.
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I went through the same thing after shooting without ear protection. Luckily, mine cleared up after a few months.
Tinnitus isn’t something you get over; it’s a permanent fixture. Hearing loss is irreversible, and there’s no medical fix. If you’ve had it for more than a few weeks, this is likely your new normal. A single shot shouldn’t ruin your life; you’ll eventually filter it out except in total silence. I wouldn’t expect anyone to miss work over one gunshot. I shot without protection plenty when I was younger and just kept going with my day.
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Were you wearing hearing protection? I’m guessing not since it only took one shot. Unless it’s a life-or-death situation, never shoot without it. Take this as a wake-up call and get used to reading subtitles on your TV.
Hard truth: the shot is over in a second, but the ringing stays forever. Use your safety gear next time.
Welcome to the eternal ringing club. Some folks claim a doctor’s visit or ear cleaning fixed theirs, but I doubt those people are shooters.
I’ve had this since I was a kid because of fireworks. If it doesn’t go away in a day, you’re probably stuck with it. Mine is constant but mostly only bothers me in quiet spots, though it occasionally spikes. Sometimes my left ear goes almost totally deaf from the ringing for about a minute. It doesn’t hurt, it’s just loud.
My ears have been ringing since I took off my muffs while skeet shooting at age 8. I’m in my 30s now. It’s only noticeable when I focus on it or if the room is silent. Silence is the worst part. I use a fan at night to help. Hopefully yours isn’t permanent. I still live a normal life and hear fine otherwise. I just hate quiet places. I still shoot, but I double up with plugs and muffs now to protect what’s left. Most days it’s just background noise.
A single 5.56 round near my ear gave me permanent ringing that’s lasted over ten years. I was totally deaf in that ear at first, which went away after a few hours, but the high-pitched noise returns whenever it’s quiet.
I’ve dealt with this since age 12. You eventually tune it out. It’s loud if I think about it, but otherwise, I forget it’s there. The high pitch makes it hard to hear certain things like fridge or oven beeps, but it’s not a major handicap.