- Sep 4, 2023
- 1
- Tinnitus Since
- 2021
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Gunshot Exposure Without Ear Protection
About 2 years ago I went shooting for the first time at a private outside range and the person who guided me taught me nothing about ear protection. We were all drinking alcohol and smoking weed. I had never been shooting before.
I fired off about 20 rounds with a 12 gauge shotgun in addition to like 100+ rounds from a .22 (I don't think the .22 caused much hearing damage), without any ear protection whatsoever.
Anyway, after the shooting session it felt like my head was in a fishbowl and I had like 95% deafness in one ear and like 50% deafness in the other.
It took about a week for the underwater "fishbowl" feeling and deafness to subside, but I was left with really bad ringing in my right ear. Couldn't sleep on my right side at all due to the ringing, had to have a fan going at all times just to stay sane.
Anyway, it's been about 2 years and I can safely say that the tinnitus is almost completely, if not completely gone.
To be honest, I haven't even thought about my tinnitus in the past 6 months. I'm posting this because I saw tinnitus mentioned recently in a lawsuit against 3M which claims the ear protection they were selling to the US military was defective or ineffective, leading to tinnitus in military personnel.
Just wanted to post this so that anyone suffering from recently induced tinnitus as a result of gunshot sound exposure without hearing protection will know there is hope. Obviously I can't say whether or not your case will resolve as mine did, but don't lose hope.
Also, if you smoke cannabis, consider quitting as I can say with certainty that cannabis severely exacerbates the condition.
The human body has a remarkable ability to heal itself. I had intense sciatica from a deadlift gone wrong when I was 18, and thought it would never get better. That took about 5 years before I was finally back to normal.
Anyway, I hope this post ends up helping someone out there who is feeling some despair.
I fired off about 20 rounds with a 12 gauge shotgun in addition to like 100+ rounds from a .22 (I don't think the .22 caused much hearing damage), without any ear protection whatsoever.
Anyway, after the shooting session it felt like my head was in a fishbowl and I had like 95% deafness in one ear and like 50% deafness in the other.
It took about a week for the underwater "fishbowl" feeling and deafness to subside, but I was left with really bad ringing in my right ear. Couldn't sleep on my right side at all due to the ringing, had to have a fan going at all times just to stay sane.
Anyway, it's been about 2 years and I can safely say that the tinnitus is almost completely, if not completely gone.
To be honest, I haven't even thought about my tinnitus in the past 6 months. I'm posting this because I saw tinnitus mentioned recently in a lawsuit against 3M which claims the ear protection they were selling to the US military was defective or ineffective, leading to tinnitus in military personnel.
Just wanted to post this so that anyone suffering from recently induced tinnitus as a result of gunshot sound exposure without hearing protection will know there is hope. Obviously I can't say whether or not your case will resolve as mine did, but don't lose hope.
Also, if you smoke cannabis, consider quitting as I can say with certainty that cannabis severely exacerbates the condition.
The human body has a remarkable ability to heal itself. I had intense sciatica from a deadlift gone wrong when I was 18, and thought it would never get better. That took about 5 years before I was finally back to normal.
Anyway, I hope this post ends up helping someone out there who is feeling some despair.
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