- Jun 2, 2018
- 2
- Tinnitus Since
- 2/27/2018
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Single discharge of 40 cal. handgun indoors.
So about 3 months ago I had a situation where I discharged a 40 cal handgun in my house to remove a raccoon that had somehow found its way inside.
The opportunity to remove it without outside help seemed ideal at the time, and I didnt want to startle it. I had the gun, but not the hearing protection right there at that moment. So I made the call and discharged the weapon then and there.
Immediately my hearing was near-deafened, and overwhelmed with an echoing staccato for a couple seconds. For the next few days, my hearing remained diminished but came back. Im sure damage was done of course, but funny thing about hearing, you're never really sure how it was before hand. Only this time, unlike a previous time in my very early childhood when I found and fired a gun, this time a ringing remained. At first I would experience a variety of intensities, some that would start up out of nowhere and within a few seconds would stop. I had read that was part of the damage aspect, as hair follicles die from it, and that very likely the tone I was hearing would be the last time I'd ever hear it.
Now however, its a consistent tone and volume that never changes, and mind you, its not intense, but sometimes it gets to me, and its especially irritating in a quiet room at bedtime. I read this was supposed to go away in 2-3 months, and if not, perhaps 2 years later it might be gone.
At this point, I figure I'm in for the latter, as its been 3 months since that happened and the ringing has not stopped. I never imagined a single discharge would cause this. Maybe if I had emptied the whole damn thing, but a single shot? Im in disbelief, and I really have begun to miss what genuine quiet used to be. It's a mistake I will never make again, but im really hoping I'll have quiet nights again. What do any of you think? Should I just accept this is how its going to be? Or do you think this will go away in due time?
The opportunity to remove it without outside help seemed ideal at the time, and I didnt want to startle it. I had the gun, but not the hearing protection right there at that moment. So I made the call and discharged the weapon then and there.
Immediately my hearing was near-deafened, and overwhelmed with an echoing staccato for a couple seconds. For the next few days, my hearing remained diminished but came back. Im sure damage was done of course, but funny thing about hearing, you're never really sure how it was before hand. Only this time, unlike a previous time in my very early childhood when I found and fired a gun, this time a ringing remained. At first I would experience a variety of intensities, some that would start up out of nowhere and within a few seconds would stop. I had read that was part of the damage aspect, as hair follicles die from it, and that very likely the tone I was hearing would be the last time I'd ever hear it.
Now however, its a consistent tone and volume that never changes, and mind you, its not intense, but sometimes it gets to me, and its especially irritating in a quiet room at bedtime. I read this was supposed to go away in 2-3 months, and if not, perhaps 2 years later it might be gone.
At this point, I figure I'm in for the latter, as its been 3 months since that happened and the ringing has not stopped. I never imagined a single discharge would cause this. Maybe if I had emptied the whole damn thing, but a single shot? Im in disbelief, and I really have begun to miss what genuine quiet used to be. It's a mistake I will never make again, but im really hoping I'll have quiet nights again. What do any of you think? Should I just accept this is how its going to be? Or do you think this will go away in due time?
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