Following is a guest post by John O. This addresses a topic that is near and dear to my heart, hearing protection and hearing loss. I have a significant hearing loss in one ear, and it is related to nerve damage, which means hearing aids, or amplification, do not help. I'm very diligent about my ear protection, either electronic muffs or custom molded plugs, depending upon the situation. While John relates the dangers to your hearing while hunting, any time you are shooting, you need to protect yourself.
Thank you John for reaching out to me to share this information with my readers.
Tips for Preventing Hearing Loss in Hunters
Hearing loss can be caused by excessive exposure to loud noises. Hunting is a threat to hearing loss. Noise-induced hearing loss comprises a large portion of the 36 million who are suffering from hearing loss. As people age, the threat can worsen since 30 percent of adults between the age of 65 and 74 have difficulty hearing.
Hearing protection is necessary for people who engage in this popular sport. My father suffers severely from hearing loss and is part of the 30% of adults between the age of 65-74 that have trouble hearing. Although not the only cause, hunting did play a very large role in the decreasing levels of his hearing. He now wears hearing aids in order to help increase hearing levels so he can here well.
Hearing loss can be caused by excessive exposure to loud noises. Hunting is a threat to hearing loss. Noise-induced hearing loss comprises a large portion of the 36 million who are suffering from hearing loss. As people age, the threat can worsen since 30 percent of adults between the age of 65 and 74 have difficulty hearing.
Hearing protection is necessary for people who engage in this popular sport. My father suffers severely from hearing loss and is part of the 30% of adults between the age of 65-74 that have trouble hearing. Although not the only cause, hunting did play a very large role in the decreasing levels of his hearing. He now wears hearing aids in order to help increase hearing levels so he can here well.
Ways to Protect Hearing While Hunting
Since most shotguns produce sounds between 160 decibels (dB) and 144 dB, most hunters need protection. Any noise over 80 dB may provide permanent hearing damage. Normal hearing speech is between 60 dB and 65 dB. This gives you an idea about how much noise people can handle.
To protect the ears, avoid enclosed environments when shooting. Earplugs, earmuffs and electronic earmuffs are the most common.
How to Protect Hearing at the Shooting Range
When at the shooting range, you should wear earmuffs, a combination of earmuffs and earplugs or electronic earmuffs. Electronic earmuffs have noise cancelling technology. This allows hunters to hear sounds under 80 dB.
Every sportsman should wear earmuffs to protect their ears. Many sportsmen have lost their hearing due to shooting. These earmuffs have protected people for numerous years. Any person who is aware of hearing loss should consider purchasing ear protection. The earmuffs are friendly to all budget types. Everyone should consider purchasing a pair if hunting is the sport of choice.
Why You Should Protect Your Hearing
Since hearing is one of your most important senses, you must protect it. Hearing impairment can affect your balance and cause you to fall. Compromised safety is not what most people desire. Everyone must create awareness and let their friends and family know how important it is to preserve hearing.
Hi my name is John O'Connor, I am a father, outdoorsman and passionate about living a healthy lifestyle. Over the past few years I have become more and more interested in hearing loss. My father and grandfathers, who are and were all hunters, are affected by hearing loss. I feel that there is a general lack of understanding around the issue and it is our job to spread awareness where we can. Check out my new blog at bloggingwjohno.blogspot.com!
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