Can you wear Hearing Aids Hunting?
Posted by CENTURY HEARING
Did you know that repeated Exposure to a sounds, like gun fire, that is greater than 140 dB can permanently damage hearing?
This post will answer the question, Can you wear hearing aids hunting?
Almost all firearms, pistols and rifles, create noise that is over the 140-dB level. 140dB is like standing next to a jet plan or the speakers at a rock AC/DC Concert. Even a small .22-caliber rifle can produce noise around 140 dB, while the bigger rifles 306 and pistols 357 magnum can produce sound over 175 dB.
Its very simple....there is irrefutable proof, folks who do not wear hearing protection while they hunt or shoot at the range can suffer a severe hearing loss with as little as one shot. Personally, here at Century Hearing Aids, we have sold about 10 to 15% of our hearing aids to hunters. And they all tell the story...I am a hunter. And they all say, yep probably from hunting.
People who Hunt or shoot at the range tend to have what they call high-frequency permanent hearing loss, which means that they may have trouble hearing speech sounds like "s," "th," or "v" and other high-pitched sounds. That means they are missing out on womens childrens voices - which may mean a good thing or bad.
It also stands to reason that the left ear, for right-handed shooters, often suffers more damage than the right ear because it is closer to, the muzzle of the firearm.
Not only that, there is one more downside effect, folks that hunt or shoot at the range may also have ringing in their ears, called tinnitus. The ringing, like the hearing loss, can be permanent. Most people have experienced the "ringing" at one time or another ....just think if the was 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Customers that call Century Hearing Aids to help with their ringing are at their wits end.
Here is the first suggestion: Get religious about protecting your hearing - wear disposable foam earplugs at the range and cover them up with a pair of ear muffs. There are products like North Sonic II ear valves at Cabelas if you still want to hear the birds flush.
Can you wear your hearing aid hunting?
Most hearing aids have this feature called abrupt noise cancellation. That means the hearing aids essentially shut down at a specific decibel level. Like after a gun shot. Or someone screaming. That is there to protect you from further damage to your ears,
I have had customers ask, if they can wear their hearing aids hunting so that they have an 'advantage' or so that they are safer while hunting.
There are two problems wearing hearing aids hunting: 1. The sound from a gun shot happens so fast that the hearing aid technology might not be fast enough to go into abrupt noise cancellation mode. and 2. The impact noise of a loud gun may damage the microphone and cause the aid to fail.
Lets just say its not a good idea to use hearing aids hunting. You can but you may damage your hearing more and damage the hearing aid.
This post will answer the question, Can you wear hearing aids hunting?
Almost all firearms, pistols and rifles, create noise that is over the 140-dB level. 140dB is like standing next to a jet plan or the speakers at a rock AC/DC Concert. Even a small .22-caliber rifle can produce noise around 140 dB, while the bigger rifles 306 and pistols 357 magnum can produce sound over 175 dB.
Its very simple....there is irrefutable proof, folks who do not wear hearing protection while they hunt or shoot at the range can suffer a severe hearing loss with as little as one shot. Personally, here at Century Hearing Aids, we have sold about 10 to 15% of our hearing aids to hunters. And they all tell the story...I am a hunter. And they all say, yep probably from hunting.
People who Hunt or shoot at the range tend to have what they call high-frequency permanent hearing loss, which means that they may have trouble hearing speech sounds like "s," "th," or "v" and other high-pitched sounds. That means they are missing out on womens childrens voices - which may mean a good thing or bad.
It also stands to reason that the left ear, for right-handed shooters, often suffers more damage than the right ear because it is closer to, the muzzle of the firearm.
Not only that, there is one more downside effect, folks that hunt or shoot at the range may also have ringing in their ears, called tinnitus. The ringing, like the hearing loss, can be permanent. Most people have experienced the "ringing" at one time or another ....just think if the was 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Customers that call Century Hearing Aids to help with their ringing are at their wits end.
Here is the first suggestion: Get religious about protecting your hearing - wear disposable foam earplugs at the range and cover them up with a pair of ear muffs. There are products like North Sonic II ear valves at Cabelas if you still want to hear the birds flush.
Can you wear your hearing aid hunting?
Most hearing aids have this feature called abrupt noise cancellation. That means the hearing aids essentially shut down at a specific decibel level. Like after a gun shot. Or someone screaming. That is there to protect you from further damage to your ears,
I have had customers ask, if they can wear their hearing aids hunting so that they have an 'advantage' or so that they are safer while hunting.
There are two problems wearing hearing aids hunting: 1. The sound from a gun shot happens so fast that the hearing aid technology might not be fast enough to go into abrupt noise cancellation mode. and 2. The impact noise of a loud gun may damage the microphone and cause the aid to fail.
Lets just say its not a good idea to use hearing aids hunting. You can but you may damage your hearing more and damage the hearing aid.
SHARE:
