Posted: 10/19/2008 8:45:12 AM EDT
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I'm 24, and occasionally get unexplained ringing in my ears. It starts out of the blue, and I get a very loud, sudden ringing, which tapers into silence over the course of about 30 seconds. I always use at least one earplugs when shooting, although I have been exposed to gunshots without them on a couple of occasions. Once was in a porch area that was enclosed on three sides, and I fired 3 rounds of .223. One shot from a 6" .44mag once, when my earmuffs weren't on tight enough, and that's all I remember. I do usually shoot my .22 rifle without ears on, but it is a 24" barrel level gun, and outdoors isn't very loud at all. So, my question is, is this odd ringing a warning sign, or am I just getting older? :) |
J/K
plus 100,, mine is to the point, if in a quite room it will drive me bugshit.. I cannot follow conversation if any outside noise is present. 75% on right side 20% on left side,,gets so you just dont want to talk to people. it can be caused by TUMORS as well as noises,,get it checked by your MD, not just beltone or others hearing aid places. deafness is not apart of aging, it is apart of being stupid! My Dad was Deaf from age 5 from rhumatic fever, cooked his ear drums bascilly so, grew up with the issue, He wore hearing aids both ears and continued to get worse as he aged, by age 90, he heard nothing and was pretty much isolated in a room full of people,  the last few years he was alive. qutie going to church, quite going out to eat, etc..
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If you hear it all the time, it's tinnitus. If, as you say, it is just a loud single tone, and stops, it's a hair inside your cochlea "dying". Each hair in the cochlea is like a tuning fork, and when they go, they generate that frequency. I forget what the term is, but as you get older, it gets more frequent. It generally starts at the highest frequencies first. That's why there are tones that teenagers can hear that guys my age (early 40's) cannot. Is there a rhinolaryngologist in the house? |
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I've had it all my life. I had really bad ear infections as a kid, and had to have tubes put in 5 times. I've learned to deal with it. I can't be in a room with no noise...I always have to have a fan or something on. Otherwise the ringing can annoy the hell out of me. 25 years old. 
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Loud noise over sustained periods of time or extremely loud noises in short burst of time. The big culprits are firearms, machinery, and headphones. Somethings are so loud that plugs alone are not enough. Use plugs and muffs combined for things like air blowers or lawn mowers. Do you ride a motorcycle? Oh and get your hearing checked. |
Its sporadic, and fairly rare. I get it maybe once every 2-3 weeks. |
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I'm 36 and mine is now 65% right and 55% left. The ringing is non stop. But it does get worse at times in my left ear. Starting slowly like putting a soft ear plug in and then it increases until I have about a 90% loss. It then goes away usually in about 10 minutes. But the ringing is always there, always. |
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Warning sign! You're not old, but if you don't start taking care of your ears the loudest, most annoying ringing will be with you 24/7 in just a few years. Pull the earbuds out, turn down the music, wear hearing protection whenever there will be sudden loud or sustained kinda-loud noises, talk to your doctor and/or an environmental health type person (working in garages, server rooms, etc. can have an effect). Head down to Radio Shack and pick up a $50 decibel meter and see how loud that .22 really is (because I really don't know, I've shot .30-30 and .357 without protection, so I can't hardly hear .22 at all anymore). Do something before it's too late. Sure wish I did... |
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+1 I'm 26 and have the same problem from not wearing ear protection when I should have. Mainly from working on generators, boilers, motors used to be a millwright. I now were ear plugs wish I would have done it sooner. Wait till the ringing is so bad you lose your balance, that's when it gets fun. Get up out of bed and grab everything trying to keep from falling over. |
Also critical around machinery. Lawn mowing, air tools, saws, etc, etc.... Lot's of people don't, Even if they wear ear protection while shooting. If you hunt, and don't have them, get the electronic ear-muffs. YOUR HEARING IS WORTH THE MONEY. I think soldiers are using them now, as well. The only time you should be exposed to gunshot should be in a self-defense shooting. And this is a pretty good argument to have a suppressor on your home defense weapon, if your state allows. |
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Tinnitus for about 6 years now. The quiet times are the worst as you have no background noise to mask it. Drives me crazy. Reading or trying to go to sleep is sometimes torture. I wear plugs & muffs when shooting. Also wear plugs to mow the grass or operate any power tools. Gotta protect what I have left as I have a pretty good dead spot in a specific range. For example, I can barely hear the alarm on the watch I am wearing. I am lost in busy restaurant. Can't carry on normal conversation due to background noise. I have been told there nothing currently that can be done about it. I even took some special vitamins to improve hearing, did no good at all. |
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I have had it as long as I can remember it is a constant ringing but I can tune it out 100% so it doesn't bother me. No hearing loss last time I was checked. Yes I was exposed to lots of loud noise as a young child. What you describe should be checked out by a pro. |
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I had a .357 Mag go off right by my left ear. Tinnitus ever since. Most of the time I hear it when I'm tired, after insufficient sleep, etc. It got only a little bit worse after my 10 yrs as a mortarman. Most of the time, I wore only one earplug in order to hear fire commands. Usually had enough time to get a finger in the other ear. |