Alf:



The ear (the person wearing the ear) subconsiously adapts if a loud noice is anticipated, the small bones of the middle ear (stirrup, anvil and hammer) are all attached to their own small muscles that when contracted to some extent moderate the transmission of energy to the inner ears oval window thus protecting the inner ear (the nervous tissue in the cochlea) from excess damage.



Key words: to some extent



And yes adrenaline plays a role in making us more alert to our surroundings when under pressure to for example perform during a hunt. The influx from of adrenaline into the bloodstream releases glucose from the liver (wear it is stored as glykogen), ups the heart rate and breathing frequency, diverts blood from the digestive tract to striated muscle tissue, widens the pupils and gives an overall greater level of muscle tension.



Capiche?

I'll "echo" what everyone else has said. I'm 40 and have had hearing aids for 9 years due to service connected activity. Of course, a youth of shooting w/o hearing protection probably helped a bit.
The hearing aids do nothing but amplify the deafness. They do, however, invigorate unused nerve endings so that after I wear them, I do seem to hear better. Docs have explained it in big words.
The problem with tinnitus and HF loss is that aids actually amplify the sound and your head rings unbelievably. Then it deteriorates into conversational levels.
I'm a bird hunting guide and the muzzle blasts from shooters too close is a killer. Plugs, however, cause a reaction in the ear that causes an "overpressure" feeling and the ringing becomes almost unbearable.
The VA is working on a "safety" hearing aid with directional ability. Hopefully,I'll get one.
Wear protection all around.
Jeff

WHAT?, EH! TALK LOUDER. Say it again.

Hell, my hearing is so bad I even have trouble reading.
Stupid mistakes as a kid.
Frank

I've taken a few minor steps to preserve the hearing I have left. No muzzle brakes, pistols and at least 24" barrels on rifles. I've also rethought the need for ultra mags and the like. My 32special kills dear just as dead at PA ranges. I've also found I don't really seem to miss a lot of what I'm not hearing.

Like Alf, I have built in ear protection, loss of hearing isn't as bad as its made out to be however, I really like my quite world, it's when I stick that damn hearing aid in my ear and they tell me I need two, that things go beserk IMO...

Hunting and shooting, a certain amount of hearing loss is going to happen, live with it or take up another sport, it goes with the territory..and regardless of how carefull you are, it will happen..I don't have any hunting friends that can hear for shit, and I know a hell of a lot of hunters, thats why the managers at hotels always ask us to keep it down, and hey! we were just having a discussion on firearms...

One simply cannot be a good hunter with hearing protection, what he becomes is a stumble bum, screwing around with sticking stuff in his ears when he should be shooting, kinda like changing power on a varible scope etc. stuff runs off lads!! The choice is yours..Most of us have made our decisions and we live with them, like Ingagi we chose to shoot without them in those windows of opertunity..It takes very few of those shots to do what is done...

I believe this happens to all hunters (definitely does with me). I think it's because I'm so focused on the hunt and the quarry that the shot sounds distant, and my .375 kicks like a .22.

Bill C: Time will tell. Some people seem to get away with a lot more than others so lets hope you�re one of them. The ground rule is that one blast can be one to many.

.

Take it from someone with tinnitus -you don�t want it. Most people get used to it though, the process usually takes about 18 months. You still hear the buzz and /or whine but it doesn�t drive you nuts.

Some people just can�t cope with the noice and tinnitus can be a factor in depre�ssion and anxiety.