What is Shooter's Ear? (Back to Top)
"Shooter's ear" is the common term for the noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) suffered by many hunters and target shooters.
We hear most sounds at safe levels that do not affect our hearing. However, when we are exposed to harmful noiseﾗsuch as firearm shotsﾗsensitive hair cells in our inner ear can be damaged. These hair cells are very important because they convert sound energy into electrical signals that travel to the brain. Destroyed cells can never grow back, so this type of hearing loss is permanent.
NIHL can be caused by a one-time exposure to an intense "impulse" sound, like a shotgun blast, or by continuous exposure to loud sounds over an extended period of time. Impulse sounds cause immediate hearing damage, while a person exposed over time will experience gradually increasing symptoms. The sounds a person hears may become distorted or muffled. Eventually it may become difficult to understand speech. The change may occur so slowly that someone with shooter's ear may not even be aware of the loss, though it can be detected with a hearing test.
If you have shooter's ear hearing loss, or think you may, please take our free audiogram. It's quick and easy, and the results can help determine what hearing aids are best for your needs. Lloyd's carries many hearing aids suitable for the high frequency hearing loss associated with shooter's ear.
The most important thing to understand about shooter's ear is that it is preventable with the use of hearing protection. Studies have shown that a large percentage of shooters rarely use hearing protection, and in fact, many older generation shooters that grew up in a time when hearing protection was less common have never used it. It's never to late to start, though. Even if you currently suffer from shooter's ear, you can protect your hearing from further damage by wearing ear plugs or muffs adequate for the type of firearm you are using.
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