Shooter’s Ear: How to Protect Your Ears and Hearing
Millions of Americans use guns for hobbies like hunting. However, the dangerously loud noises can cause what’s called shooter’s ear, or long-term, high-frequency hearing loss. The good news is that you can take steps to prevent it.
A woman wearing ear protection while shooting a gun
Some jobs, like police officers and the military, require adults to carry and potentially use guns. Beyond that, people in the United States may participate in hobbies that involve gun use, such as hunting or going to a shooting range. However, firearms produce dangerously loud noises that can cause something known as “shooter’s ear,” which is short-term or long-term hearing loss from noise.
The good news is that there are some common-sense measures to protect your hearing health and prevent temporary or permanent damage to your ears from these loud sounds. The guide to shooter’s ear will help you understand what it is, how it is diagnosed, and how to prevent it.
The 3 key takeaways
- Shooter’s ear is asymmetric hearing loss — It’s commonly seen in certain groups of firearm users, like military veterans and hunters. Other loud blasts can also cause it, and you may also experience tinnitus (ear ringing).
- Shooter’s ear has a unique set of symptoms — You’ll still hear some sounds, but they may sound muffled. Additionally, specific sounds like “sh” and “f” may be hard to pick up.
- Shooter’s ear isn’t inevitable — Hearing protection devices (HPDs), earmuffs, and situational awareness can lower the risk of shooter’s ear.
What is Shooter’s Ear?
Shooter’s ear is a specific type of high-frequency hearing loss seen in people who use firearms for work or hobbies, such as military members and hunters. While firearms, like shotguns and rifles, are the frequent reason for shooter’s ear, any loud blast can cause this type of high-frequency hearing loss. People with high-frequency hearing loss struggle with high-pitched sounds. They may also have a hard time hearing the “s,” “th,” “f,” and “ch” in conversations.
What makes shooter’s ear distinct is that it typically presents as asymmetrical hearing loss, meaning one ear is more affected than the other. Usually, a person will experience more significant hearing loss in the opposite ear from their dominant hand (so, a right-handed shooter will have more trouble hearing out of their left ear, and a left-handed shooter will say the same about their right ear). That’s because the non-dominant side is closer to the muzzle, while the dominant side is further away and gets a bit of protection from the head.
The Impact of Gun Noise on Hearing
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration notes that impulse noise should not exceed should not exceed 140 dB (decibels) because of the risk of permanent hearing loss. However, some high-caliber guns like big-bore rifles far exceed that, producing loud noises of 161 dB or more. A single shot can cause permanent damage and tinnitus (ear ringing), though long-term noise exposure at high decibels raises the risk for shooter’s ear.
Why? When a gun fires, powerful sound waves travel through the eardrum and the small bones of the middle ear before reaching the inner ear and the cochlea. These vibrations move fluid inside the cochlea, bending tiny hair cells that convert sound waves into electrical signals, which the brain processes. This is essentially how hearing works.
If the noise is too loud, those delicate cells can become overstimulated or damaged, leading to temporary or even permanent noise-induced hearing loss, especially if the ears are unprotected and the person is close to the gun (which the shooter always is).
Preventative Measures for Shooter’s Ear
Some people may have experienced accidental exposure to the loud noise of a firearm, but others are exposed when using firearms for work or sport. Several hearing protection devices (HPDs), other items, and safe firearm habits give shooters a critical buffer. However, many people who experience shooter’s ear learn about the importance of these measures the hard way. A National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that about 70% of people exposed to loud noises don’t use ear protection.
The best option for you may depend on the setting.
Choose the Right Protection Gear for Shooting Sports
Equipment choices aren’t one-size-fits-all. Protecting your ears is an important step, but the type of protection you use matters, too. Your needs at an indoor gun range are different than they are when hunting outdoors for a variety of reasons. Comfort and design preferences are also important facts to consider. These tips will help you find what you need and in what instances.
- Range shooting. You’re usually indoors at a shooting range. The gunfire is rapid. You’ll want gear designed to protect your ears from the constant and concentrated high sound levels. Specialty earmuffs over foam earplugs can provide multiple layers of protection. While you can find both online, trying them on in person can help ensure comfort and fit so they won’t fall out (and you won’t remove them.
- Competitive skeet and target shooting. Target practice and competitive skeet are usually outdoor settings. To find the target, shooters constantly look around, and a pair of earmuffs can feel limiting and be too much to wear. Ear protection is still a must, though. Specially molded earplugs can provide a comfortable custom fit, staying in place and protecting you from the loud blasts of rapid fire.
- Hunting. You don’t want to block all noise when hunting — it’s important to hear game. Specialty digital hearing devices provide a solution by lowering gunfire noise when you pull the trigger. “Hunting hearing aids” are a digital device that amplifies sounds so you can hear important noises but still act as a suppressor for gunfire noise when you pull the trigger.
Signs of Shooter’s Ear
Shooter’s ear has a unique set of symptoms from other types of hearing loss. It’s considered a form of sensorineural hearing loss, so you’ll still hear sounds, but not in the same way you did before the gunshot exposure. Signs of shooter’s ear include:
- Trouble understanding speech, especially “s,” “th,” “f,” and “ch” (this sign is more noticeable when background noise is present)
- Noise sounds muffled
- Ringing
- Buzzing
- Humming
These signs can be fleeting or chronic, and you’ll want to speak with a hearing healthcare professional to receive an official diagnosis.
Diagnosing Shooter’s Ear
If you are a regular firearm user or have been exposed to gunshots and struggle to hear out of one ear, you might have a shooter’s ear. However, it’s best to see an audiologist who can run diagnostic hearing tests, discuss your lifestyle, and provide a medical diagnosis of noise-induced hearing loss. Here’s what to expect if you go through that process.
Common diagnostic tests
An audiologist can run several tests to determine whether you have shooter’s ear.
- Audiogram. An audiogram gauges how well you hear sounds at specific frequencies and intensities. A person with shooter’s ear often has trouble hearing high-pitch noises.
- Tympanometry. This test measures the movement of your eardrum and middle ear functioning. Since loud impulse sounds can rupture the eardrum, tympanometry is still recommended.
When to see a specialist
If you have concerns about your hearing health, it’s a good idea to find a licensed audiologist who can help you get to the bottom of it. Specific to shooter’s ear, see a specialist if you are a firearm user or have been exposed to a loud noise from a gunshot and:
- Have tinnitus symptoms like ringing, humming, or buzzing in your ear
- Asymmetrical hearing issues
- Trouble hearing high-pitched noises and sounds like “f” and “sh.”
It’s especially important to see a specialist if these symptoms persist for days or weeks following gunshot exposure. However, hearing damage isn’t always immediately evident. It’s a good idea to see a specialist even if your hearing returns.
A specialist can rule out other potential issues, diagnose you, start treatment, and recommend ear protection before the loss worsens.
Treatment Options for Shooter’s Ear
A specialist can walk you through your treatment options for shooter’s ear, including home remedies, medical treatments, and devices.:
- Rest. After exposure to loud noises, your ears can benefit from a break. Immediately go into a quiet place and avoid loud noises, gunshots, or otherwise.
- White noise. Listening to white noise might help soothe tinnitus by distracting your brain from the ringing.
- Hearing aids. Hearing aids can help amplify high-frequency sounds to replace the sounds lost by noise exposure sounds when you have hearing issues. Depending on the level of hearing loss, you can get an over-the-counter device. These devices are for mild to moderate hearing loss. People with severe hearing loss benefit from prescription aids.
- Cochlear implants. Your care team might recommend these surgically implanted electronic devices if hearing aids aren’t effective or your shooter’s ear worsens. They improve how you hear and understand sounds, including speech.
Myths and Facts About Shooter’s Ear
Separating fact from fiction can help you protect your hearing, especially if you’re regularly exposed to gunshots. Unfortunately, some common myths prevent people from taking necessary steps to ward off noise-induced hearing loss, such as wearing protective gear. So, let’s clear some things up.
- Myth: Shooter’s ear takes years to develop — Just one loud gunshot sound, especially at close range, can cause permanent hearing loss.
- Myth: Wearing hearing aids protects your ears — Wearing protective gear like earmuffs and earplugs protects your ears. Hearing aids can help reduce the effects of hearing loss by amplifying sounds.
- Fact: The ear that is exposed to the gun’s muzzle will be most impacted — Shooter’s ear is asymmetrically hearing loss. The ear of your non-dominant hand, which is closest to the gunshot noise and muzzle, will sustain the most damage from the impact noise.
- Myth: If hearing returns to normal levels in a few days, you’re probably OK — It can take years for damage to the ear to surface. If you experience asymmetrical hearing loss after being exposed to gunfire, see a specialist to ensure you’re OK.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does shooter's ear last?
The gunshot hearing loss recovery period varies significantly. Shooter’s ear can cause earring loss that lasts a couple of hours or days, but it can be permanent. Additionally, even if your hearing seemingly returns to a normal level after exposure to gunfire or other loud noises, there may still be long-term and even permanent damage, so it’s best to wear protective gear.
Will hearing aids protect my ears?
Hearing aids will not protect your ears from shooter’s ear. However, they can help you hear better if you’re experiencing this type of hearing loss and struggling to hear sounds at normal levels. Wearing hearing protection devices (HPDs) is a critical prevention strategy for a shooter’s ear.
Can you regain your hearing after suffering hearing loss?
It’s possible for your hearing to return to normal levels hours or days after experiencing hearing loss, but it depends. The proximity to the noise that caused the loss, the type of firearm used, and how often you’re exposed to these loud noises are among the variety of reasons hearing loss can become permanent. Though years of exposure to high noise levels can raise the risk of shooter’s ear, a single shot can cause permanent hearing loss. Your best bet is to practice safe firearm habits to protect your hearing health.
Can you get tinnitus from shooting guns?
Yes. Firearm users frequently experience tinnitus, which is hallmarked by buzzing or ringing in the ears. The ear’s hair cells that help us hear are delicate and the loud noises produced by gunshots can far exceed the decibel levels that can cause short-term and permanent hearing damage, including tinnitus. The more frequent the exposure to gunshots with unprotected ears, the higher the chances the loss becomes permanent.