Do you need hearing protection at the range? A lot of people might think that they don't, but yes, you do! It is highly essential to understand why wearing hearing protection is so important. Shooting a gun will produce a loud noise. This noise can damage your ears and cause permanent hearing loss without earplugs or other forms of protection. In this article, we will explore the importance of protecting your ears when shooting firearms.

What Is Considered Too Loud?

Shooting a gun will produce a loud noise with high-level decibels. This noise can damage your ears and cause permanent hearing loss without earplugs or other forms of protection. The noise made by a gunshot is between 140 decibels and 165 decibels, which can cause immediate and permanent loss to your hearing. The safe range for the human ear is 70 decibels or lower. Exposure to sounds above 85 decibels for extended periods will cause permanent hearing loss.

Consequences Of High-Level Decibels

Hearing loss is permanent and cannot be reversed. Once you have experienced hearing loss, audiologists will help you to find ways to increase your ability to hear sounds, such as through the use of hearing aids or other devices. However, this does not mean that all aspects of your sound perception will return back to normal after wearing these devices long-term. Any sounds at or above 140 decibels can cause immediate and permanent loss of hearing, even if you are only exposed for a short time.

Why You Should Use Hearing Protection at the Range?

Hearing protection at the range is vital for everyone, whether you are shooting or not. If you are planning on being around gunfire of any kind, make sure to have some sort of ear protection available. Even if it is just standard foam plugs that fit in your ears, something will help protect them from getting damaged by loud noise! However, if you are planning on shooting, it is crucial to invest in some form of professional hearing protection.

Wearing hearing protection when at the range will help prevent you from losing your ability to hear. Some of the most common forms of hearing protection are foam earplugs, noise-canceling earphones or earmuffs. These hearing protection devices can be purchased and usually fit well in most people's ears; however, there is some trial and error with finding which one works best for each person.

The best option would be to contact an audiologist for their opinion regarding the protection! Audiologists will be able to provide you with options that will not interfere with safety since some of these devices still allow users to communicate with others around them while blocking out the high decibels of the gunshots. 

Hearing protection is essential when at the range because it will help prevent damage to your ear health and loss of hearing. Hearing loss cannot be reversed, so make sure you wear earplugs or another form of professional protection available! Make sure to check in with your local audiologist to discuss the options available to you.