help with hearing problem

[rebs]

I wear hearing aids and when I am shooting I have to take them out and put muffs on which is kind of a pain because without them I cannot hear anyone talking or range commands. If I leave the hearing aids in the noise from shooting is too loud.
What do others with hearing aids do ?

 

[Irish lad]

I take mine out, turn them off and put them in the case.
Don’t want to risk damage to them.Too expensive !
My hearing loss is profound and I want to keep what I have left.
I use Peltor ComTac electronic muffs for the range and hunting when on stand.
HTH,
Irish

 

[Ironoxide]

I don't use a hearing aid (hopefully I'll not need one soon), but I second Irish Lad's advice on electronic muffs.

If you choose to buy them I suggest to try them on first to make sure there is not going to be any feedback or other incompatibility with the hearing aid. Most of my shooting club members use thin muffs, I went for thick ones. They offer a much better protection level, but can't be worn in a summer.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

I wear hearing aids and when I am shooting I have to take them out and put muffs on which is kind of a pain because without them I cannot hear anyone talking or range commands. If I leave the hearing aids in the noise from shooting is too loud.
What do others with hearing aids do ?

I have Beltone hearing aids and they are controlled via bluetooth. My cell phone is connected to the hearing aids. When shooting I can turn the volume down a little and then wear shooting protective muffs. Taking them in and out is a total pain in the arse.
Larry

 

[mushka]

I have needed hearing aids for years but I refuse to get them as everyone I know that has them has trouble with them. Too much money for trouble. I just use the stick them in the ear rubber plugs. I have permanent tinitis, steam pipe sound constantly, had it for so long I don't even notice it anymore. I'd be easy to sneak up on.

 

[rebs]

Thank you for the replies. I'll try turning them off

 

[Brokennock]

See if you have a representative from, E.A.R. Inc. in your area.
They make custom molded ear plugs and have a variety of options for different hearing issues. From solid where you can't hear anything, to single baffle, where most people can hear range commands and such but gunfire isn't an issue, double baffle where you can hear rang commands and other things more clearly but gunfire isn't an issue (more on these in a bit), to a whole range of electronic options. Some of the electronics will amplify speech but cancel gunfire much like electronic muffs, some will amplify or allow sounds like speech or animals moving in the woods, but not cancel during gunfire,,,, they reduce the loud noise lower than the soft noise. Some muffs will do this too..... expensive.
I've been using any one of the 1st 3 options for 15 years or so. I absolutely can not stand earmuffs anymore. Hot in warm environments, they fit funny with glasses or a hat, bulky,,, just a general pain in the.....

If anyone looks into these, please know not all molded plugs are the same. These guys make a great high quality,,, and safe product, they know what they are doing when it comes to your ears and hearing.
As to the double baffle plugs. These take some getting used to. I have hearing issues in my left ear, we didn't feel I was getting full benefit from single baffle plugs, working on a range running classes and matches and taking classes, so went to a double baffle. You can hear,,,, a lot. It is disconcerting at 1st. You hear the gunshot more clearly than you're used to and it takes a bit to realize that it is clear but isn't loud and isn't damaging. Alone on my indoor range and shooting slowly, I could hear the gun and then the sound of the bullet on the backstop. Weird.

The guy who makes mine has a brother who makes them too, he is located at Fort Bragg and a lot of the guys there get his plugs.

A cheaper similar option is the Walker Game Ear, but I've heard very mixed reviews of these.

 

[TreeMan]

Get some walker ear muffs. They are electronic. You can take your hearing aids out and then crank up the volume on the muffs to hear. I can hear a bird fart at 100 yards with mine cranked up to high volume. They will let you hear and block out loud noises. They are around $40

 

[springfield art]

I wear hearing aids and when I am shooting I have to take them out and put muffs on which is kind of a pain because without them I cannot hear anyone talking or range commands. If I leave the hearing aids in the noise from shooting is too loud.
What do others with hearing aids do ?

Get some walker ear muffs. They are electronic. You can take your hearing aids out and then crank up the volume on the muffs to hear. I can hear a bird fart at 100 yards with mine cranked up to high volume. They will let you hear and block out loud noises. They are around $40

Thanks for that tip.

 

[Artificer]

See if you have a representative from, E.A.R. Inc. in your area.
They make custom molded ear plugs and have a variety of options for different hearing issues. From solid where you can't hear anything, to single baffle, where most people can hear range commands and such but gunfire isn't an issue, double baffle where you can hear rang commands and other things more clearly but gunfire isn't an issue (more on these in a bit), to a whole range of electronic options. Some of the electronics will amplify speech but cancel gunfire much like electronic muffs, some will amplify or allow sounds like speech or animals moving in the woods, but not cancel during gunfire,,,, they reduce the loud noise lower than the soft noise. Some muffs will do this too..... expensive.
I've been using any one of the 1st 3 options for 15 years or so. I absolutely can not stand earmuffs anymore. Hot in warm environments, they fit funny with glasses or a hat, bulky,,, just a general pain in the.....

If anyone looks into these, please know not all molded plugs are the same. These guys make a great high quality,,, and safe product, they know what they are doing when it comes to your ears and hearing.
As to the double baffle plugs. These take some getting used to. I have hearing issues in my left ear, we didn't feel I was getting full benefit from single baffle plugs, working on a range running classes and matches and taking classes, so went to a double baffle. You can hear,,,, a lot. It is disconcerting at 1st. You hear the gunshot more clearly than you're used to and it takes a bit to realize that it is clear but isn't loud and isn't damaging. Alone on my indoor range and shooting slowly, I could hear the gun and then the sound of the bullet on the backstop. Weird.

The guy who makes mine has a brother who makes them too, he is located at Fort Bragg and a lot of the guys there get his plugs.

A cheaper similar option is the Walker Game Ear, but I've heard very mixed reviews of these.

I got a set of the solid E.A.R. Inc. plugs made in the mid 1980's. I use them AND a standard set of Ear Muffs over top. I just hold one muff up when the Range Master is announcing and take them off after shooting. I don't take the E.A.R. Inc. plugs anytime on the range.

Gus

 

[springfield art]

I have needed hearing aids for years but I refuse to get them as everyone I know that has them has trouble with them. Too much money for trouble. I just use the stick them in the ear rubber plugs. I have permanent tinitis, steam pipe sound constantly, had it for so long I don't even notice it anymore. I'd be easy to sneak up on.

Me, too....I can get free aids from the VA if I want.

 

[rebs]

I got my hearing aids from the VA

 

[Brokennock]

I don't take the E.A.R. Inc. plugs anytime on the range

??? Typo?

 

[Brokennock]

I got a set of the solid E.A.R. Inc. plugs made in the mid 1980's. I use them AND a standard set of Ear Muffs over top. I just hold one muff up when the Range Master is announcing and take them off after shooting. I don't take the E.A.R. Inc. plugs anytime on the range.

Gus

I find with my solid plugs I don't need anything else, the world goes away. I take them with me wherever I go that I may need some peace and quiet, lol.

Oh, one bit of advice for folks looking into fancy plugs. If you shoot on a range that frequently has other shooter, especially if it is controlled by an R.S.O. of some kind,,,, get them molded of one of the brighter colors so people can tell you have them in. Just saves extra hassles and "conversations."

 

[Silent Walker]

I also have issues with hearing while plugged.... I'm over 95% deaf in my right ear, and about 65% in the left... I've gone to electronic ear protection... they eliminate the crack of the shot, but allow me to amplify for anyone talking.

 

[EC121]

I have a set of electronic muffs that have an NRR of 33. I use foam plugs under them for a little more protection.

 

[Notchy Bob]

Hearing loss is obviously very common. I was a speech-language pathologist for thirty years before I retired, with about 27+ of those years in departments that had an audiology division. Speech and hearing curricula share some courses at the undergraduate and graduate level. I know and worked with a lot of audiologists. The current "entry level" degree for certification is at the doctoral level, meaning an AuD, or "Doctor of Audiology."

I would recommend that you consult a certified audiologist, and present your concerns to them. They are very knowledgeable, and not bound to prescribe any one specific brand. They have to stay current to keep their certification, so they ought to know what's out there. I'm not knocking Beltone or E.A.R. or any of the others, but their personnel are primarily salesmen/technicians. Good people and frequently knowledgeable, but they just don't have the training that certified audiologists are required to have.

If you are a veteran, the VA may very well provide the evaluation, intervention, and prosthetics you need with no out of pocket cost, although that will likely depend on your percent "service connection" related to your problem. If you are on Medicare, veteran or not, Medicare should cover a lot of the cost of the consultation and evaluation, although Medicare will probably not help much with the actual prosthetics.

This is a good conversation to have, and I've learned a few things reading through this thread. However, if it were me, I would start with a licensed and certified audiologist.

And yes, I have hearing loss, also. Severe on the left, moderately severe on the right. Surprisingly enough, I have not taken the leap toward getting hearing aids. However, I have two sets of custom molded silicone plugs which provide very good attenuation of noise, and I wear them religiously when shooting, mowing, or working with any tools or in any environment with noise levels greater than loud conversation.

Regardless of your choice, we hope you'll let us know what you decide to get, and then give a "field report" to let us know how it works. This is good information to share.

Best regards,

Notchy Bob

 

[Pete G]

Taking them in and out is a total pain in the arse.
Larry

You're putting them in the wrong place!!!

 

[Artificer]

Artificer said:
I don't take the E.A.R. Inc. plugs anytime on the range

??? Typo?

Yep, Thanks. Corrected to :

I don't take the E.A.R. Inc. plugs out of my years anytime on the range

 

[Whughett]

Remove them and Wear Walker electronic ear muffs. Amazon sells several models. I can also get away with removing one hearing aid. Mine will start “talking” to one another if both are covered with the muffs.