August 29th 2021
Even rimfire enthusiasts should always wear ear protection at the range. A typical rifle gunshot can be heard at 140 to 170 decibels (the pain threshold for this range is 130-140 db). A single session of shooting can cause permanent damage to your hearing if you don’t use ear protection. We all know of older shooters who are partially or permanently deaf or who have Tinnitus. This is because they didn’t use earplugs and muffs when younger.
Amazing Video – How Humans Hear Sounds While shooters know the importance of protecting their hearing and may be aware of the bio-mechanics behind human hearing, they may not be able to understand the bio-mechanics. Auditory Transduction is how we hear sounds. The eardrum (tympanic membrane) vibrates with sound waves, but that’s only the beginning. These vibrations are transmitted via tiny, rocker-arm-like bone to be “processed”, in a spiral chamber called the cochlea.
The cochlea separates vibrations into frequencies, which are then sent to the brain as neural messages. It is a complex process that seems almost miraculous, especially when you consider the bio-engineering involved. The process of human auditory transduction is illustrated and explained in the video. This video is a must-see. You will be amazed at your ability to hear by the end.
Even if you prefer to shoot with standard muffs or earplugs, every shooter should have a pair of Electronic Muffles. Electronic muffs can be used to spot other shooters and for working close to the firing line. These muffs allow you to hear normal conversations and still provide vital hearing protection. For additional sound attenuation, you can wear ear-plugs underneath muffs.
Plugs PLUS Ear-Muffs – Benefits of “Doubling Up” Hearing Protection
OHS Online states that the combined attenuation of an Ear Plug and an Ear Muf is not just the sum of the individual protectors’ performance. This is due to the acoustic interaction between the ear muff, and the ear plug which causes them to work together as a system and not as separate hearing protectors.
You can expect to see a reduction in noise from hearing protectors when combined with muffs that are over earplugs. This is in contrast to the higher-rated hearing protection by itself. OSHA now recommends that hearing protectors be combined for a benefit of 5 dB. Source: OHSonline.com
Siemens Medical Solutions – Ear diagram
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Tags: Ear Muffles, Howard Leight Earplugs. Human Hearing. Noise Reduction Rating. NRR. Tinnitus.
