Protecting Your Ears With Suppressors

By G&A Staff

Suppressor magazine is focused on bringing you the latest and greatest in suppressor manufacturing, and to that end, we also care about your health. Yes, suppressing gunfire may increase accuracy and help maintain cover in a hunting or tactical situation, but it’s also protective of your hearing. Quality of life has many layers. No one can argue that hearing, or lack thereof, doesn’t affect our level of enjoyment.

Most shooters know the importance of “eyes and ears” on the range and in the field. We’re taught that on day one — a hot range means ear protection and eye protection is in place. And there’s a good reason for this: A gunshot typically has a noise rating of 160 decibels (dB) or above, which exceeds the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) hearing-safe threshold of 140 dB.

“Repeated exposure to loud noises over a long period of time puts one at a higher risk for permanent hearing loss,” said Dr. Mary L. Schinkel, an Otorhinolaryngologist (Ear, Nose, Throat doctor) in Pekin, Illinois. “OSHA describes 140 dB as the threshold for pain, so not only is the 167 dB of a gunshot placing someone at a higher risk for hearing loss, it may …Read the Rest

Source:: Guns and Ammo