Help Your Child Shooter Avoid Hearing Loss

Health & Medical Blog

Many children grow up loving target shooting with their parents and prefer weapons like a .22 caliber rifle. However, there is a chance that this shooting may be causing them hearing damage. Thankfully, high-quality earplugs can help avoid this concern.

Hearing Loss Is A Growing Concern Among Children

Many parents may be surprised to know how prevalent hearing loss is among young children. In one study of 6-19 year-old children, it was found that nearly 15 percent suffered from a hearing loss of about 16 decibels. This high level of hearing loss can be tied to a variety of factors, but any hearing loss is likely to get worse when a child shoots.

Guns have a very high level of decibels that can damage a child's hearing quickly. Understanding these high levels and how they impact the hearing is an important way of preventing a child from going totally deaf before they are 30.

Even a .22 Can Cause Hearing Loss

Target shooting with a .22 can be a fun way for a parent to bond with their child. However, shooting a gun with this small caliber can produce noises of about 140 decibels. While this may be less than that sustained by people living near an airport, repeated exposure to this level of sound (such as during a target shoot) can cause serious hearing damage.

That's because a person's hearing can be permanently and even irreparably damaged at levels as low as 85 decibels. The 140-decibel output of a .22 is nearly double that amount. That's why it is so crucial for a child to wear earplugs whenever they are shooting.

How Earplugs Can Help

There are several types of earplugs that a child can wear to protect their hearing while shooting. These include passive ear plugs and electronic noise-canceling plugs. These items can decrease the decibel input by a high amount and muffle the sound of gunfire. This helps prevent the kind of concussive shock that leads to severe hearing loss.

Using shooting ear plugs can also help a child learn to respect their gun and its power more easily. Young children may have a hard time taking this concern seriously. However, if their parents take steps to teach them proper gun safety and the proper way to handle, shoot, and care for a gun, they can be more respectful of its power and learn how to avoid serious problems more effectively. So make sure that you buy some form of plugs for your child before going out with a .22.

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30 October 2017

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