Our ears are under increasing pressure from everyday noise. Noise levels are skyrocketing thanks to things such as traffic, radio, television, appliances and even just more people around us. Scientific research has shown that when humans are consistently exposed to noise levels above 85 decibels, that we can start suffering damage. The research has gone on to show that when we are exposed to noise levels above 140 decibels, we suffer immediate nerve damage.
The problem for folks who love to shoot, is that gunshots are generally far above the 140 decibel level. For example, a shot from a 9mm is measured to be 160 decibels (which is even louder than a jet taking off!). This infographic illustrates how noise from gunshots compare to other everyday noises, and also suggests options for shooters on how they can protect their hearing. The information used in this infographic was gathered from sources such as the the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM) and the American Hearing Research Foundation.
