Can a Single Gunshot (Without Hearing Protection) Cause Deafness?

I made a mistake recently. A big mistake. I forgot hearing protection while shooting a rifle.

To be specific, I took one shot outdoors with a .223 round without any hearing protection in. The next thing I knew everything around me was silent and then a few seconds later my left ear started ringing.

Luckily, my wife is an audiologist. So, I ran inside and asked…

Can a single gunshot with no hearing protection cause deafness?

Her immediate answer was “No.”

I pressed her, because I’m a bit of a worrier.

And she clarified, that given the context of my situation (I was outdoors and not in a reverberating room), having shot a single rifle shot without hearing protection, it would be unlikely to cause any permanent damage.

A single low caliber gunshot can cause temporary hearing loss, but is unlikely to cause permanent hearing loss.

I wasn’t satisfied with her answer, because I still couldn’t hear a single thing out of my left ear. So, I asked her to explain.

Why can’t a single gunshot cause permanent hearing loss?

To put it simply the sound of a single low caliber (.223) gunshot is simply not loud enough to cause permanent hearing loss with no other underlying conditions.

So, what should you do if you ever fire a gun without hearing protection?

1. Check to see if you’re experiencing any pain. Common symptoms are hearing loss and tinnitus, but you should not be in pain. Pain may indicate damage to your ear drum, which in turn could result in permanent damage.
2. Check to see if there is any blood. Bleeding from the ear after trauma likely indicates ruptured ear drum.
3. Avoid loud sounds for the next 24 hours.
4. Wear hearing protection next time you shoot guns or are around any loud sounds.

How long can temporary hearing loss last after a gun shot?

The decibel level of a rifle fired inches away from your ears is likely in the range of 140 dB to 150 dB.

Hearing loss in this situation could last anywhere from a few hours up to 48 hours. If you have hearing loss that extends beyond 48 hours you need to give your primary care physician a call and possibly follow-up with an audiologist.

For me personally, I regained my hearing after 3-4 hours and had tinnitus off and on for the next 18-24 hours. After around 24 hours all of my hearing was back to normal.

While the results of a single gunshot are usually temporary, noise exposure has a cumulative negative effect on the inner ear. The more exposed you are over time, the more likely you are to develop a permanent noise-induced hearing loss. It is very important to make a habit of wearing hearing protection when shooting firearms, using power tools, listening to loud music or any other loud sounds you are around to prevent a permanent hearing loss.