# Ringing in ears = dead nerve cells?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ringing-in-ears-dead-nerve-cells/301997
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [May 2, 2005, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ringing-in-ears-dead-nerve-cells/301997 "2005-05-02T00:35:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2005, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ringing-in-ears-dead-nerve-cells/301997/1 "2005-05-02T00:35:37Z")
I recently fired a gun, and over an hour later my ears are still ringing. This worries me because I was once told that ringing in your ears, especialy after a loud noise, is the death cry of a sense cell. That the hairs deep in your ear die and the ringing is the phantom “noise” being generated by the defunct sense nerve.
Any truth to this? If not, then what causes the ringing?
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### Author:  [@Club\_33](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Club_33)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2005, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ringing-in-ears-dead-nerve-cells/301997/2 "2005-05-02T00:57:00Z")
Here is a link that explains what you describe, known as [Tinnitus](http://www.ata.org/about_tinnitus/)
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### Author:  [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2005, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ringing-in-ears-dead-nerve-cells/301997/3 "2005-05-02T01:22:25Z")
have read that stuff already. What I want to know is does this ringing mean that I have definitely suffered some hearing loss, or could it only be a sign of some non-permanent trauma?
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### Author:  [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2005, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ringing-in-ears-dead-nerve-cells/301997/4 "2005-05-02T02:08:36Z")
Trust me, you are lucky in that it will go away eventually. Unlike mine.
Would somebody answer the damn phone?
Have to have \*some \*fun with it.
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### Author:  [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2005, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ringing-in-ears-dead-nerve-cells/301997/5 "2005-05-02T02:08:49Z")
IANAD. Tinnitis doesn’t necessarily mean you have suffered hearing loss – but it does mean your ear has undergone significant tramua. After an hour of comntinuous ringing I’d be concerned it was permanent. I’m very sorry to say this, but I’ll be happy too be wrong.
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### Author:  [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2005, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ringing-in-ears-dead-nerve-cells/301997/6 "2005-05-02T02:09:23Z")
IANAD. Tinnitis doesn’t necessarily mean you have suffered hearing loss – but it does mean your ear has undergone significant tramua. After an hour of comntinuous ringing I’d be concerned it was permanent. I’m very sorry to say this, but I’ll be happy to be wrong.
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### Author:  [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2005, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ringing-in-ears-dead-nerve-cells/301997/7 "2005-05-02T02:12:45Z")
I have to diagree with **Askia**. A few hours of it after gunfire would not be out of the norm. Don’t worry too much about it being permanent. If it is still there tomorrow, then you can start to worry. See a doctor after a few days of it.
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### Author:  [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2005, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ringing-in-ears-dead-nerve-cells/301997/8 "2005-05-02T04:47:57Z")
Which is why I learned to use earplugs/muffs when firing on an indoor range, and gun muffs on an outdoor range.
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### Author:  [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2005, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ringing-in-ears-dead-nerve-cells/301997/9 "2005-05-02T05:44:10Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#):
>
> Which is why I learned to use earplugs/muffs when firing on an indoor range, and gun muffs on an outdoor range.
WHAT?
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### Author:  [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2005, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ringing-in-ears-dead-nerve-cells/301997/10 "2005-05-02T14:16:42Z")
I have tinnitus from, of all things, band class. Stupid high school band. I could probably have sued, but I guess it would have been a bad idea since my brother was going there, too. However, here’s a good idea: DO NOT fire guns, play loud music, etc, in a very confined space. It’s not good for you.
After aout a year it went away and now only comes back intermittently, usually because I focused deliberately back on the ring. I have two different rings - one in each ear. When I first got it it was horrible, and when there was no other sound it flt like KORN was playing in my ears.
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### Author:  [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2005, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ringing-in-ears-dead-nerve-cells/301997/11 "2005-05-02T14:34:03Z")
I’ll explain, as I do the same thing.
If shooting outdoors, ear muffs are enough (rated for gunfire of course).
If shooting inside, put in ear plugs, then cover with muffs. Indoor shooting results in more noise due to the confines of the walls around you, and reflections of the sound produced by the firearm.
You should also wear eye protection, but that’s a wee hijack.
In the grand scheme of things, you are probably fine, but follow the above rules next time! Hearing damage is at least cumulative. IANAD.