I took a Smith & Wesson .357 magnum to the range one day in 1964. Fired 5
shots without ear protection. The ringing hasn't stopped since. But I've
learned to live with it. Don't hear the telephone or doorbell, but the dog
barks to alert me. But it's not as bad as going blind. I do wear ear
protection when using the chain saw or the thickness planer, and I don't
shoot anymore. harrym

"Glenn Cramond" wrote in message
om...
Do you know the high pitched sound a radio makes when it's not quite
tuned to a station? The high pitched noise that, in its annoyance,
takes you directly to the source to twiddle the knobs?

Well here's the bad news. If you don't protect your ears, you'll have
that sound in your ears all the time, and with an auto control that
turns the volume up when you're stressed and when you're in a quiet
place, and at nights when you are trying to go to sleep.

The condition is called tinnitus. There is no cure. The good news,
it's preventable!

Please, you younger indestructable blokes, wear hearing protection,
and more importantly, particularly the older members, make sure you
have the right equipment to allow that little guy, who loves to help
grandpa, to safely work in your shop.

I used to think that eye damage would be terrible, "if I was blind I
could not check out the girls!" Having tinnitus is worse. A bit like
standing in a cesspool up to your chin and hoping no one makes waves.

Glenn
www.metalbashatorium.com
In Jus Voco Spurius