“Anybody doing any kind of shooting needs some kind of hearing protection,” he said. “I don’t even shoot a .22-caliber rifle without ear protection. Sales are growing every year. Electronic ear muffs are up 10 to 15 percent for use in hunting.”

Shooting ranges require hearing protection, Hitt said. He estimates that even among people shooting on their own land, probably 80 to 90 percent are starting to use hearing protection.

Hitt added that sometimes your ears will try to warn you that something is being damaged.

“I’m not a doctor, but I think any time you’ve been shooting without protection and your ears are ringing, there has been some kind of adverse effect,” he said.

Mary Ellen Finerty, an audiologist with the Muskogee County Health Department, said people may not protect their hearing because of a lack of understanding.

“The effects of noise exposure are not immediate and occur over time,” she said. “By the time there is an effect, it’s years down the road. Damage to our eye sight is immediate, but hearing is invisible, and we take it for granted.”

Finerty said there needs to be more education about hearing protection. Common hazards include lawn mowers, power tools, hobbies with loud equipment, and loud music.

“At 115 decibels, 30 seconds of exposure will cause permanent damage,” she said. “We had a class with some kids where we asked one of them to adjust the volume on their iPod to their usual listening level. Then we put the little ear piece next to a sound level meter and it was 100 decibels.”

Finerty said that is a dangerous level of volume.

“One hundred decibels is equal to an outboard motor, a lawn mower or a jack hammer, and the maximum safe listening time is 15 minutes,” she said. “And young people are listening to this music at high levels for hours at a time.”