Maximum output of hearing aids in DB

[elrotundamundo]

I was wondering if anyone can tell me if hearing aids can produce sounds at unsafe levels.

I am a hunter and was using Walker's Game Ears with custom molded silicone ear inserts. These devices allow normal sounds through, and even amplify them, but attenuate loud sounds to safe levels. The Walker's, besides having tinny sound, failed on me just out of warranty, so I removed the small domes from the speakers of my Costco KS562-DRW hearing aids and inserted the speakers into the custom molds. They fit snugly into the silicone and work much better than the Game Ears for hearing normal sounds. The only sounds reaching my ears come through the hearing aids, plus whatever leaks through the custom molds (NRR of 26 Db)

My concern is, can the hearing aid pass through the high level of a gunshot, or will it attenuate the gunshot to a safe level.

 

[Alex]

Nothing in terms of total attenuation is possible this way and the molds may have a rating of dB rating. It's hard to answer this without knowing more about the molds. It's plausible that harmful levels could pass through. The game ears are designed to shut down at a certain rating, but that doesn't mean that the harmful noise can get to you.