Has my father caused me to be particually deaf in one ear? (firework related)?

Question

hopefully that topic catches your attention lol.
my stepfather used to snap those little paper snappers you get on fourth of july in my ear when i was little (the ones you throw against the floor and they snap) with his fingers as a practically joke i guess, a few times i heard a ringing in my ear when i was younger around probably 8 or 9 (im 20 now.)
when i plug my left ear, my right ear doesnt hear as much, sounds a bit muffled actually. do you think this could've caused it, or just natural causes? i figure it cant be much worse than accidentally turning on a walkman full blast with headphones on accidentally, but the warning says to keep them within 10 feet or so from your face and such. do you think this is a possibility, what is the intensity of sound created from these, would it take much more to impair ones hearing at all with it? i've always wondered it, and it bugs me my stepfather could've caused that. thanks.

Here is a picture of what i'm talking about so i don't throw anyone off at all.

http://www.skylighter.com/images/web_pictures/nv0010.jpg

i'm unsure how common it is to hear slightly better in one ear than the other, my question is simply was it something caused at birth, or could that have caused the damage? my eardrums never bleeded or anything like that in my life, would that have to actually happen to have a longterm effect like that on my ear? just always wondered this. thanks. =/

Answer 1

go see an audiologist. i do know that loud noises deterioate (sp) the hearing. a former co worker of mine was near a gun when it went off and went deaf in both ears, she never regained the hearing.
go to the doctor get the facts and if they are the result of loud noises then like the other person on here said, beat the c**p outta your stepfather!

Answer 2

I know what you are talking about and yes I would say it definitely could have damaged your hearing. Does anyone else in your family (grandparents or parents) have hearing problems?

My family has an enormous amount of deafness, Father, Grandmother, Brother, Husband, Mother in law. Friends. We are all in our 60's. But a lot of the problems started many years ago.

My children, they are adults now, would put these under the toilet seat so when you sit down they would pop. Very funny!!

Make arrangements to get a hearing test. It might be something that is correctable.

Answer 3

see a hearing doc and beat the crap out of your stepfather