You probably won't have time to don your hearing protection in an emergency situation. You'll just have to decide for yourself if sacrificing some or all of your hearing is worth it to protect your home and family. I think most of us in this forum believe it probably is.

At the same time, you probably don't need a .357 Magnum to shoot a target 2 yards away in your hallway. At least I don't. And if you fire a .44 Magnum inside your house it may very well be the last thing you ever hear. Don't listen to those who say firing a weapon without hearing protection won't damage your hearing. It will.