Summer is here!
That means it’s time to get out and enjoy all the fun experiences that the season has to offer. But keep the health of your hearing in mind before you go out for a day on the beach, a rocking concert, or perhaps an enjoyable backyard barbecue.
Loud noises can damage your hearing, even if you don’t feel like they’re that loud. So it’s essential to take steps to safeguard your ears, particularly during the summer months when you’re more likely to experience loud noises.
One of the most significant steps is utilizing earplugs, especially under certain conditions.
Swimming
Even in clean pools, there can be bacteria and parasites that can trigger swimmer’s ear. Earplugs will help keep water out of your ears and stop infection.
While pool-borne illness is rarely serious, contaminated water getting inside of your ear canal can have unhealthy effects. Temporary hearing loss, pain, and swelling can be the result.
Left unaddressed, infections can result in damage to the eardrum and the delicate inner workings of the ear.
If you’re going into a hot tub or pool it will be impossible to steer clear of all germs and pathogens, but your ears can get some protection by wearing a pair of swimmers earplugs.
Concerts and live performances
Summertime is the ideal time for a night of live music. But live concerts are typically very loud.
You might be exposed to more than 120dB of sound depending on where you’re standing. That’s enough to trigger instant and permanent hearing loss.
Earplugs will stop some of that sound but won’t distort it. Earplugs have an NRR rating with a range of 20 to 33, which establishes the strength of the protection. 20dB of sound will be blocked by earplugs with a 20 NRR rating. So a 120-dB concert will be lowered to around 100 dB.
However, that’s still a potentially damaging level.
The closer you are to a speaker, the higher NRR you’ll require to protect your ears and prevent permanent hearing damage. Even if you acquire the highest level of hearing protection, you will still be exposed to sounds loud enough to trigger irreversible hearing damage within 15 minutes. Use earplugs and stand well away from the speakers for best protection.
The same applies to indoor concerts, sporting events, plays, movies, cook-outs, festivals, or other events where sounds are being boosted through speakers.
Yard work
You do it every week, but the grass continues to grow. You routinely edge the flowerbeds and weed the steps to keep your yard from looking messy. Then you keep the long grass under control with a weed-whacker.
Power tools and other yard equipment can be very loud, and sustained exposure can and will harm your hearing. Earplugs will help lessen the noise from these tools and safeguard your hearing.
If you aren’t wearing earplugs when you run the mower, over time, you will be observably doing hearing loss.
Independence day
It wouldn’t be Independence Day without them. On the 4th of July, we will all be celebrating our nation’s independence. But fireworks have a negative side. The noise they make can exceed 175 dB. That’s the volume of a pistol being discharged right next to your head!
If you’re attending a display in which the fireworks are booming and repeating, you’ll absolutely need earplugs. If you’re close to the action, the highest NRR rating is suggested. You’ll still be able to hear the fireworks and they will still be loud, but you’ll be safeguarding your hearing from future hearing loss.
It’s important to protect your hearing
Don’t wait until your hearing loss is significant to get help. Hearing loss caused by loud noise can’t be corrected and since it happens so slowly, most people don’t recognize they’re harming their hearing. Contact us right away so we can help you determine any risks you might have.