Love of the open road and the thrill of speed are at the top of the list of reasons why individuals love riding motorcycles. However, if you’re a passionate rider, you should know about a substantial risk: research has linked this exhilarating hobby to permanent hearing damage.
The impact of motorcycle speed and riding duration on hearing health was examined in a comprehensive study conducted by a hearing protection manufacturer in collaboration with a notable German automobile association. The conclusions were startling: bikers can suffer permanent hearing damage after just 15 minutes of riding without hearing protection at a speed of 62 mph.
Why do bikers get hearing loss?
You may not be surprised that bikers often suffer from loss of hearing, but you might be surprised as to why. The biggest threat isn’t the roaring engine, contrary to the common belief, it’s actually the wind. Although helmets offer significant protection from injury during crashes, the research highlights that they fall short in safeguarding the rider’s hearing. Improvements to the helmet, such as added padding, vents, or weather stripping, do little to mitigate the wind noise whirling around the rider.
Motorcyclists are often impacted by a condition called temporary threshold shift (TTS), which is triggered by regular exposure to excessive noise levels. TTS is a progressive condition, which means the more you’re exposed to loud noises, the worse the symptoms can get. Initially, TTS sufferers may detect minor symptoms like a temporary reduction in hearing clarity. However, over time, this condition can advance to permanent and irreversible hearing loss.
Comparing wind volume with other noise levels
To grasp the severity of wind noise while riding, the German study’s conclusions are illuminating. The wind noise around a rider’s head can reach 95 (dB) at 62 mph. Workers in Europe, for example, need to utilize hearing protection by law if the volume exceeds 80 dB. Bikers are enduring volume levels up to 19% higher than safe working environments when traveling at this speed.
And the volume level only gets louder as the speed goes up. Hearing damage can happen after only 7 minutes of riding at 74 mph which produces wind volumes of 98 dB. Many studies confirm that bikers are indeed at significant risk of irreversible hearing loss.
Protecting your ears
Fortunately, protecting your hearing while riding is both simple and effective: use earplugs. Most individuals are familiar with the old basic earplugs, but hearing specialists recommend the filtered versions instead. Filtered earplugs are a more sophisticated model that filters out high frequencies like wind while allowing lower frequencies to get through. It’s important for bikers to still be able to hear vital sounds like human voices, emergency warning sounds, and car horns.
Bikers are also able to get the complete experience of riding without feeling isolated or cut off from the outside world which can’t be said for the old conventional style. With filtered earplugs, you can continue to experience the thrill of the ride while protecting your hearing from the harmful effects of wind noise.
It is possible to enjoy the excitement of speed and the freedom of the open road while still keeping your ears safe from wind noise. Significant and permanent hearing damage can be caused by the noise of wind at high speeds. However, with the simple addition of quality earplugs, bikers can continue to enjoy their rides while protecting their long-term hearing health.
Stay on top of your hearing health by contacting us to discuss hearing protection.