From sporting events to family gatherings to fireworks shows to motorcycle rides, summer is filled with fun experiences. And while most of these activities are safe, many can present hidden risks to your hearing health. That’s because loud noises, over time, can harm your ability to hear. This hearing damage could be the result of anything from the roar of a motorcycle engine to the booms of a fireworks show.
What is noise-induced hearing loss? This condition occurs when overly loud noises, over time, trigger damage to your hearing. The result of this exposure is loss of hearing. This type of hearing loss has no cure.
Even though this type of hearing loss has no cure, it can be successfully managed. Increasing your awareness of these prevalent loud noises can help you better control risks and formulate prevention strategies, so you can protect your hearing over the long run. With a few basic adjustments, you can enjoy your summer fun and protect your hearing health.
Is it really that loud during the summer?
Summer may be one of those times of year in which noise risks are easiest to overlook. Some of the most prevalent hazardously loud noises include the following:
- Fireworks events: Summer is full of fireworks. From neighborhood gatherings to holiday festivities to sporting events, fireworks displays are everywhere during the summer months. Regrettably, fireworks are incredibly loud and can definitely cause damage to your hearing.
- Sporting events: Crowd noise can damage your hearing, especially at events such as auto racing or monster truck rallies.
- Loud concerts: Even outside concerts have significant risks to your hearing health. These events are, after all, intended to be quite loud.
- Routine lawn care: This could include using lawnmowers, chainsaws, leaf blowers, and weed wackers. These tools have extremely loud powerful motors. Motors that run on electricity rather than gas are normally much quieter, though.
- Routine use of power tools: Summer is a perfect time for home improvement projects. But power tools, in general, are often quite loud. The more you utilize these tools, the more your hearing risk increases.
- Driving: If you’re driving with the windows down, the wind noise can reach harmful volumes in your ears and this is even more significant if you drive a convertible. And the risk becomes dramatically worse the longer you are exposed.
In general, sounds louder than 85dB are considered to be damaging. A typical hair dryer, blender, or lawnmower is around this volume. These sounds may not seem particularly loud so this is important to note. But the volume of these devices can result in hearing damage over time.
How can I prevent noise-related hearing loss?
Noise-related hearing loss impacts millions of individuals each year. And, unlike age-related hearing loss, noise-related hearing loss can occur at any age. That’s why prevention is so important. Some of the most effective prevention strategies include the following:
- Get your hearing checked: Sometimes, hearing loss creeps up on you very slowly. Many individuals won’t notice the symptoms for months or years. Often, the only way to find out whether you have any noise-related hearing loss is to get your hearing checked. We’ll be able to discuss how to prevent further damage, which treatment options may be appropriate, and how to keep your hearing as healthy as possible for as long as possible.
- Give your ears a break (and time to recover): Spend a quieter next day after going to a fireworks display. Additional and more significant damage can be avoided by giving your ears a chance to rest and recuperate.
- Wear hearing protection: Keep a set of ear plugs or ear muffs handy in case you can’t or aren’t willing to avoid certain noisy situations. Use this hearing protection when you need to, when you are in environments that are noisy. Damage can be avoided in this way. You can be particularly benefited by using hearing protection costume made for you.
- Turn down the volume at home: Simply lowering the volume on your TV and music playing devices can help give your ears some quiet and a chance to recover. Damage will develop faster if you’re always listening to your devices at a high volume.
- Use disposable earplugs when you have to: Disposable earplugs aren’t as effective as more customized types, but they’re much better than nothing! If you find yourself suddenly in a noisy environment, a cheap pair of disposable earplugs can help prevent significant hearing damage.
- Download a sound level detection app to your phone: 85 dB may not seem like a lot, but you would probably be surprised how fast sounds can escalate above that minimum threshold. Even your earbuds and headphones can begin to do damage at these volume levels. You can become more aware of when volume levels begin to get too loud by downloading a volume monitoring app for your cellphone.
- Limit your time in noisy environments: The louder the environment, the more you should regulate your time. Your ears can be protected from long-term damage in this way. Every thirty minutes or so, when you’re at a loud sporting event, for instance, go and spend some time in a quieter spot.
Noise-induced hearing loss isn’t inevitable. Prevention strategies can help maintain your hearing. With the proper strategy, you can enjoy all that summer, or any other season, has to offer and safeguard your hearing.
Start your journey towards better hearing by giving us a call for an appointment.