The typical summer day is likely filled with fun experiences and happenings, from motorcycle rides to family outings to fireworks to sporting events. Most of these activities are perfectly safe and healthy, but there are some that do come with a risk of noise-related hearing loss. That’s because loud noises, over time, can harm your ability to hear. A loud motorcycle engine or the roar of a crowd could be causing long-term, noise-induced hearing loss.
Over time, really loud noises can trigger damage to your ears. As a result, you experience hearing loss. Noise-induced hearing loss is effectively permanent.
Even though this kind of hearing loss has no cure, it can be successfully treated. Over the long run, you can safeguard your hearing and prevent damage by being aware of prevalent sources of loud noise and formulating prevention strategies. With a few basic adjustments, you can enjoy your summer fun and protect your hearing health.
Is summer actually that noisy?
It can be very easy to miss noise risks during the summer months. Here are a few of the most prevalent and also most hazardous:
- Routine use of power tools: Summer is an ideal time for home improvement projects. But power tools, in general, are often really loud. Your hearing health is in increasing danger the more you use these tools.
- Routine lawn care: This may include using lawnmowers, chainsaws, leaf blowers, and weed wackers. These tools have really loud powerful motors. It’s worth noting that purely electric motors are often quieter.
- Loud concerts: Concerts put your hearing at risk even if they are outside concerts. These events are, after all, meant to be quite loud.
- Sporting events: Any time you’re in noisy crowds, you may increase your risk of noise damage (this can be even more prevalent at sporting events that feature motorized attractions, such as a Nascar race or monster truck rally).
- Driving: If you’re driving with the windows down, the wind noise can reach hazardous volumes in your ears and this is even more significant if you drive a convertible. This is particularly true if the sound happens for long durations without breaks.
- Fireworks events: Summer is full of fireworks. From neighborhood get-togethers to holiday festivities to sporting events, fireworks displays are everywhere during the summer months. Regrettably, fireworks are extremely loud and can definitely cause damage to your ears.
Generally speaking, sounds above 85dB are considered to be harmful. This is around the volume of a lawnmower, hair dryer, or a typical blender. These sounds might not seem especially loud so this is significant to note. But that doesn’t mean that such volumes won’t cause damage.
Preventing noise-related hearing damage
Every year, millions of people are affected by hearing loss. Noise-induced hearing loss can occur at any age, unlike age-related hearing loss. Prevention is important for this exact reason. Here are some of the most helpful prevention strategies:
- Wear hearing protection: If you cannot avoid noisy environments (or don’t want to miss out on certain enjoyable activities), you can invest in a set of quality ear muffs or ear plugs. When you’re in environments that are too loud, use this protection to your advantage. Damage can be avoided in this way. You can be particularly benefited by making use of hearing protection costume made for you.
- Limit your time in noisy environments: If your environment is really noisy, you need to regulate your exposure time. This can help avoid long-term damage to your ears. Every thirty minutes or so, when you’re at a noisy sporting event, for instance, go and spend some time in a less noisy spot.
- Turn down the volume at home: Simply reducing the volume on your TV and music playing devices can help give your ears some rest and a chance to recover. Damage will develop more rapidly if you’re always listening to your devices at a high volume.
- Give your ears a break (and time to recover): If you attended a loud fireworks display, make sure your next day is a quiet one. Additional and more substantial damage can be avoided by giving your ears a chance to rest and recuperate.
- Get your hearing checked: Sometimes, hearing loss creeps up on you very slowly. Many people won’t detect the symptoms for months or years. Often, the only way to determine whether you have any noise-induced hearing loss is to get your hearing examined. We will help you comprehend how to keep your hearing healthy for years to come and discuss treatment options for any hearing loss you might already have.
- Use disposable earplugs when you have to: Making use of disposable earplugs may not be as effective as customized earplugs but, in a pinch, they’re better than no protection at all. An inexpensive set of disposable earplugs can help prevent considerable damage if you find yourself in a noisy setting all of a sudden.
- Download a sound level detection app to your phone: You might be surprised at just how quickly sounds can increase above that 85dB danger zone level. At these volume levels, even your headphones or earbuds can quickly start damaging your hearing. You can become more conscious of when volume levels start to get too loud by downloading a volume monitoring app for your cellphone.
You don’t need to resign yourself to having noise-related hearing loss. Prevention strategies can help maintain your hearing. With the right strategy, you can enjoy all that summer, or any other season, has to offer and protect your hearing.
Consulting with us can help begin your journey towards healthier ears and better hearing. Call today for an appointment!