Summer is here!
This summer season has a lot of fun. But keep the health of your hearing in mind before you go out for a day on the beach, a rocking concert, or maybe an enjoyable backyard barbecue.
When you’re out enjoying summer, don’t forget that your hearing can be damaged by loud noises. So it’s important 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 important steps is using earplugs, especially under certain conditions.
Going for a swim
Bacteria and parasites love water and can even live in fairly clean pools potentially leading to swimmer’s ear. You can prevent infections by keeping water out of your ears and earplugs can help you do this.
While pool-borne illness is rarely serious, polluted water getting inside of your ear canal can have unhealthy effects. Temporary hearing loss, pain, and inflammation can be the result.
The eardrum and also the delicate inner workings of the ear can be damaged by untreated infections.
If you are going into a hot tub or pool it won’t be possible to steer clear of all germs and pathogens, but your ears can get some protection by wearing a set of swimmers earplugs.
Live performances and concerts
Attending a concert is always fun, particularly in the summer months. But live concerts are usually very loud.
Depending on the spot that you’re standing at the venue, you might be exposed to as many as 120 decibels (dB). That’s enough to lead to immediate and lasting hearing loss.
Earplugs are fashioned to decrease sound, not distort it. Earplugs have an NRR rating with a range of 20 to 33, which determines the strength of the protection. An NRR of 20 will lower the sound by 20 dB. So if you’re at a concert with 120dB of sound, it will be lowered to 100dB.
However, that’s still a potentially harmful level.
Protecting your hearing will mean using a higher NRR the closer to the speakers you will be standing. Even if you get the highest level of hearing protection, you will still be subjected to sounds loud enough to trigger irreversible hearing damage within 15 minutes. Use earplugs and stand well away from the speakers for optimum protection.
The same goes for indoor concerts, sporting events, plays, movies, barbecues, festivals, or other events where sounds are being boosted through speakers.
property maintenance
You do it every week, but the grass keeps growing. You routinely edge the flowerbeds and weed the steps to keep your yard from looking like a mess. Then you use a weed-whacker to touch up around the trees.
Your hearing will certainly be compromised by the loud volume of yard equipment. The noise from this equipment can be decreased and your ears can be safeguarded by wearing earplugs.
If you’re mowing the lawn without earplugs, you’re slowly damaging your ears and it will become more noticeable over time.
Independence Day
They’re an essential aspect of Independence Day. On the 4th of July, we will all be celebrating our nation’s independence. But fireworks have a dark side. They can generate up to 175dB of noise. If you fired a gun right near your head it would be around this volume.
If you’re going to a show in which the fireworks are booming and repeating, you’ll certainly need earplugs. If you’re near to the action, the highest NRR rating is advisable. 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.
Safeguarding your ears is important
Don’t wait until your hearing loss is profound to get help. Hearing loss caused by loud noise can’t be corrected and since it occurs so gradually, most people don’t recognize they’re damaging their hearing. Get your hearing assessed regularly by us to identify your risk level.
