Summer is here!
This summer season offers tons of fun. But don’t forget about your hearing’s health before you go out for a day on the beach, a rocking concert, or perhaps a great backyard get-together.
Loud noises can damage your hearing, even if you don’t feel like they’re very loud. In the summer you’re a lot more likely to be exposed to loud sounds, so it’s really important to take the right steps to protect your hearing.
One of the most significant steps is using earplugs, especially under certain conditions.
Swimming
Parasites and bacteria love water and can even live in fairly clean pools potentially leading to swimmer’s ear. Earplugs will help keep your ears dry and stop infection.
Contaminated water getting into your ears, while usually not a serious issue, can have some unwanted consequences. Short-term hearing loss, pain, and inflammation can be the result.
Left untreated, infections can cause damage to the eardrum and the fragile inner workings of the ear.
It’s not possible to completely stay away from all pathogens in hot tubs or pools, but using swimming earplugs will help protect your ears.
Live performances and concerts
Going to a concert is always a good time, especially during the summer. But live concerts are typically very loud.
You could be exposed to over 120dB of sound depending on where you’re standing. These volume levels can instantly trigger hearing loss that can be permanent.
Earplugs will block some of that sound but won’t distort it. Earplugs have an NRR rating with a range of 20 to 33, which identifies the strength of the protection. 20dB of sound will be stopped by earplugs with a 20 NRR rating. So a 120-dB concert will be reduced to around 100 dB.
But that degree of sound can still potentially harm your hearing.
The closer to the speaker you are, the higher NRR you’ll need to protect your ears and prevent irreversible hearing damage. Within 15 minutes, you can develop irreversible hearing damage even if you make use of the highest level of protection. For the highest level of protection, stand a distance from the speakers and wear earplugs.
The same goes for indoor concerts, sporting events, plays, movies, cook-outs, festivals, or other events where sounds are being amplified through speakers.
Yard work
You do it each week, but the grass keeps growing. You take steps like edging flower beds and weeding the gardens so your yard looks great. Then you use a weed-whacker to touch up around the trees.
Power tools and other yard equipment can be really loud, and sustained exposure can and will damage your hearing. Earplugs will help reduce the noise from these tools and safeguard your hearing.
If you’re mowing the lawn without earplugs, you’re slowly damaging your hearing and it will become more obvious over time.
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 there’s a negative side to fireworks. The noise they make can exceed 175 dB. If you fired a gun right near your head it would be around this volume.
You’ll absolutely want earplugs if you’re going to a large fireworks show. If you’re near to the action, the highest NRR rating is suggested. You’ll protect your ears from damage and the fireworks will still be loud enough.
Protecting your ears is important
Get help before your hearing loss becomes extreme. Hearing loss related to loud noise can’t be reversed and since it takes place so slowly, most people don’t realize they’re damaging their hearing. Give us a call right away so we can help you identify any risks you might have.