Finally, it’s summer!!
That means it’s time to go out and enjoy all the fun experiences that the season has to provide. But keep the health of your hearing in mind before you head out for a day on the beach, a rocking concert, or maybe a great backyard barbecue.
When you’re out appreciating summer, remember that your hearing can be harmed by loud noises. So it’s important to take measures to protect your ears, particularly during the summer months when you’re more likely to be exposed to loud noises.
Here are some activities that are best experienced with earplugs.
Going for a swim
Even in clean pools, there can be bacteria and parasites that can result in swimmer’s ear. Earplugs will help keep water out of your ears and prevent infection.
While pool-borne illness is rarely serious, contaminated water getting into your ear canal can have unhealthy effects. Temporary hearing loss, pain, and inflammation can be the result.
Left unaddressed, infections can lead to damage to the eardrum and the delicate inner workings of the ear.
It’s impossible to completely avoid all pathogens in pools or hot tubs, but using swimming earplugs will help protect your ears.
Concerts and live performances
Attending a concert is always a good time, especially during the summer. But live concerts are usually very loud.
You might be exposed to over 120dB of sound depending on where you’re standing. That’s enough to cause immediate and lasting hearing loss.
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 determines 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.
However, that’s still a potentially damaging level.
The closer you are to a speaker, the higher NRR you’ll need to safeguard your ears and prevent permanent hearing damage. Even if you acquire the highest level of hearing protection, you will still be exposed to sounds loud enough to trigger irreversible hearing damage within 15 minutes. Use earplugs and stand at a distance from the speakers for optimum protection.
The same applies to indoor concerts, sporting events, plays, movies, cook-outs, festivals, or other events where sounds are being amplified through speakers.
property maintenance
The grass is going to keep growing so mowing will be required pretty much every week. You take steps such as edging flower beds and weeding the gardens so your yard looks nice. Then you keep the long grass in check with a weed-whacker.
Your hearing will certainly be damaged by the loud volume of yard equipment. Earplugs will help reduce the noise from these tools and protect your hearing.
If you’re mowing without earplugs, you’re gradually damaging your ears 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 country’s independence. But fireworks have a dark side. The noise they produce can be in excess of 175 dB. That’s the volume of a gun being discharged right beside your head!
You’ll definitely want earplugs if you’re going to a large fireworks show. 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 protecting your ears from future hearing loss.
Protecting your ears is important
Get help before your hearing loss becomes profound. Most people most likely won’t even recognize that their hearing is gradually going until it’s too late, and regrettably, there’s no cure. Give us a call right away so we can help you identify any risks you might have.