Finally, it’s summertime!!
This summer season offers a lot of fun. But don’t forget about your hearing’s health before you head out for a day on the beach, a rocking concert, or maybe a great backyard barbecue.
Loud noises can damage your hearing, even if you don’t feel like they’re very loud. In the summer you’re much more likely to be exposed to loud sounds, so it’s very important to take the appropriate steps to protect your hearing.
One of the most significant steps is utilizing earplugs, particularly under certain conditions.
Swimming
Parasites and bacteria love water and can even live in relatively clean pools potentially leading to swimmer’s ear. Earplugs will help keep your ears dry and prevent infection.
While pool-borne sickness isn’t usually serious, contaminated water getting into your ear canal can have harmful effects. It can cause inflammation, pain, and even temporary hearing loss.
Left untreated, infections can lead to damage to the eardrum and the delicate inner workings of the ear.
It’s impossible to totally stay away from 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 fun, particularly in the summer months. But live concerts are typically really loud.
Depending on the spot that you’re standing at the venue, you may be exposed to as many as 120 decibels (dB). These volume levels can instantly cause hearing loss that can be permanent.
Earplugs are designed 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. 20dB of sound will be stopped by earplugs with a 20 NRR rating. So if you’re at a concert with 120dB of sound, it will be lowered to 100dB.
But that amount of sound can still potentially harm your hearing.
Protecting your hearing will mean utilizing a higher NRR the closer to the speakers you will be standing. Even if you acquire the highest level of hearing protection, you will still be subjected to sounds loud enough to cause irreversible hearing damage within 15 minutes. Wear earplugs and stand well away from the speakers for optimum protection.
This doesn’t only pertain to concerts, it’s also true for things like festivals, movies, plays, sporting events, and any other event where sound will be amplified through speakers.
Yard work
You do it every week, but the grass keeps growing. You take measures like edging flower beds and weeding the gardens so your yard looks nice. Then you keep the long grass under control with a weed-whacker.
Power equipment and other yard equipment can be very loud, and prolonged exposure can and will harm your hearing. Earplugs will help lessen the noise from these tools and protect your hearing.
If you’re mowing without earplugs, you’re gradually damaging your hearing and it will become more apparent over time.
Independence Day
They’re a key aspect of Independence Day. On the 4th of July, we will all be celebrating our nation’s independence. But fireworks have a negative side. The noise they make can be in excess of 175 dB. If you shot a gun right next to your head it would be about this volume.
If you’re going to a show in which the fireworks are booming and repeating, you’ll absolutely 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 ears from future hearing loss.
Safeguarding your ears is important
Don’t wait until your hearing loss is profound to get help. Most people most likely won’t even recognize that their hearing is slowly going until it’s too late, and unfortunately, there’s no cure. Call us right away so we can help you identify any risks you might have.