Summer has finally arrived!
That means it’s time to get out and enjoy all the exciting experiences that the season has to offer. But before you hit the beach, the concert, or the backyard barbecue, remember to protect your hearing.
Loud noises can damage your hearing, even if you don’t think they’re that loud. So it’s essential to take steps to protect your ears, particularly during the summer months when you’re more likely to experience loud noises.
Here are a few activities that are best experienced with earplugs.
Going for a swim
Bacteria and parasites love water and can even live in fairly clean pools potentially resulting in swimmer’s ear. Earplugs will help keep water out of your ears and stop infection.
While pool-borne infection isn’t usually serious, contaminated water getting inside of your ear canal can have unhealthy effects. It can cause inflammation, pain, and even temporary hearing loss.
The eardrum and also the fragile inner workings of the ear can be damaged by untreated infections.
It’s impossible to totally stay away from all pathogens in pools or hot tubs, but wearing swimming earplugs will help protect your ears.
Concerts and live performances
Summertime is the best time for a night of live music. But live concerts are usually really loud.
You may be exposed to over 120dB of volume depending on the spot that you’re standing. These volume levels can instantly trigger hearing loss that can be permanent.
Earplugs are fashioned to reduce sound, not distort it. The degree of sound that can be blocked by earplugs will be identified by an NRR rating of between 20 and 33. An NRR of 20 will lower the sound by 20 dB. So a 120-dB concert will be reduced to around 100 dB.
However, that’s still a potentially damaging level.
Protecting your hearing will mean utilizing a higher NRR the closer to the speakers you will be standing. Within 15 minutes, you can experience permanent hearing damage even if you make use of the highest level of protection. For the best protection, stand far away from the speakers and wear earplugs.
The same applies to indoor concerts, sporting events, plays, movies, barbecues, festivals, or other events where sounds are being amplified through speakers.
Yard work
You do it every week, but the grass continues to grow. You take measures such as edging flower beds and weeding the gardens so your yard looks great. Then you utilize a weed-whacker to clean up around the trees.
Your hearing will definitely be damaged by the volume level of yard equipment. The noise from this equipment can be decreased and your ears can be protected by using earplugs.
If you’re mowing the lawn without earplugs, you’re slowly damaging your ears and it will become more evident over time.
Independence Day
They’re an essential aspect of Independence Day. When July arrives, it’s time to celebrate the birth of our country. But there’s a negative side to fireworks. They can create up to 175dB of noise. If you shot a gun right next to your head it would be around this volume.
If you’re going to a show where the fireworks are booming and recurring, you’ll definitely need earplugs. You should get the highest NRR rated earplugs, particularly if you’re close. You’ll still be able to hear the fireworks and they’ll still be loud, but you’ll be safeguarding your ears from future hearing loss.
Protecting your hearing is important
Seek help before your hearing loss becomes profound. Most people probably won’t even realize that their hearing is slowly going until it’s too late, and regrettably, it’s irreversible. Give us a call right away so we can help you identify any risks you might have.
