The typical summer day is usually filled with fun activities and happenings, from motorcycle rides to family reunions to fireworks to sporting events. And while the majority of these activities are safe, many can present hidden risks to your hearing health. That’s because loud noises, over time, can harm your ability to hear. A loud motorcycle engine or a roaring crowd could be causing long-term, noise-related hearing loss.
Over time, very loud noises can cause damage to your ears. As a result, you experience hearing loss. Noise-induced hearing loss is effectively irreversible.
There is no cure, but this form of hearing loss can be successfully controlled. Raising your awareness of these common loud noises can help you better control risks and formulate prevention strategies, so you can protect your hearing over the long run. You can safeguard the health of your hearing while still enjoying summer fun by using a few basic adjustments.
Is it actually that loud during the summer?
It can be really easy to overlook noise risks during the summer months. Some of the most common dangerously loud noises include the following:
- Fireworks events: Summer has lots of fireworks. From neighborhood get-togethers to holiday celebrations to sporting events, fireworks shows are everywhere during the summer months. But fireworks shows are easily loud enough to cause permanent hearing damage.
- Routine lawn care: This could include using lawnmowers, chainsaws, leaf blowers, and weed wackers. These tools have extremely loud powerful motors. Motors that run on electricity rather than gas are normally quite a bit quieter, though.
- Sporting events: Any time you’re in loud crowds, you could increase your risk of noise damage (this can be even more prevalent at sporting events that feature motorized attractions, such as a Nascar race or monster truck rally).
- Loud concerts: Even outside concerts have considerable hazards to your hearing health. These events are, after all, intended to be quite loud.
- Driving: If you’re driving with the windows down, the wind noise can reach damaging volumes in your ears and this is even more significant if you drive a convertible. This is especially true if the sound happens for long intervals without breaks.
- Routine use of power tools: Home improvement projects are ideal activities during the summer. But it’s important to keep in mind that all of those power tools can be really noisy. Your hearing health is in increasing danger the more you use these tools.
In general, sounds louder than 85dB are considered to be harmful. The average hair dryer, blender, or lawnmower is around this volume. These sounds may not seem especially loud so this is significant to note. But that doesn’t mean that such volumes won’t cause damage.
Preventing noise-induced hearing damage
Noise-induced hearing loss effects millions of individuals every year. Noise-related hearing loss can occur at any age, unlike age-related hearing loss. Prevention is important for this exact reason. Here are a few of the most practical prevention strategies:
- Use disposable earplugs when you have to: Using disposable earplugs might not be as reliable as customized earplugs but, in a pinch, they’re better than no protection at all. An inexpensive pair of disposable earplugs can help prevent considerable damage if you find yourself in a noisy environment all of a sudden.
- Wear hearing protection: Keep a set of ear plugs or ear muffs handy in case you can’t or are not willing to avoid certain noisy situations. Wear this hearing protection whenever you need to, when you are in environments that are noisy. Damage can be avoided in this way. You can be particularly benefited by using hearing protection costume designed for you.
- Get your hearing checked: Sometimes, hearing loss sneaks up on you quite slowly. It could take years to notice in many cases. Having your hearing examined can help you identify whether you have noise-related hearing loss. We will help you comprehend how to keep your hearing healthy for years to come and discuss treatment options for any hearing loss you might already have.
- Give your ears a break (and time to recover): Spend a quieter next day after going to a fireworks display. This can give your ears more time to recuperate and avoid further and more substantial damage.
- Turn down the volume at home: Simply reducing the volume on your TV and music playing devices can help give your ears some rest and a chance to recuperate. Damage will advance faster if you’re always listening to your devices at a loud volume.
- Limit your time in noisy environments: The more noisy the environment, the more you should limit your time. Your ears can be safeguarded from long-term damage in this way. If you’re at a loud sporting event, for instance, walk to a quieter spot every thirty minutes or so.
- Download a sound level detection app to your phone: You may be surprised at just how rapidly sounds can escalate above that 85dB danger zone volume. At these volume levels, even your headphones or earbuds can rapidly begin harming your ears. You can become more conscious of when volume levels start to get too loud by downloading a volume monitoring app for your cellphone.
Noise-related hearing loss is not inevitable. You’re hearing can be maintained by using prevention strategies. With the right strategy, you can enjoy all that summer, or any other season, has to offer and protect your hearing.
Consulting with us can help begin your journey towards healthier ears and better hearing. Call today for an appointment!