Summer has finally arrived!
This summer season has 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 perhaps an enjoyable backyard get-together.
When you’re out appreciating summer, don’t forget that your hearing can be damaged by loud noises. So it’s important to take measures to safeguard your ears, especially during the summer months when you’re more likely to experience loud noises.
Here are some activities that are best enjoyed with earplugs.
Swimming
Parasites and bacteria love water and can even live in relatively clean pools potentially resulting in swimmer’s ear. Earplugs will help keep your ears dry and stop infection.
Contaminated water getting inside of your ears, while usually not a serious problem, can have some negative consequences. Short-term hearing loss, pain, and inflammation can be the result.
The eardrum and also the delicate inner workings of the ear can be damaged by untreated infections.
It’s not possible to completely avoid all pathogens in pools or hot tubs, but wearing swimming earplugs will help protect your ears.
Live performances and concerts
Summertime is the ideal time for an evening of live music. But live concerts are typically very loud.
Depending on where you’re standing at the venue, you might be exposed to as many as 120 decibels (dB). These volume levels can instantly cause hearing loss that can be permanent.
Earplugs are fashioned to reduce sound, not distort it. Earplugs have an NRR rating with a range of 20 to 33, which establishes the strength of the protection. An NRR of 20 will lower the sound by 20 dB. So if you’re at a concert with 120dB of sound, it will be reduced 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 get the highest level of hearing protection, you will still be subjected to sounds loud enough to trigger permanent hearing damage within 15 minutes. For the highest level of protection, stand far away from the speakers and use earplugs.
This doesn’t only apply to concerts, it’s also true for things like festivals, movies, plays, sporting events, and any other event where sound will be boosted through speakers.
Yard work
You do it each week, but the grass keeps growing. You routinely edge the flowerbeds and weed the steps to keep your yard from looking messy. Then you keep the long grass in check with a weed-whacker.
Power tools and other yard tools can be really loud, and prolonged exposure can and will damage your hearing. Earplugs will help decrease the noise from these tools and protect your hearing.
If you’re mowing the lawn without earplugs, you’re slowly damaging your ears and it will become more noticeable 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. They can create up to 175dB of noise. If you shot a gun right next to your head it would be about this volume.
If you’re going to a display where the fireworks are booming and repeating, you’ll absolutely need earplugs. You should acquire the highest NRR rated earplugs, especially if you’re close. You’ll still be able to hear the fireworks and they’ll still be loud, but you’ll be protecting your hearing from future hearing loss.
It’s important to protect your hearing
Seek help before your hearing loss becomes extreme. Most people most likely won’t even realize that their hearing is slowly going until it’s too late, and regrettably, it’s irreversible. Contact us right away so we can help you identify any risks you might have.
