Finally, it’s summer!!
This summer season has a lot of fun. But keep the health of your hearing in mind 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. In the summer you’re a lot more likely to be exposed to loud sounds, so it’s very important to take the appropriate steps to protect your hearing.
Here are several activities that are best experienced with earplugs.
Swimming
Even in clean pools, there can be bacteria and parasites that can lead to swimmer’s ear. You can prevent infections by keeping water out of your ears and earplugs can help you do this.
While pool-borne infection isn’t usually serious, contaminated water getting inside of your ear canal can have unhealthy effects. Temporary hearing loss, pain, and inflammation can be the consequence.
Left untreated, infections can cause 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
Going to a concert is always a good time, particularly in the summer months. Because the entertainers are trying to reach such a large audience, however, volume levels are usually really high.
Depending on the spot that 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 will stop some of that sound but won’t distort it. Earplugs have an NRR rating with a range of 20 to 33, which establishes the strength of the protection. 20dB of sound will be blocked by earplugs with a 20 NRR rating. So if you’re attending a concert with 120dB of sound, it will be reduced to 100dB.
However, that’s still a potentially damaging level.
Safeguarding your hearing will mean using a higher NRR the closer to the speakers you will be standing. Within 15 minutes, you can experience irreversible hearing damage even if you use the highest level of protection. 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 boosted through speakers.
Yard work
The grass is going to continue o grow so mowing will be required pretty much weekly. You take steps 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.
Power equipment and other yard tools can be very loud, and prolonged exposure can and will harm 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 gradually damaging your ears and it will become more obvious over time.
Independence Day
They’re a key aspect of Independence Day. When July comes around, it’s time to celebrate the birth of our nation. But there’s a dark side to fireworks. They can generate up to 175dB of noise. If you fired a gun right next to your head it would be around this volume.
If you’re going to a display where the fireworks are thunderous and repeating, you’ll definitely need earplugs. You should acquire the highest NRR rated earplugs, especially if you’re close. You’ll safeguard your ears from damage and the fireworks will still sound loud enough.
Safeguarding your hearing is important
Seek help before your hearing loss becomes severe. Hearing loss related to loud noise can’t be reversed and since it happens so slowly, most people don’t realize they’re damaging their hearing. Give us a call right away so we can help you identify any risks you might have.