Finally, it’s summer!!
This summer season offers a lot of fun. But before you hit the beach, the concert, or the backyard barbecue, remember to protect your hearing.
When you’re out appreciating summer, do keep in mind that your hearing can be damaged by loud noises. So it’s essential to take measures to protect your ears, particularly during the summer months when you’re more likely to be exposed to loud noises.
Here are a few activities that are best experienced with earplugs.
Swimming
Parasites and bacteria love water and can even live in fairly clean pools potentially leading to swimmer’s ear. You can stop infections by keeping your ears dry and earplugs can help you do this.
While pool-borne infection isn’t usually serious, polluted water getting inside of your ear canal can have harmful effects. It can result in inflammation, pain, and even short-term hearing loss.
Left unaddressed, infections can result in damage to the eardrum and the fragile inner workings of the ear.
It’s not possible to completely stay away from all pathogens in pools or hot tubs, but using swimming earplugs will help protect your ears.
Live performances and concerts
Summertime is the perfect time for a night of live music. But live concerts are usually really loud.
You may be exposed to more than 120dB of sound depending on where you’re standing. That’s enough to lead to instant and lasting hearing loss.
Earplugs are designed to decrease sound, not 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 a 120-dB concert will be reduced to around 100 dB.
However, that’s still a potentially damaging level.
The closer you are to a speaker, the higher NRR you’ll need to safeguard your ears and prevent permanent hearing damage. Within 15 minutes, you can develop permanent hearing damage even if you use the highest level of protection. Wear earplugs and stand at a distance from the speakers for best protection.
This doesn’t just 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
The grass is going to continue o grow so mowing will be necessary pretty much weekly. You take steps such as edging flower beds and weeding the gardens so your yard looks nice. Then you use a weed-whacker to touch up around the trees.
Power tools and other yard tools can be very loud, and sustained exposure can and will damage your hearing. Earplugs will help lessen the noise from these tools and protect your hearing.
If you’re not wearing earplugs when you run the mower, over time, you will be noticeably causing hearing loss.
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 dark side to fireworks. The noise they make can exceed 175 dB. If you fired a gun right near your head it would be about this volume.
You’ll absolutely want earplugs if you’re attending a big fireworks show. If you’re near to the action, the highest NRR rating is recommended. You’ll safeguard your hearing from damage and the fireworks will still sound loud enough.
Safeguarding your ears is important
Get help before your hearing loss becomes profound. Hearing loss caused by loud noise can’t be corrected and since it takes place so gradually, most people don’t realize they’re harming their hearing. Call us right away so we can help you determine any risks you might have.
