Fall Hearing Tips: How to Safely Handle Fall Weather and Your Ears

Now that it’s fall, the leaves are changing colors, and there’s a chill in the air. During autumn, temperatures can drop, and for those with hay fever, the fall season can cause many to experience allergy symptoms. Both of which can affect your ears. Allergies can cause fullness in the ear, itchy ears, and make it difficult to hear. When the temperatures begin to drop, your ears become vulnerable to the cold due to a reduction in blood flow, which can cause a person to experience ear pain. However, if you are looking to experience the outdoors during the chilly months, these helpful fall hearing tips can keep your ears healthy this season.

The fall season is filled with fun outdoor activities, but you can experience some negative effects if you don’t take the precautions needed during the colder months. Your ears are a sensitive organ, so take care of them by following our fall hearing tips below.

1. If you have hay fever, be aware that allergies can cause itchy ears, fullness in the ear, and difficulty hearing. Seasonal allergies can also cause ringing in the ears (tinnitus) and dizziness (vertigo), but these symptoms can usually be treated by taking over-the-counter allergy medication.

2. If you enjoy working on your yard and regularly operate a weed trimmer, leaf blower, or lawnmower, then make sure you protect your hearing. The same rule applies to any outdoor activity or event that exposes you to noise levels greater than 80 decibels. It doesn’t matter which event you are partaking in. Just make sure you are keeping your ears protected by wearing earmuffs or earplugs.

3. Your ears are sensitive, so if it’s cold outside, don’t go out without some sort of headgear on. Keeping your ears covered is necessary if you want to protect your ears from the harsh elements. The ears don’t offer much protection against the cold, especially since the skin is thin, so make sure you wear a hat, scarf, or earmuffs to help keep your ears warm.

4. Whenever you find yourself in a loud environment, make sure you give your ears a break by stepping off somewhere quiet. Limiting your time spent in a loud environment can help reduce your chances of damaging your ears and hearing. By doing so, you can give your brain and ears a much-needed break, as well as lower your chances of hearing damage.

5. If you wear hearing aids, having a backup supply of batteries on hand is never a bad idea, especially during the colder months. Batteries may drain faster in the cooler weather, and you don’t want to chance having your hearing aid go out on you while you are out. You need this device to hear the world around you, so make sure you have some spare batteries on hand, just in case.