With summer right around the corner and the weather warming up, people are starting to spend more time outdoors. Part of summer fun is being outside, tending to your garden or participating in recreational activities, but being outdoors can be loud. This is unfortunate as continuous, prolonged exposure to noise can eventually lead to noise-induced hearing loss. Typical summertime noises such as traffic, lawnmowers, fireworks, power tools, and sporting events all have the ability to damage our hearing, so it is important to take the proper precautions.
People of all ages are at risk of noise-induced hearing loss as it does not discriminate. Luckily you can protect your sensitive ears by following preventative measures. Remember, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Keep your ears healthy and happy this summer and for many more, by following these simple summer ear protection tips.
- Do you plan on seeing a concert this summer? If you do, make sure you bring some ear plugs to go along with your sunscreen, ticket, and water bottle. Luckily there are ear plugs available that are designed for concerts so that they won’t ruin your experience. These specially designed ear plugs allow you to hear the music, but will still protect your sensitive ears.
- If you attend an event that is loud this summer, make sure to keep your distance away from the sound equipment. Staying too close to speakers can increase your risk of hearing damage, so keep a safe distance. The further away you get from the speakers, the safer your ears will be since the decibel level drops the further away you are.
- If you are cutting the lawn, shooting a gun, or operating power equipment this summer, make sure you protect your ears. Shield the sensitive inner ear from dangerous sounds by wearing earplugs or protective headphones. Don’t know where to find these items? Your local hardware store should carry protective headphones and disposable ear plugs.
- Do you often use a pair of headphones in the summer? Whether your vice is watching movies or listening to music, too high of a volume level can slowly damage your hearing. Make sure you watch your volume and keep it low. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the cutoff level for hearing safety is 85 decibels. However, many personal devices can top 100 decibels so keep the volume turned down.
- Do you love to swim? While swimming is a great way to keep cool and in shape during the summer, it can make you more susceptible to swimmer’s ear. Swimmer’s ear occurs when water and moisture become trapped in the ear canal, which creates bacteria growth and eventually leads to a painful ear infection to occur. However, this condition can happen from taking a shower as well, so it’s not just limited to swimmers! The best way to prevent this condition is to keep your ears dry by wearing ear protection, and by properly drying your ears every time you get out of the water.