Finally, it’s summertime!!
This summer season offers tons of fun. But before you hit the beach, the concert, or the backyard barbecue, don’t forget to protect your hearing.
Loud noises can harm your hearing, even if you don’t feel like they’re that loud. So it’s important to take steps to protect your ears, especially during the summer months when you’re more likely to be exposed to loud noises.
Here are some activities that are best experienced with earplugs.
Going for a swim
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 prevent infection.
Polluted water getting inside of your ears, while normally not a serious issue, can have some negative consequences. Temporary hearing loss, pain, and swelling can be the outcome.
Left unaddressed, infections can lead to damage to the eardrum and the fragile inner workings of the ear.
It’s impossible 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
Summer is the perfect time for a night of live music. But live concerts are usually really loud.
You could be exposed to more than 120dB of sound depending on the spot that you’re standing. These volume levels can immediately cause hearing loss that can be permanent.
Earplugs are fashioned to reduce sound, not distort it. The degree of sound that can be stopped by earplugs will be determined by an NRR rating of between 20 and 33. 20dB of sound will be stopped by earplugs with a 20 NRR rating. So if you’re attending a concert with 120dB of sound, it will be reduced to 100dB.
But that amount of sound can still potentially harm your hearing.
The closer to the speaker you are, the higher NRR you’ll need to protect your ears and prevent permanent hearing damage. Even if you get the highest level of hearing protection, you will still be subjected to sounds loud enough to trigger irreversible hearing damage within 15 minutes. Wear earplugs and stand at a distance from the speakers for best protection.
This doesn’t just pertain to concerts, it’s also relevant for things like festivals, movies, plays, sporting events, and any other event where sound will be amplified through speakers.
Yard work
You do it every week, but the grass continues to grow. You take steps like edging flower beds and weeding the gardens so your yard looks great. Then you keep the long grass in check with a weed-whacker.
Your hearing will definitely be damaged by the loud volume of yard equipment. Earplugs will help reduce 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 obvious over time.
Independence Day
It wouldn’t be Independence Day without them. On the 4th of July, we will all be celebrating our country’s independence. But fireworks have a dark side. The noise they make can exceed 175 dB. If you shot a gun right near your head it would be about this volume.
You’ll definitely want earplugs if you’re attending a big fireworks show. You should acquire the highest NRR rated earplugs, particularly if you’re close. You’ll protect your hearing from damage and the fireworks will still sound loud enough.
It’s important to protect your hearing
Seek help before your hearing loss becomes profound. Most people most likely won’t even realize that their hearing is gradually going until it’s too late, and regrettably, it’s irreversible. Call us right away so we can help you determine any risks you might have.