Common Sounds of Summer That Can Cause Hearing Loss

All the fun events you participate in over the summer – concerts, sports events, fireworks – can actually have some hidden dangers in the form of possible hearing damage. With school out, you are probably busy making memories at the beach, park or just enjoying your backyard. Those hidden dangers result from the loud noises that these common summer sounds generate. Hearing loss is a very real possibility when it comes to being too close to fireworks or being exposed over the long term to lawn mower noise. Check out these summer sounds and how you can protect your hearing from them.

Fireworks

You probably love to take in several fireworks displays over the course of the summer. But don’t get too close. By setting up camp close to the staging area, you could be putting yourself and your kids at risk for hearing damage thanks to the 115 decibels each explosion emits. To put that in perspective, anything over 85 decibels is dangerous, so fireworks definitely call for ear protection. At the very least, watch from a safe distance to avoid significant hearing loss.

Concerts

Are you a fan of listening to music outdoors? Many people do. That’s why music festivals and rock concerts are held in the summer months. However, you’re not immune to the loud noises those speakers can generate – up to 115 decibels and beyond in fact. If you don’t protect your hearing with ear plugs or if you sit too close to the sound system, you can incur permanent damage to your ears.

Sports Events

Sure, we all love the allure of a baseball game and listening to the roar of fans cheering the home team on. While crowd noise can cause hearing damage in young people, the worst culprit when it comes to noise enough to cause hearing loss in anyone is racing. You may get a rush out of the sounds of the race cars on the track, but you’re being exposed to sounds that register 115 decibels or more – plenty high enough to cause total temporary hearing loss and even long-term hearing conditions.

Machine Noises

You may not even think about it, but the next time you catch yourself listening to the drone of lawn mowers in the neighborhood, consider the fact that all that prolonged exposure to the 100 or more decibels those machines create can put you at risk for hearing damage. Prolonged exposure to blaring noises generated by lawn maintenance tools can induce long-term damage to your hearing.

Your Responsibility

There are several steps to take when protecting your hearing from these loud noises. One is to avoid staying in these environments for too long. If you must stay for the whole concert, sit towards the back. Also, don’t mow your entire lawn at once. Do it in short spurts to avoid prolonged exposure. Another tip is to buy some ear plugs and use them at concerts and fireworks so you’re not subjecting yourself to crazy amount of noise decibels.