What Summer Activities Need Ear Protection?

Summer is fast approaching, and with summer comes a lot of fun activities to enjoy. Rather than snuggling up and watching movies throughout the winter months, you can now enjoy lots of outdoor events like festivals and music concerts. However, one thing you do need to be mindful of is your hearing health during the summer. Below, we take a look at some of the popular summer activities that can be damaging to your hearing and, therefore, require ear protection.

Yard work

If you love a bit of DIY and/or gardening, you will probably spend a lot of time planting flowers, building fences, and giving yourself lots of other outdoor projects throughout the summer months. Does this sound like you? If so, you need to make sure that you protect your ears. A lot of the machinery that you are likely to be using will reach unsafe noise levels, so you need to be protected.

Firework displays

We have lots of firework displays in the United States throughout the summer period. After all, we have a lot to celebrate, from Independence Day to Memorial Day. The vast majority of fireworks will reach sound in excess of 125 decibels. This is certainly loud enough to damage your hearing. If you are going to a firework display, especially if you are going with your children, you need to ensure they are protected. For babies, you can get lightweight foam-filled ear cups to protect their ears. For older children, earplugs are best.

Speedboats and motorcycles

Of course, the engine noise can be very dangerous when it comes to motorcycles and speedboats. However, that is not typically the main problem. The main issue when it comes to your hearing is the wind noise. Wind noise levels can reach in excess of 103 decibels if you are riding on a motorcycle without any protective gear (which, of course, you should not be doing!). A simple pair of disposable earplugs can make all of the difference when boating, ensuring you are protected.

Outdoor concerts

There is no denying that summer is the season for outdoor concerts and music festivals. We have already had Coachella. However, there are still plenty of amazing outdoor festivals lined up all around the United States and Europe too. Concerts tend to reach decibels exceeding 100. This is way above 85 decibels, which is the recommended limit in terms of noise levels that can have a negative impact on your hearing. Of course, you probably won’t want to spend the entire concert with ear muffs on. However, disposable ear plugs can come in handy, and make sure you stay away from those massive speakers.

As you can see, there are a number of different popular summer activities that can actually be dangerous in terms of your hearing. From motorcycles and speedboats to outdoor concerts, it seems that a lot of our favorite things to do in the warmer months are noisy. This is why ear protection and an appointment with your audiologist both come highly recommended.