Summertime has some activities that are simply staples: Air shows, concerts, fireworks, state fairs, Nascar races, etc. The crowds, and the decibel levels, are growing as more of these events are getting back to normal.
And that can be a problem. Because let’s be honest: this isn’t the first loud concert that’s caused your ears to ring. This ringing, known as tinnitus, can be an indication that you’ve sustained hearing damage. And as you keep exposing your ears to these loud noises, you continue to do further irreversible damage to your hearing.
But it’s ok. If you use effective hearing protection, all of this summer fun can be safely enjoyed.
How can you know if your hearing is taking a beating?
So how much attention should you be putting on your ears when you’re at that air show or concert?
Because you’ll be rather distracted, naturally.
Well, if you want to prevent significant damage, you should be on the lookout for the following symptoms:
- Headache: In general, a headache is a good sign that something isn’t right. This is certainly true when you’re attempting to gauge damage to your hearing, too. A pounding headache can be caused by excessively loud volume. And that’s a strong indication that you should find a quieter setting.
- Dizziness: Your sense of balance is primarily controlled by your inner ear. So if you feel dizzy at one of these loud events, particularly if that dizziness coincides with a charge of volume, this is another indication that damage has occurred.
- Tinnitus: This is a buzzing or ringing in your ears. It means your ears are taking damage. Tinnitus is fairly common, but that doesn’t mean you should dismiss it.
This list isn’t exhaustive, of course. Loud noise leads to hearing loss because the extra loud decibel levels harm the tiny hairs in your ear responsible for detecting vibrations in the air. And when an injury to these tiny hairs occurs, there’s no way for them to heal. They’re that specialized and that fragile.
And the phrase “ow, my tiny ear hairs hurt” isn’t something you ever hear anyone say. That’s why you have to watch for secondary signs.
It’s also possible for damage to happen with no symptoms whatsoever. Any exposure to loud sound will produce damage. The longer that exposure continues, the more significant the damage will become.
When you do notice symptoms, what should I do?
You’re rocking out just awesomely (everybody sees and is instantly captivated by how hard you rock, you’re the life of the party) when your ears start to ring, and you feel a bit dizzy. What should you do? How many decibels is too loud? And are you in the danger zone? How should you know how loud 100 decibels is?
Well, you have several solutions, and they vary when it comes to how effective they’ll be:
- You can go somewhere quieter: Truthfully, this is most likely your best possible option if you’re looking to protect your hearing health. But it’s also the least enjoyable option. It would be understandable if you’d rather stay and enjoy the show using a different way to safeguard your hearing. But you should still think about leaving if your symptoms become extreme.
- Try moving away from the origin of the noise: If your ears begin to hurt, make sure you’re not standing next to the stage or a giant speaker! Essentially, distance yourself from the source of the noise. You can give your ears a rest while still having fun, but you may have to let go of your front row NASCAR seats.
- Keep a pair of cheap earplugs with you: Cheap earplugs are, well, cheap. For what they are, they’re relatively effective and are better than no protection. So there’s no reason not to keep a set with you. Now, if the volume begins to get a little too loud, you simply pull them out and pop them in.
- Use anything to block your ears: The goal is to safeguard your ears when things are too loud. Try to use something around you to cover your ears if you don’t have earplugs and the high volume suddenly takes you by surprise. It won’t be the most effective way to control the sound, but it will be better than nothing.
- Check the merch booth: Disposable earplugs are available at some venues. Check out the merch booth for earplugs if you can’t find anything else. Usually, you won’t need to pay more than a few dollars, and with regards to the health of your hearing, that’s a bargain!
Are there any other strategies that are more reliable?
So when you need to safeguard your ears for a short time period at a concert, disposable earplugs will be fine. But if you work in your garage every day restoring your old Chevelle with power tools, or if you have season tickets to your favorite football stadium or NASCAR, or you go to concerts a lot, it’s a little different.
In these situations, you will want to take a few more significant steps to safeguard your hearing. Those measures could include the following:
- Get an app that monitors volume levels: Ambient noise is usually monitored by your smartphone automatically, but you can also download an app that can do that. When noise becomes too loud, these apps will let you know. In order to protect your ears, keep an eye on your volume monitor on your phone. This way, you’ll be capable of easily seeing what decibel level is loud enough to harm your ears.
- Speak with us today: We can do a hearing test so that you’ll know where your hearing levels are right now. And it will be much easier to identify and note any damage after a baseline is established. You will also get the extra benefit of our personalized advice to help you keep your ears safe.
- Use professional or prescription level hearing protection. This could include custom earplugs or over-the-ear headphones. The degree of protection improves with a better fit. You can always take these with you and put them in when the need arises.
Have your cake and hear it, too
Alright, it’s a bit of a mixed metaphor, but the point stands: you can protect your hearing and enjoy all these fabulous outdoor summer events. You will enjoy those activities safely by taking a few simple steps. And that’s relevant with everything, even your headphones. You will be able to make better hearing decisions when you recognize how loud is too loud for headphones.
Because if you really enjoy going to see a NASCAR race or an airshow or an outdoor summer concert, chances are, you’re going to want to continue doing that in the future. Being smart now means you’ll be able to hear your favorite band years from now.
References
https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hearing_loss/what_noises_cause_hearing_loss.html
https://hearinghealthfoundation.org/decibel-levels