Nicer weather means you’ll want to spend more time outdoors, even to exercise. However, when doing so, it’s important to take measures to protect your ears and hearing. We review tips for this below.
Wear Hearing Protection
If you’re going to be going for a run through Levy Park on Eastside Street where they could be mowing, or on a busy road where there could be construction, the experts at Heuser Hearing Institute recommend wearing hearing protection such as earplugs.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “An estimated 12.5% of children and adolescents aged 6–19 years (approximately 5.2 million) and 17% of adults aged 20–69 years (approximately 26 million) have suffered permanent damage to their hearing from excessive exposure to noise.”
Custom-fit specialty earplugs from Heuser Hearing Institute will let safe sounds through but block dangerously loud sounds.
Keep the Volume Low
In the same vein, you should keep your ears safe from music or other media coming through your earbuds or headphones by keeping the volume low. This is important for your physical safety, as well, so you can hear important warning sounds should someone shout at your or honk their horn.
Wear Sunscreen
Your ears are especially vulnerable to sunburn, and unfortunately, this is an easy area to forget to apply sunscreen to. To protect yourself from an uncomfortable burn or even skin cancer, be sure to apply sunscreen regularly when spending time outdoors to exercise.
Wear a Sweatband
If you get sweat or other moisture in your ears, it can lead to a painful infection known as swimmer’s ear if you don’t get the water out in a timely manner. To prevent sweat from entering your ears, to begin with, consider wearing a sweatband. This is also important if you wear hearing aids, as it will protect them from moisture and help keep them in place.
Wear a Hat
If you don’t want to keep reapplying sunscreen, or if you wear hearing aids, it’s important that you wear a wide-brim hat. Direct sunlight isn’t good for your ears or your devices.
For more tips on keeping your ears healthy and safe or to schedule an appointment with a hearing expert, call Heuser Hearing Institute today.