The flowers are in full bloom and the birds are chirping. That could only mean one thing – it is finally spring! With this season comes the required protections. Gloves protect your hands while gardening. Sneakers protect your knees while on long walks in the park. But what do you do to protect your ears?
Springtime has its own unique set of dangers to your hearing. In order to protect yourself, your Louisville audiologist has put together a list of potential hazards and explanations on what to do to protect yourself.
POWER TOOLS
I don’t know about you, but springtime is when I typically get the inspiration needed to pick up the home improvement projects I put down around the holidays.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) notes that wood and metal shops as well as power tools have an average sound intensity of 100 dB. This level of sound can cause hearing loss after just 15 minutes. Don’t have a shop? Individual tools can do just as much damage.
- A hand drill measures an average of 98 dB.
- A power mower (from three feet away) measures 107 dB.
- A power saw (from three feet away) can measure up to 110 dB.
Hearing protection to be used with power tools can typically be purchased from your local Louisville hardware store. Contact your Louisville audiologist for product recommendations.
MOTORCYCLES
Nothing beats hitting the open road in springtime. But before you set off on your first hog ride of the season, make sure you have the proper protection. Helmet? Check. Awesome riding gloves? Check. Custom in-ear monitors? These are essential to protecting your hearing as a motorcycle can reach sounds up to 100 decibels. To put that into perspective, anything over 85 dB can cause irreversible hearing loss. 100 dB is equivalent to a jet taking off.
In-ear monitors can eliminate damagingly loud sounds while still letting important, subtle sounds enter your ears, thus ensuring a safe ride.
CONVERTIBLES
Motorcycles not your thing? What about a convertible? On a sunny Sunday afternoon, few things are better than driving around with the wind in your hair and the sun on your skin.
A 2009 study found that driving some convertibles at speeds between 50 and 70 miles per hour exposed drivers to noise levels of 88 to 90 dB.
To protect your hearing, try limiting your drive time to 15-minute intervals. Stopping at scenic overlooks gives your eyes and ears a break.
For more information on how to protect yourself this spring, contact your Louisville audiologist to schedule a visit today.