And What You Can Do to Help Prevent It
By Ryan Hill, Au.D
As summer gives way to fall, most of us find ourselves doing more yardwork before the cold weather sets in. Whether you are cutting grass, mulching leaves, trimming bushes, taking down trees or just doing some basic landscaping, you are probably using lawn mowers, leaf blowers, chain saws and other tools that produce excessive amounts of noise. And all tools that, due to their loud noise exposure, can lead to hearing loss.
Sounds that surpass 85 decibels can have an adverse effect on your hearing and can cause permanent damage within 8 hours of exposure. Furthermore, noise above 115 decibels can lead to permanent hearing loss in as little as 15 minutes. Loud gunshots (averaging 167 decibels), for example, are a leading cause of hearing loss in veterans.
So, what can be done to help prevent hearing loss caused by loud noises? Well, one of the easiest ways to protect your hearing is to consistently wear hearing protection in loud environments, especially those who work in factories, in construction and are around loud machinery.
Another way to help prevent hearing loss is to be mindful when you are around loud noises caused by groaning yard tools, motor vehicles, fireworks or even blaring music at concerts. Your best bet? Just try to keep your distance, if possible. If not, pop in a pair of ear plugs- you can find very inexpensive ones over the counter almost anywhere.
And if you are experiencing hearing loss– no matter the cause?we are here to help.
