If you're heading outdoors to enjoy summer activities then don't forget to protect your ears. Outdoor music festivals and firework celebrations can all contribute to hearing problems, with children being particularly vulnerable.
Here we round up some expert tips on how you can protect your hearing this summer, while still having fun.
Concerts
Dr. Huseyin Isildak, director of otology and neurotology at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, says that most live rock concerts are at a volume of 100 to 110 decibels.
This is louder than the generally accepted standard for noise exposure, which is 85 decibels for a maximum of eight hours a day, followed by at least a couple hours of recovery time, and the reason why they can often cause a ringing in the ears. And as decibel levels increase above 85, the recommended time you can be exposed to it decreases.
"If you calculate it that way, the time you should be exposed to a rock concert is 15 minutes or so," Isildak explained.
Wearing earplugs at a concert is the logical solution for reducing the risk of damage, but it can also reduce your enjoyment. Instead, Isildak suggests standing as far away from the speakers as possible.
Fireworks
Fireworks are a popular feature of summer events, but they can produce a noise around 120 to 170 decibels. To put this into context, a casual conversation is measured at around 60 decibels.
Although they generally do not cause problems, as the explosions happen in the sky and are short-lived, Anne Sommer, an audiology clinical instructor in the College of Health and Human Sciences warns to be careful with children.
"For children, the recommendation is 120 decibels. If a child reacts by crying or covering their ears while watching fireworks, it could be a sign that the loud sounds are causing pain."
Outdoor equipment
Perhaps surprisingly, power lawnmowers and other outdoor equipment can produce up to 100 decibels, so Isildak recommends using ear protection if you're carrying out activities such as mowing the lawn.
"Earplugs can decrease the noise by 20 to 30 decibels," he said.
However, he advises against listening to music on your headphones to mask the sound of the mower, as "the music has to be too loud to drown out the noise of the mower."
In fact, music played through headphones should not be able to be heard by someone an arm's length away. "If you can hear their music, it's too loud," he says.
Water activities
Although not noise-related, spending time in the water causes some of the most common summer ear problems says Dr. Isildak.
When swimming in pools or lakes water can become trapped in the middle ear, causing an infection to develop. To prevent this Dr. Isildak recommends using ear plugs and advises those with perforated eardrums to keep their head above water.
