How to Fight Hearing Loss This Fall

As the leaves begin to change, you should consider changing your hearing healthcare habits, too. Several autumn activities in Portland OR can cause noise-induced hearing loss without proper hearing protection. Portlanders of all ages should take extra precautions to protect their ears from hearing loss during fun fall activities. Here are some great tips to prevent hearing loss this season.

Use Earplugs to Protect Yourself from Hearing Loss

When exposed to loud sounds in Portland and its surrounding areas, wear earplugs to prevent hearing loss and tinnitus. Disposable earplugs are readily available and will allow you to hear music and conversations while blocking dangerously loud noise. Custom ear protection crafted from personalized earmolds will perfectly fit the unique contours of your ears, guaranteeing a snug, proper fit and dependable protection from hearing loss and other auditory problems.

Cut Down Your Time in Noisy Settings

Take steps to limit the length of time you spend in loud environments. When participating in noisy activities, make sure to give yourself occasional quiet breaks to allow your ears to recuperate and prevent hearing loss.

Turn Down the Volume

When listening to music, playing video games, watching a film at a Portland movie theater or watching TV, keep the volume turned down as low as possible. Headphones are particularly dangerous for your ears. Remember, if others around you can hear what you’re listening to, it’s too loud and may be slowly causing hearing loss.

Leave the Leaf Blowers Behind

Leaf blowers are everywhere once fall is in full swing. Despite their usefulness, these tools represent an extreme noise hazard and can cause hearing loss very quickly. The sound produced by some leaf blowers at close range can cause permanent hearing loss in just 15 minutes. If you aren’t willing to hire a professional landscaper to clean up your leaves, consider replacing older models of leaf blowers with newer models that come with lower sound output. Even the quietest leaf blowers available are likely to gradually incite hearing loss, so always wear quality or custom earplugs during yard work.

Don’t Fail for Football Season

Throughout Portland and the Pacific Northwest, football fans are gearing up for another fun season. There’s no better way to support your team than cheering wildly with fellow fans at a live event, but there’s also no better way to get permanent hearing loss. Any sound over 85 dB should be considered potentially dangerous, and noise over 120 dB is known to cause instant, permanent sensorineural hearing loss. Last year, Kansas City Chiefs fans set a new record for loudest stadium at 142.2 dB—that’s louder than a gunshot, jet engine or fireworks. This record was only slightly higher than the Seahawks previous record, which was about 136 dB. Whether you’re attending a Portland State, Ducks, Beavers or Seahawks game, earplugs are essential to your hearing safety.

Get Advice from an Audiologist

Your Portland audiologist can help you find a solution for preventing hearing loss that fits your lifestyle. Options for protecting your ears without compromising your performance are available for a wide range of activities. From specialty musician’s plugs that let you hear the notes risk-free to hunter’s plugs that enhance ambient noise while preventing hearing loss from gunshots and explosions, a solution exists for all Portland activities and lifestyles.