Spring is in full swing, and with it comes a long list of outdoor chores. In addition to cleaning out the gutters, painting the fence, and tending to the garden, we bet one item on every homeowner’s list is mowing the lawn. Before you put on your favorite ball cap and crank up your mower, be aware of the effects this springtime chore can have on your ears.
Not only is the noise mowers make displeasing to the ear, it can actually cause damage to your hearing. Most lawn care workers understand that protecting their ears from all those noisy motors is an occupational necessity; however, many homeowners and teenagers mowing lawns for summer jobs may not think to wear ear protection.
Gas-powered mowers can produce anywhere from 90-106 decibels (dB) of sound, and these levels of noise can be harmful. Even 85 dB may cause damage to your ears with prolonged exposure, surpassing the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines for permissible sound levels over an 8-hour day. With every increase of 5 dB, those permissible hours are reduced by half (so 90dB for only 4 hours). In addition, if you are standing arms distance from a person and must shout to be heard, it’s possible this competing noise can also cause auditory damage. The same goes for leaf blowers and power tools.
Many people listen to music with earbuds while mowing and must increase the volume level much louder than normal to hear the music over the equipment noise. This provides constant and harmful exposure from two sources rather than just one.
Here’s what you can do to prevent hearing damage this spring:
Remember these tips to protect your hearing at all costs this spring, and happy mowing!
We regularly release newsletters for our customers, and are pleased to provide copies of past releases here on our website. Click below to learn about new technology, event information, and more.
How to Handle Hearing Loss During the Holidays
Fall 2017: From Africa to South America
Summer 2017: New Styles for Oticon Opn™
Spring 2017: Invisible Hearing Aid
Fall 2016: The Top 5 Myths About Hearing Loss
Winter Early 2016: What's New in Technology? (The Oticon Alta2, BrainHearing™, CaptionCall, etc.)
Additionally, to receive these newsletters in either your mailbox or your e-mail inbox, subscribe below and we'll notify you as soon as they become available!
How would you like to receive your newsletter(s)?
Click below to read more and discover important truths on the topics of hearing aid technology, hearing protection, general awareness and more.
Research from the National Institutes of Health revealed that only 20 percent of people who could benefit from hearing aids actually wear them. Chances are you’ve already taken the step to purchase hearing aids, but do you wear them every day?
It can be difficult to accept hearing loss, which is the third most common physical condition affecting people of all ages. Make sure to catch early signs of hearing loss before they turn serious!
While refreshing after a long, cold winter, extremely hot temperatures can wreak havoc on your hearing aids if they’re not properly cared for. Here are some tips on caring for your hearing aids during these summer months.
As part of Better Speech and Hearing Month, a month dedicated to raising awareness about communication disorders, AHSA has compiled a range of decibel noises that you could experience regularly.
This May, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is celebrating Better Hearing and Speech Month, a month dedicated to raising awareness about communication disorders. Their studies have found the noisiest common leisure activities that are most bothersome to U.S. adults.
Before you put on your favorite ball cap and crank up your mower, be aware of the effects this springtime chore can have on your ears.
There are many ways you can make the most out of your hearing aid. Here are some suggestions for extending the life of your batteries
There’s a lot of information going around about hearing loss, making it difficult to discern what is true and what is false. It’s important to be aware of some common misconceptions in order to keep tabs on your hearing and ear health.
Talking to someone with hearing loss can often be uncomfortable and awkward. Do you talk louder than normal?
There's always an adjustment period with new hearing aids... read here for some tips and techniques on how to adjust, and how to recognize when you should come back to the office to get them looked at.
Hearing loss can be tricky to diagnose; to help, we have provided a list of signs and tips to help you recognize it in your own life, or that of a friend or family member.