Summer Hearing Tips

Summertime – fun time - swimming, fireworks, concerts, sporting events and more. But, many popular summer activities can also be hazardous to your ears due to high decibel levels. Prolonged exposure to the sounds of lawn mowers, power tools, motorized vehicles, sporting events, concerts and fireworks can all lead to hearing damage. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to keep your ears safe and prevent long-term damage.

Protect your ears at noisy clubs, concerts, or sporting events, near loudspeakers, on airplanes, by heavy machinery, and around guns, cannons, construction, and fireworks. Fireworks can be very damaging to your hearing. In all of these situations, use ear plugs or noise-canceling earmuffs. If those aren’t available, cover your ears with your hands.

Swimmer’s ear, also known as otitis externa, is a common infection of the outer ear canal running between the eardrum and the opening of the outer ear. This infection is frequently caused by excess water in the ear, which creates a moist environment and aids in bacterial growth.

The best way to prevent swimmer's ear is to keep your ears dry.

• • Immediately following time in the water, gently dry both ears with a towel.
  • After swimming, tilt your head to drain water from your ears. Pull on your earlobe to straighten out your ear canal and let the water out.
  • Wear earplugs if you swim a lot. Your audiologist can make custom molds that fit your ears.

• Avoid placing objects in the ear, such as cotton-tipped applicators (Q-tips) to prevent further trauma to the ear and the ear canal. 

For hearing aid users

If you wear hearing aids, be mindful of increased humidity and moisture caused by the temperatures and water activities this time of year.

Avoid liquids and moisture. When hearing aids are exposed to liquids and moisture, serious damage can occur. Although many devices are being made water resistant, audiologists still recommend removing them when showering or swimming. Put your hearing aids in after applying hair products like sprays or gels. 

Take proper care of your hearing aids if they get wet. If a residual splash from the pool or a sun shower happens, remove the battery promptly, and let the hearing aid dry out for several hours before wearing them again.

Whether you'll be swimming laps or attending concerts, the Pennsylvania Ear Institute (PEI) can help protect your ears so you can relax all summer long. There are a variety of customized ear molds offered at PEI including swim plugs, musician’s earplugs, custom hearing protection, and custom in-the-ear monitors.

Call 215.780.3180 to schedule an appointment for a custom fitting today.