3 Things You Should Do to Protect Your Ears While on Vacation

Hearing loss typically occurs when we’re exposed to loud noises for a long period of time. Unfortunately, most of us don’t really know what loud noise is unless we measure it accurately with some kind of device. As a general rule of thumb, anything that causes even the slightest bit of discomfort could potentially cause hearing loss if you’re exposed to it for a long period of time. Whether it’s a lawn mower, a construction site or even traffic in the middle of a city, these are all things that may cause hearing loss if you were exposed to them for a prolonged time.

Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to protect your ears from damage. For instance, you might want to simply avoid encountering loud noises in the first place. You could also wear earphones during your commute to block some of the sound waves around you or you could use hearing protection if you’re on a construction site or another similar location where loud noises are generally unavoidable.

But what about if you’re on vacation? When we’re on holiday, we rarely think about the level of sounds that we’re surrounded by. We’ll go to music festivals, parades and other loud events without so much as even considering earplugs. So, to help you protect your hearing, here are three things that you should do in order to protect your ears while on vacation.

Attending a Loud Event? Make Sure You Invest in Protection

People often underestimate just how loud a festival or event can get. If you’re going to a concert or even just meeting up with friends to go on a parade, remember that you’re going to be exposed to a lot of loud noises over a long period of time. As such, you should try your best to prepare some protection ahead of time.

If you can’t buy earplugs at your destination, then you can usually pick them up in airport stores. If you want to be well-prepared, then we suggest getting yourself a pair of custom-made earplugs in your home country and testing them out for comfort and sound blocking qualities before you decide to book a flight.

You could also speak to your hearing instrument specialist if you’re unsure about your options for hearing protection. As hearing instrument specialists (HIS) in the field, they can help ensure that your hearing protection fits properly and blocks sound as intended.

Consider Investing in Noise-Canceling Headphones

When traveling, there’s a good chance that you’ll be exposed to some very loud noises. The roar of an airplane engine, the traffic noises of a busy city or even the rumbling of a train rack. These are all things that can eventually affect your hearing if you’re exposed to them for long periods of time. Even if they only happen occasionally, they can cause enough discomfort that you might experience temporary hearing loss.

So in order to overcome this, we suggest that you use some kind of noise-canceling headphones to both blocks out noise but also make it more comfortable for you to listen to music or watch a film when you’re traveling.

Noise-canceling headphones can even help with tinnitus which can be an issue on flights for some people. There are even rare cases where a loud sound or change in pressure, such as taking off in an airplane, could rupture an eardrum and eventually lead to an infection.

With noise-canceling headphones, you can enjoy consuming media without worrying about the loud and uncomfortable noises around you.

Make Sure You Swim in Safe Locations

Swimming is a very common activity when you’re on vacation, but it’s also a very dangerous one if you’re not sure about the waters around you. If you want to swim, make sure you check that the water is safe and is made for swimming purposes. If you don’t, then you might end up with an ear infection or something a lot worse. This could negatively affect your hearing health and may cause permanent damage depending on how unclean or infected the water is.

If you’d like to learn more about hearing protection or want to pick up some more tips about protecting your ears while on holiday, then get in touch with our experts from Sound Choice Hearing at (505) 565-7960. Whatever concerns you might have, we’re confident that we can provide you with additional peace of mind and solutions to any of the hearing-related problems that you’re facing.