Fall Yard Work Safety: Tips to Aid Hearing Health

As we exit the summer months and the weather becomes more agreeable to spending time outside, you may want to take care of maintenance around your home or undertake more activities than usual. Wanting your home to look its best is a great goal to have in mind. However, it is important to remain safe as you perform these tasks. There are many problems that you may run into that can cause injury. One of the most common issues that people tend to ignore once the weather becomes nicer is hearing damage. Hearing loss prevention is extremely important and can preserve your hearing, keeping damage from happening from sources such as loud equipment.

Fall Yard Work Safety Precautions

When people choose to maintain their property, they often use tools and machines that may not always be kind to the ears. Leafblowers, lawnmowers, and power tools have been known to produce high amounts of noise for extended periods of time.

PPE, or personal protective equipment, is very important when doing yard work. Maintaining these devices ensures that you'll be able to keep your hearing while also accomplishing the tasks you set out to do. Hearing protection devices come in many different types, are often very affordable, and can be found in many major stores.

You can keep your hearing safe and well-protected with the following safety tip checklist:

Will you be using loud equipment such as a lawnmower, leaf blower, or other home improvement equipment?

• Ensure you have proper hearing protection equipment, such as headphones or earplugs.
• Stay aware of your surroundings. The noise can be very distracting.
• Take breaks regularly.

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL)

Maintenance of hearing is very important. Many people need to place more of a priority on their hearing and end up regretting not having taken precautions early enough. Noise Induced Hearing loss occurs when high amounts of noise enter the ear for extended periods of time. This may not seem like enough cause for concern, but once hearing is damaged, it does not recover or come back. Tinnitus, a ringing in the ears, can occur after a high-noise event and is the culmination of damage done inside the ear. Over time, you may lose the ability to hear certain frequencies, and what you hear may sound muffled.

Too much exposure to loud noises can cause noise-induced hearing loss, or NIHL. You can protect your hearing using home improvement tools and devices with proper personal protective equipment. Protecting your hearing with earplugs or over-the-ear noise-suppression headphones is a good way to reduce damage, as these devices keep harmful frequencies from entering the ear canal.

It is important to keep yourself safe when venturing out to do yard work or home maintenance. Proper hearing protection and mindful PPE usage can help you keep your hearing safe while completing your tasks. If you want to learn more about your hearing health, make an appointment with Beltone Skoric for more information!