What Hobbies Should Include Ear Protection

There are many different causes of hearing loss. Some are hereditary. Some are a natural part of the aging process. Others are caused by environmental and lifestyle factors. Although all forms of hearing loss can be effectively managed with the help of an audiologist, the latter causes can be mitigated by taking proper precautions. Ear protection is extremely important in preserving your hearing.

There are many hobbies that, by their nature, can potentially cause damage to your ears and the delicate apparatus of your hearing. If the following hobbies are part of your active and varied lifestyle, you should consider using appropriate ear protection to keep your ears healthy and protect your hearing.

Watching motorsports

It’s easy to see why motorsports make for a great spectator sport. The speed, the action, the drama. It’s fun to watch on TV, sure, but there’s nothing quite like being by the track amidst the smell of burning rubber and the rush of air when the cars or motorcycles zoom past.

However, as fun as this may be, the closer you are to the action, the more important it is to bring proper ear protection. Motor vehicles designed for racing can generate extremely loud noises at levels of over 100 dB. Throughout the course of a day at the races, you could be subjected to excessive noise for hours on end.

You can mitigate this by bringing some earplugs with you to the event. You’ll still get the thrill of watching the sport and you won’t have to cope with persistent tinnitus when you get home or worry about long-term damage to your hearing.

Clay pigeon shooting

If you enjoy the sport of gun craft, but don’t want to endanger living animals, clay pigeon shooting makes for a perfect compromise. It’s a fun activity either alone or with friends. However, if you’re headed to the range, the employees there should furnish you with the correct ear protection.

It’s worth taking some earplugs just in case. Most competition shooting is done with 12-20 bore shotguns which can produce noise levels in excess of 175 dB. Without proper ear protection, this fun hobby can have long-lasting repercussions for your ears.

Woodwork

There’s something inherently satisfying about working with wood. Taking this elegant raw material and crafting it into customized furniture and keepsakes is an extremely satisfying and rewarding hobby and carpentry is a noble and valuable craft.

However, it also involves working with some pretty noisy machinery including hammers, drills and mechanized saws. These can generate some pretty loud noises in excess of 85 dB. Be sure to wear some custom molded earplugs if you’ve been known to spend hour after hour in your workshop.

Live music

We can all agree that life without music would be a bleak and joyless affair. And there’s nothing quite like seeing your favorite band or music act live. However, if you enjoy live music regularly you could be doing cumulative damage to your hearing. Moreover, if you often have to go to gigs as part of your job, it’s in your best interests to wear earplugs to every gig.

Your passion for music should not come at the expense of your hearing.

By all means, enjoy these great hobbies, just make sure that your ears are well protected while you have fun!