Protecting your hearing from sports activities

Swimming can have the potential to cause significant problems for your hearing if you let your ears come into contact with too much water. Whether this is in salt water, fresh water or a swimming pool - exposure to the bacteria found in water can cause a condition called swimmer's ear. When water gets trapped in your inner ear, the bacteria can cause infections that can damage the hair cells that are found in the inner ear and can cause hearing loss. 

What can I do?

There are many things that you can do to prevent this so that you can continue to enjoy swimming and water sports. These include: 

• Drying your outer ear with a soft towel
• Leaning your head to one side whilst pulling your lobe to allow the water to flow out. 
• Wearing a swimming cap
• Using Earol spray - a Teat Tree and Olive Oil blend that coats the outer ear and auditory canal with a water resistant barrier

According to studies, noise-induced hearing loss affects approximately 15,000 Britons every year. Anyone who partakes in sports such as clay pigeon shooting are at particular risk because of the sound intensity and  acute acoustic trauma that affects your hearing. Any noise that is over 85 decibels will have a profound effect on your hearing and damage the hair cells in the inner ear. 

What can I do? 

For activities such as this, there are precautions that can be taken. These mainly involve wearing ear protection such as earplugs and noise-cancelling headphones that work for any activity where there is significant exposure to high levels of sound or noise. 

We know how amazing it is to be a part of a crowd at a sports event. Whether that's car racing, football, rugby or other sport, the experience is incredible! What you should also consider is the impact that being a part of the crowd can have on your hearing. Your ears will have significant exposure to high levels of sound from a range of angles - whether that be the crowd that you're a part of or the sport you're watching. Nevertheless, it is important to take into consideration the impact that these events will have on your hearing. 

What can I do? 

Here at bloom hearing specialists, we recommend using earplugs that soften the impact of sound waves damaging your inner ear. We also recommend the use of custom made earplugs that are made from custom-made moulds that are cast with the help of a hearing specialist like ourselves. To find out more about custom-made hearing protection, contact us today on 1800 480 480