From air pressure changes on flights to “swimmer’s ear” when swimming in a pool or the ocean, it’s important to be aware of what activities could result in ear damage and the best ways to prevent it.
Here, Dr. Jenn Schumacher, audiologist at ReSound, gives her expert advice on how best to take care of your ears while on a vacation this summer to prevent potential ear damage in the future.
Flying
When a plane is taking off, the noise in the cabin during a flight is roughly between 80-85 decibels, which is loud enough to damage your hearing over prolonged exposure. That’s why it’s recommended that you take the following measures to protect your ears:
- Ear protection – Noise-canceling headphones are a great way to protect the delicate parts of the inner ear from engine noise during a flight. They’re also good for blocking out general noise from other passengers on board, too, if you want to relax during the journey.
- Yawning, swallowing, or sucking on hard candy – The classic piece of advice given to anyone who struggles with pressure in their ears during flights – but it does work. Many people experience “airplane ear” during air travel, the uncomfortable or even painful feeling of pressure inside the ears with changes in altitude during a flight. These actions move your jaw, which helps release built-up pressure inside the middle ear. You can also try specially designed earplugs for flying that help equalize the pressure inside your ears with the external air pressure.
Swimming
Whether it’s a dip in the pool or swimming in the ocean, it’s always best to protect your ears around bodies of water. Bacteria can enter the ears and cause infections known as swimmer’s ear (or more formally as otitis externa) that may lead to future problems, such as hearing loss or tinnitus. Additionally, that water trapped in the ear canal can lead to another condition called surfer’s ear, which is an abnormal growth of bone near the eardrum from repeated exposure to cold water.
- Wear earplugs – Wearing earplugs when swimming is a simple and easy solution to protect your ears from both infection and surfer’s ear. By wearing earplugs, water cannot penetrate the ear canal, and you will eliminate the chance of infection or damage to the ears. Use earplugs designed especially for swimming. These can be purchased from any drugstore or visit a hearing care professional to have custom swim plugs created for you. Those who are known to suffer from recurring ear infections, surfer’s ear, or have a known perforation to their eardrums should try to use swim plugs every time they are in the water.
High altitudes or deep diving
If your summer break includes destinations with large changes in altitude, such as a mountainous region or diving in deep waters, it’s important to consider the impact the changes in altitude can have on your ears.
Large changes in elevation can cause stress to the inner ear and eardrum, known as “ear barotrauma.” This is also the same phenomena that causes airplane ear. This happens when the eustachian tube becomes blocked, causing discomfort and pain within the ears that can cause hearing changes.
- Ascend (or descend) slowly – One of the most significant ways you can avoid damage to your ears when visiting a location with barometric pressure changes is to ascend or descend slowly. Instead of driving straight to the ski resort, take breaks along the route to allow your ears to adjust. If you’re diving or deep-sea swimming, be sure to descend depths slowly and follow professional advice to avoid barotrauma.
Live events
If you’re planning to attend a live event while on vacation, such as a concert, festival. or sporting event, it’s important to take precautions as they can expose your ears to damaging levels of noise and may result in noise-induced hearing loss later in life.
A recent survey found that half of concert-goers experience ringing in their ears after attending music events, with just one in 10 wearing earplugs to protect their hearing.
In addition, live sporting events can also expose ears to damaging levels of noise. With the average game experience lasting roughly three hours, the potential for hearing loss is extremely high.
- Wear ear protection – ear protection such as earplugs are the best and most effective approach to protecting your hearing at live events. They can be easily stowed in your luggage or pockets, which makes them great for traveling. Custom-made musician’s earplugs use specially designed filters to preserve the sound quality of music, while letting you enjoy it at a safer volume.
- Avoid being too close to the speakers – if possible, try to position yourself further away from the amps and direct source of sound to better safeguard your hearing.
- Avoid overexposure – It helps to take regular breaks from the loud sound to give your hearing some rest especially after long periods of strain. Put some distance between you and the music by leaving the stage or auditorium – even better if you can take a break outside.
Find Your Quiet Place
SoundPrint is a recommended resource for hearing-impaired travelers looking to discover quieter venues while on vacation. Using the app’s decibel meter, you can measure the noise level of any venue, or simply search an already curated list to discover the best venues within a city that will likely have lower levels of noise, making for a more comfortable and stress-free trip.
