Protecting your hearing during the holiday weekend is simple with this insightful infographic.
The Fourth of July is a quintessentially American holiday, where we celebrate our independence with family barbecues, parades, festivities, and stunning firework shows.
Whether you’re setting up camp in the park to watch the fireworks or taking the family to your favorite swimming pool, make sure you are proactive about protecting your hearing during the holiday. With a bit of preparation and planning, you can protect your hearing while enjoying the fun activities throughout the day and all weekend long.
Here are a few simple things you can do to protect your ears during the holiday weekend:
- Choose your parade seats wisely
- Protect your ears during water activities
- Shield your ears from the sun
- Be a smart fireworks spectator
- Practice caution at concerts
Keep reading to learn more about how you can make protecting your hearing a priority all day on the Fourth of July!
Choose your parade seats wisely
Show up early to the parade route to choose seats that give you a good view while staying cool in the shade and far enough back to protect your ears from the noises that come with the spectacle. Loud marching band music, vehicle noises, and more can take a toll on your hearing, so it’s essential to consider your location. If you are positioned on the front row, consider using earplugs or other hearing protection.
Protect your ears during water activities
It feels good to cool off on a hot summer day! Before you jump in the pool or lake or start up a water balloon fight, put in a pair of swimming earplugs to keep your ear canals comfortable and dry. Swimmer’s ear can lead to painful infections and potentially serious complications if left untreated. Luckily, these problems are easy to avoid by using protective earplugs and thoroughly drying your ears off when you’re finished. If you wear hearing aids, be sure to remove them and put them in a safe location before the water fun begins.
Shield your ears from the sun
Protecting your hearing health means looking out for the outside of your ears, as well as the insides! Wear a hat and plenty of sunscreen if you plan on being outside to help protect the skin of your ears from sunburn. If you use hearing aids, be careful while applying sunscreen since it can cause damage to your devices.
Be a smart fireworks spectator
There’s nothing like watching the night sky light up with a beautiful fireworks show, but the booming sounds and loud music can harm your hearing. Be sure to pick a professional fireworks show – these aren’t just safer than lighting off your own fireworks at home, but they’re typically set up to keep the audience a good distance from the area where the fireworks will be set off, reducing their noise exposure. Bring ear protection like earplugs or earmuffs, and be ready to move to a new spot if your location is still too loud.
Practice caution at concerts
Live music is an exciting way to celebrate the holiday, but if you typically leave a concert with ringing ears, it could be a sign that your hearing has been damaged. Make sure to bring earplugs to protect yourself while enjoying the show and take frequent breaks to a quieter area to give your ears a rest. Find more concert hearing protection tips on our blog.
These tips might seem simple, but they’re crucial for avoiding some of the most common forms of hearing damage that can occur during holiday celebrations and maintaining healthy hearing in the future.
Keep reading the CapTel blog for more holiday-related hearing health tips, including articles on communicating during holidays when you have hearing loss.
