Hearing Protection Tips for Fall

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As the leaves begin to change, we encourage you to consider changing your hearing healthcare habits, too. Several autumn activities can cause noise-induced hearing loss without proper hearing protection, but you may not even be aware of the risks. People of all ages should take extra precautions to protect their ears from damage during fun fall activities.

Prolonged exposure to the sounds of leaf blowers, power tools, motorized vehicles, sporting events and concerts can all lead to irreversible hearing damage. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to keep your ears safe and prevent permanent hearing loss.

Leave the leaf blowing to the professionals.

Leaf blowers become a necessity once fall is in full swing, but they represent an extreme noise hazard and are better left to the professionals. The sound produced by some leaf blowers at close range can cause permanent hearing damage in fewer than 15 minutes. If you aren’t willing to hire a professional landscaper to do the work, consider replacing older models of leaf blowers with newer models that offer reduced decibel output. Even the quietest leaf blowers available will gradually damage your ears, so always wear quality or custom earplugs during yard work.

Realize the risks of football season.

In stadiums across America, football fans are gearing up for another fun season of competition. There’s no better way to support your team than cheering wildly with fellow fans at a live event, but there’s also no better way to permanently damage your hearing. Any sound over 85 dB should be considered potentially dangerous, and noise over 120 dB is known to cause instant hearing loss. Last year, Kansas City Chiefs fans set a new record for loudest stadium at 142.2 dB—that’s louder than a gunshot, jet engine or fireworks. Whether you’re attending a high school, college or professional game, earplugs are essential to your hearing safety.

Talk to your audiologist about hearing protection.

Your audiologist can help you find a solution for protecting your hearing that fits your lifestyle. Options for protecting your hearing without compromising your performance are available for a wide range of activities. From specialty musician’s plugs that let you hear the notes risk-free to hunter’s plugs that enhance ambient noise while protecting your hearing from gunshots and explosions, a solution exists for all activities and lifestyles.

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Jody Vaynshtok

Jody is a California-licensed speech language pathologist with eight years of industry and clinical experience. She has worked with both adult and pediatric populations during her time at private practice, birth-to-three, and hospital facilities. She is experienced in the assessment and treatment of a variety of communication and cognitive disorders. In addition, Jody has a passion for working with adults looking to achieve clearer communication. Jody received her BS in Speech and Hearing Sciences and MS in Medical Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Washington. She was a part of the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford’s cleft and craniofacial clinic participating in the multidisciplinary assessment and treatment of children born with craniofacial abnormalities. She holds a staff position at UCSF and is the lead speech language pathologist for the department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery’s Hearing Loss Clinic. When she's not busy having fun with her clients Jody enjoys spending time with her husband, Anton, friends and family. And if she's not headed out somewhere fun for dinner, you might find her at Bar Method working out!