Enjoying Every Moment: Summer Sounds and Protecting Your Hearing  

Everyone has a different idea of what summer means to them: enjoying time off from school, taking family vacations, grilling outdoors, camping, hitting the beach, getting sunburns and mosquito bites, or relaxing with a good book. No matter what your summer looks and feels like, it is likely to include at least some form of noise, at varying levels.

During Independence Day weekend, a commemorative celebration on July 4 to remember the liberation of the 13 North American colonies from Great Britain in 1776, individuals attend barbecues, concerts, and experience fireworks both close-up and in the distance. Levels of noise from summer sounds can range from faint to dangerous, with fireworks reaching to the highest levels at 140 decibels (dB). The Academy recommends hearing protection for any amount of time exposure to fireworks – to protect against noise-induced hearing loss.

Beyond the festivities of Independence Day, summer sounds often mean road work and construction noises, lawnmowers, and loud music (at concert venues and other outdoor events) all of which have the potential to cause hearing damage.

Help keep hearing health and hearing protection top of mind this summer by sharing our public resources.

• Customizable member press release for protecting your hearing during summer fireworks.
• Infographics and posters on noise levels, myths vs. facts about hearing loss, and more.