When you are cutting trees or undertaking lawn mowing, one of the challenges you have to deal with is loud noises that put you at the risk of suffering from noise-induced hearing loss. The cool thing is that there are a number of things you can do to protect yourself from the noise. Some of these things include:

Reduce the volume

Everything begins here. Whether you are using a reel mower or the regular mower, you need to keep the volume down. The cool thing is that modern machines come with a feature that allows you to even completely silence the lawn mowing machine.

Some people like mowing while wearing earphones. Watch out as they can lead to hearing loss. The rule of thumb is to ensure that you can hear the outside noises when you are wearing the earphones.

Wear protection

If you have tried reducing the volume of the lawn mower, but the volume is still high, you should take measures to control the noise by wearing hearing protection. You can wear earplugs, headphones for mowing, ear canals, or any other pieces that you might like.

When you are buying the pieces, ensure that they are of high quality. You also should ensure that they are the right size. The last thing you want are uncomfortable pieces that keep on falling off.

For the hearing protection devices to last for a long time, you need to take good care of them. This calls for you to clean them regularly. You also should avoid placing the units in compromising situations where they can be damaged, leading to inefficiency.

Avoid using cotton buds

When you have been mowing the lawn the entire day, it’s common to feel dirty and you may have the urge to clean the ears. Most people run to cotton buds when their ears get dirty. Don’t do this. Experts report that cotton buds cause ear infections that can lead to hearing loss.

You should note that ears are self-cleaning; therefore, you should avoid putting things inside them. The only part you should clean are the outsides—leave the insides for nature to take care of it.

Lead a healthy life

Did you know that you can prevent hearing loss by leading a healthy lifestyle? When you get enough exercise, by engaging in cardio or weight lifting exercises, you improve blood supply to the ears, which is good for your hearing.

Undertake regular inspections

Protecting your ears from the noisy environment isn’t enough—you also need to have your ears inspected regularly. As someone who spends a lot of time with noisy machines, you should have your ears inspected at least once a year.

All you need to do is to visit an experienced ear doctor who will perform a battery of tests aimed at determining how compromised your hearing is. If there is a problem with your ears and the problem is identified early, it’s easy to fix it.

Take breaks

How big is your backyard? If it’s big, you will be doing lawn mowing for hours, which is unhealthy for your ears. Even if you are wearing headphones for mowing the lawn, you still need to take some time off from the lawn so that you can relieve your ears from the noise.

The rule of thumb is to step away from the lawn mower for ten minutes for every one hour you have been working.

Be cautious of the warning signs

Many people that have been diagnosed with noise-induced hearing loss report that they always had signs for it, but ignored them. Don’t do this. One tell-tale sign that you are in trouble is having to struggle to hear what the other people are saying.

If you notice you can’t hear well, you should immediately visit an ear doctor who will advise you on what you should do.