Love of the open road and the thrill of speed top the list of reasons why individuals love riding motorcycles. But this exciting hobby comes at a high risk of irreversible hearing damage for individuals who ride a lot.
The effect of motorcycle speed and riding duration on hearing health was assessed in a comprehensive study performed by a hearing protection maker in cooperation with a notable German automobile association. The conclusions were startling: bikers can suffer irreversible hearing damage after only 15 minutes of riding without earplugs at a speed of 62 mph.
What causes hearing loss in bikers?
You may not be surprised that bikers often suffer from hearing loss, but you might be surprised as to why. The greatest threat isn’t the raging engine, contrary to the common belief, it’s really the wind. The research highlighted that even though helmets offer crucial protection during crashes, they fall short in protecting a biker’s hearing. The wind noise whipping around the rider’s head isn’t reduced much even when a helmet has extra padding, vents, or other improvements.
Bikers are frequently impacted by a condition called temporary threshold shift (TTS), which is triggered by frequent exposure to excessive noise levels. The more frequently you are exposed to loud noise, the more intense your TTS symptoms will become with this progressive condition. Initially, TTS sufferers might detect minor symptoms like a temporary reduction in hearing clarity. However, over time, this condition can progress to permanent and irreversible hearing loss.
Comparing wind noise with other noise levels
The German study sheds a lot of light on just how extreme wind noise can get while riding. At 62 mph, the wind around a biker’s head produces noise levels reaching 95 decibels (dB). Workers in Europe, for instance, have to use hearing protection by law if the volume goes beyond 80 dB. Bikers are experiencing volume levels up to 19% higher than safe working environments when riding at this speed.
And the volume level only increases as the speed increases. Hearing damage can occur after just 7 minutes of riding at 74 mph which generates wind volumes of 98 dB. Other studies validate these findings, suggesting that bikers are indeed at a significant risk of hearing loss.
How to protect your hearing
The good news is, it’s easy to safeguard your hearing with earplugs. Most people are familiar with the old basic earplugs, but hearing specialists recommend the filtered versions instead. These advanced earplugs are manufactured to protect your eardrums from high-frequency noises like wind while still allowing lower frequency sounds to get in. It’s crucial for bikers to still be able to hear important sounds like human voices, emergency warning sounds, and car horns.
Furthermore, these modern earplugs allow bikers to enjoy the exhilaration of riding without feeling isolated or numb, a common downside of older protective devices. With filtered earplugs, you can continue to enjoy the thrill of the ride while protecting your hearing from the harmful effects of wind noise.
It is possible to enjoy the thrill of speed and the freedom of the open road while still keeping your hearing safe from wind noise. The wind noise created at high speeds can cause significant and permanent hearing damage in a really short time. However, with the simple addition of quality earplugs, bikers can continue to enjoy their rides while protecting their long-term hearing health.
Give us a call today to learn more about hearing protection so you can stay on top of your hearing health.