Motorcycle enthusiasts frequently cite the thrill of speed and the love for the open road as the primary reasons behind their passion. However, if you’re a devoted rider, you should be aware of a substantial risk: research has connected this thrilling hobby to permanent hearing damage.
The impact of motorcycle speed and riding time on hearing health was assessed in a comprehensive study conducted by a hearing protection manufacturer in cooperation with a notable German automobile association. Alarmingly, at speeds of 62 or higher, for only 15 minutes, riders who don’t utilize hearing protection can suffer permanent hearing damage.
What causes hearing loss in motorcyclists?
You might not be surprised that bikers frequently suffer from loss of hearing, but you might be surprised as to why. Contrary to what many believe, it isn’t the motorcycle’s roaring engine but instead, the wind that poses the greatest threat. Although helmets offer considerable protection from injury during crashes, the research stresses that they fall short in safeguarding the rider’s hearing. The wind noise beating around the rider’s head isn’t reduced very much even when a helmet has extra padding, vents, or other modifications.
Bikers are frequently affected by a condition called temporary threshold shift (TTS), which is triggered by regular exposure to extreme noise levels. TTS is a progressive condition, which means the more you are exposed to loud noises, the worse the symptoms can become. At first, TTS sufferers might notice minor symptoms like a temporary reduction in hearing clarity. However, over time, this condition can advance to permanent and irreversible hearing loss.
How do other noises compare to wind noise?
To understand the seriousness of wind noise while riding, the German study’s conclusions are illuminating. The wind noise around a rider’s head can reach 95 (dB) at 62 mph. Workers in Europe, for example, need to utilize hearing protection by law if the volume goes beyond 80 dB. Bikers are enduring noise levels up to 19% higher than safe working environments when riding at this speed.
And the volume level only increases as the speed goes up. Hearing damage can happen after just 7 minutes of riding at 74 mph which produces wind volumes of 98 dB. Many studies confirm that bikers are indeed at significant risk of permanent hearing loss.
Safeguarding your ears
Thankfully, protecting your hearing while riding is both easy and effective: use earplugs. Hearing specialists strongly recommend using filtered earplugs, which are far superior to the old, uncomfortable versions most people are familiar with. These sophisticated earplugs are designed to safeguard your eardrums from high-pitched noises like wind while still allowing lower frequency sounds to penetrate. This means you can hear crucial sounds like sirens, horns, and human speech, which are vital for a biker’s safety.
Furthermore, these modern earplugs allow bikers to enjoy the exhilaration of riding without feeling cut off or numb, a common disadvantage of older protective devices. You can safeguard your ears from harmful wind noise while still enjoying the thrill of the ride by using filtered earplugs.
While the passion for motorcycling is powered by the allure of speed and freedom, it’s important to recognize and mitigate the associated risks to your hearing. Significant and permanent hearing damage can be caused by the noise of wind at high speeds. But bikers can safeguard their long-term hearing while still enjoying the ride by simply using a set of quality earplugs.
Give us a call today to learn more about hearing protection so you can stay on top of your hearing health.
