Love of the open road and the thrill of speed are at the top of the list of reasons why people love riding motorcycles. But this invigorating 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 manufacturer in collaboration with a notable German automobile association. The results 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 motorcyclists?
You may not be surprised that bikers frequently suffer from loss of hearing, but you may be surprised as to why. In spite of what many believe, it isn’t the motorcycle’s roaring engine but rather, the wind that poses the biggest hazard. Even though helmets provide considerable protection from injury during crashes, the research highlights that they fall short in protecting the rider’s hearing. The wind noise beating around the rider’s head isn’t decreased very much even when a helmet has extra padding, vents, or other modifications.
Bikers are often impacted by a condition called temporary threshold shift (TTS), which is triggered by regular exposure to extreme noise levels. TTS is a progressive condition, meaning the more you’re exposed to loud noises, the more intense the symptoms can get. At first, TTS sufferers might notice minor symptoms like a temporary decrease in hearing clarity. However, over time, this condition can advance to permanent and irreversible hearing loss.
Comparing wind volume with other noise levels
To understand the seriousness of wind noise while riding, the German study’s results are illuminating. At 62 mph, the wind around a biker’s head creates noise levels reaching 95 decibels (dB). Workers in Europe, for example, need to use hearing protection by law if the volume goes beyond 80 dB. Bikers are experiencing noise levels up to 19% higher than safe working environments when traveling at this speed.
And the volume level only increases as the speed goes up. At 74 mph, wind volume can reach 98 dB, a level that can cause hearing damage after only 7 minutes of exposure. Other studies validate these findings, indicating that bikers are indeed at a substantial risk of hearing loss.
How to safeguard your hearing
Luckily, it’s simple to protect your hearing with earplugs. Most people are familiar with the old basic earplugs, but hearing specialists recommend the filtered versions instead. Filtered earplugs are a more advanced model that filters out high frequencies like wind while allowing lower frequencies to get in. It’s important for bikers to still be able to hear important sounds like human voices, emergency warning sounds, and car horns.
Bikers are also able to get the complete experience of riding without feeling isolated or cut off from the outside world which can’t be said for the old traditional style. 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 substantial and irreversible hearing damage in a very short time period. However, with the basic addition of quality earplugs, bikers can continue to enjoy their rides while protecting their long-term hearing health.
Give us a call today to find out more about hearing protection so you can stay on top of your hearing health.
