What did you say?
By Coach Doug Garcia
Many of you may know that I wear hearing aids, but for some this will be a surprise. I’ve worn them for about eight years, and while I am not fond of wearing them, they do provide hearing assistance. Many people ask, “Why are you wearing them? You’re so young.” I can’t pinpoint a particular instance of hearing damage, I think it is years of loud headphones, loud concerts (though not as many as some of my schoolmates), loud woodworking equipment, and… swimming.
I have no evidence to prove that swimming damaged my ears. In addition, I came to the sport relatively late in life, so I don’t have all those miles that many of you logged in high school or college. I have noticed that swimming is a relatively noisy sport, from indoor pools with kids yelling, to all that splashing and bubble blowing in the water, and I notice my ears take a beating in the pool environment either on deck or in the water. I, like many swimmers, also have had my fair share of ear infections. According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology, “untreated chronic ear infections can lead to conductive hearing loss.” I’ve certainly had times where I’ve had some ear discomfort and waved it off, and now wonder if I was damaging my ears.
As a result from my hearing loss, my sense of ear safety has risen. A little late I know, but I want to save all the hearing I have. Now in the woodshop I am careful to use hearing protection. Mary and I try to avoid loud concerts and environments, and while swimming I wear earplugs. I wear the earplugs for three reasons. The first is to shield my ears from pool noise. Notice the next time you swim, when your hand enters the water, how you hear the splash of water. Over the years I have had some splashes that made my ears ring, and I am not considered an overly splashy swimmer. The second reason is to keep water out of my ears. We know water that sits in the inner ear can build up bacteria and lead to infection. Finally, I wear my earplugs in open water to keep the un-chlorinated water out of my ear—who knows what’s in that water—and to keep cold water out. Cold water inside the ear can affect your body temperature (see last month’s article).
I hope that all of you consider your ear safety. I tell my two teenagers to turn down the music, and the look I get is, “yeah, it’s not going to hurt me old man.” While it may not hurt you today, over the long haul, protecting your ears is important. Consider wearing ear plugs while you swim; it might help preserve your hearing for many years to come.
Learn more about hearing loss at the American Academy of Otolaryngology