Your summer hearing health checklist
Summer has a sound all its own; the splash of a pool, the opening chords at an outdoor concert, the crackle of fireworks, or the buzz of a lawnmower on a Saturday morning. It’s a season built around being outside, being loud, and making memories.
It’s also a season that quietly puts your hearing, and your hearing aids, to the test. Between concerts, fireworks, water, sweat, and heat, summer activities introduce a range of risk factors that most people never think twice about.
The good news? None of it requires sitting out this summer. A few simple habits can protect the hearing you have and the technology that helps you use it. Consider this your seasonal reminder list.
Why summer is different
Most hearing damage doesn’t happen all at once. Instead, it builds gradually through repeated exposure to loud sounds over time. Even below 85 decibels (equivalent to the sound of a hair dryer, garbage disposal, or heavy traffic noise), some people can experience hearing damage, and that risk varies based on genetics, age, and lifestyle.1 Summer simply puts more of those risky decibel levels in your path, back to back, week after week.
At the same time, hearing aids face their own seasonal stress test. Sweat and humidity can interfere with how hearing aids function, especially during outdoor activity.2 Pools, beaches, sweat, sunscreen, and hot cars all pose a real risk that’s easy to overlook in the moment.
Here’s what to keep in mind as the temperature climbs:
Concerts, fireworks & loud events
Outdoor concerts and fireworks shows are summer staples and unfortunately two of the loudest things most people will experience all year.
Know the numbers. A normal conversation measures around 60 decibels, but rock concerts, nightclubs, and similar venues regularly reach 95 to 115 decibels; levels that are loud enough to cause some hearing loss after just a few minutes.3 Fireworks are even more intense, registering between 140 and 160 decibels, a level that can cause lasting damage from a single burst.3
Reminders for safer events:
• Pack earplugs. Affordable foam earplugs, kept in your bag, car, or on a keychain, make it easy to protect your ears on the spot.4
• Keep your distance. The further away you are from the speakers or the fireworks themselves, the lower your risk.4
• Give your ears a break. Step away from the noise for about ten minutes every hour to let your ears recover.4
• Watch for warning signs. Needing to shout to be heard at arm’s length, or ringing that lingers afterward, are both cues that the volume was too high.1
Pool, beach & water activities
Water and hearing aids don't usually mix, but a few precautions make it easy to enjoy the water while keeping your hearing aids safe. .
Reminders before you dive in:
• Remove hearing aids before swimming. Unless your devices are specially designed to be highly water-resistant, it’s best to avoid direct water exposure altogether.2
• Use a dry, shaded spot for storage. A case tucked in a bag and out of direct sun protects against both water and heat.
• Give your hearing aids a once-over before reinserting them. Check that the microphone and receiver ports are dry and clear of any sand or debris before putting devices back in.
• If they do get wet, act fast. Power them off, gently dry them with a cloth, and place them in a dehumidifier or drying box as soon as possible.2
Heat, sweat & hot cars
Summer heat is hard on hearing aids in ways that aren’t always obvious.
Reminders to beat the heat:
• Never leave your hearing aids in a parked car. Heat and direct sun exposure can be just as risky for devices as moisture is.
• Stick to a simple end-of-day routine. A quick wipe-down with a soft, dry cloth at the end of each day keeps sweat and oils from building up over time.
• Apply sunscreen and bug spray first. Letting these products absorb into your skin before inserting your hearing aids can prevent residue from affecting your device’s components.
• Use a dehumidifier nightly if able. Drying boxes draw out any moisture that accumulated during the day, which is especially helpful during humid summer weeks.2
Yard work & everyday noise
Some of summer’s loudest moments don’t always come from a stage, but from your own backyard.
Reminders for routine summer noise:
• Treat mowers and trimmers like any other loud tool. Lawn equipment and similar machinery can reach noise levels capable of causing hearing loss after as little as an hour of use.1
• Make hearing protection part of your yard routine. Pair earplugs with the rest of your lawn care gear, like safety glasses or gloves, so protecting your ears becomes automatic, not an afterthought.
• Watch the volume on long drives. Headphones and car audio systems can reach up to 110 decibels at maximum volume, which is loud enough to cause hearing damage in just a few minutes.¹
Protecting what matters most
Summer is meant to be heard; pool days, cookouts, concerts, and time with family outdoors. For the millions of Americans living with untreated hearing loss, those moments can be harder to access, often because the cost of hearing care stands in the way.
Through its Gift of Sound® program, the Miracle-Ear Foundation provides hearing aids and comprehensive hearing care, including fittings and follow-up appointments, at no cost to individuals who qualify. Since 1990, the Foundation has helped more than 31,000 people reconnect with the sounds of everyday life.
Help someone rediscover the joy of hearing - donate to the Gift of Sound program today.
Know someone who could use this checklist before their next concert or pool day? Please send them this resource.
References
1. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. (2025). How Loud Is Too Loud? https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/how-loud-too-loud
2. Center for Hearing and Communication. (2024). Summer Tips for Protecting Hearing Devices from Sweat and Humidity. https://www.chchearing.org/post/summer-tips-hearing-aids-cochlear-implant-dry
3. World Health Organization. (2026). Deafness and Hearing Loss: Safe Listening. https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/deafness-and-hearing-loss-safe-listening
4. Boys Town National Research Hospital. (2025). 4th of July Hearing Tips. https://www.boystownhospital.org/knowledge-center/fireworks-hearing-loss
