Bear with us on this one…
We all know that exposure to loud noises, particularly over time, can damage your hearing, right?
This is why noise protectors are worn by those working in noisy conditions. And why we recommend wearing earbuds if you’re at a loud concert.
But loud, potentially damaging, noise can come from the most unexpected of places.
Like the golf course.
Golfers could actually be damaging their hearing from playing the game they love.
As we said at the beginning, bear with us…
The risk is associated with the ‘sonic boom’ created by thin–faced titanium drivers. It is well documented that ‘impulse noise’ – a short-duration, high-pitched disturbance – can be equally damaging to your ears as what we commonly think of as damaging noise, like a pneumatic drill or a loud rock concert.
This was first reported in the British Medical Journal back in 2009, when a 55-year-old man went to his doctor with tinnitus and hearing loss. The probable cause was identified as being down to his using a King Cobra LD titanium driver three times a week over 18 months.
The keen golfer described the noise of the club hitting the ball as sounding “like a gun going off”, and test results showed that his hearing loss was typical of those seen with exposure to loud noises.
An audiologist with the Royal National Institute for the Deaf said at the time: “Exposure to loud impulse sounds over time can cause damage. It is a short, sharp burst of very loud peak sound with this type of golf club that can damage someone’s hearing.”
Not everyone plays golf.
But everyone should be acutely aware of the damaging noise that’s in their lives and their environments. And it may not be what you think.
If you’re worried about your exposure to noise, do get in touch and we can help. If required, we can also recommend the best noise protection devices for you.
We provide free hearing assessments in Carlton, Grantham and Southwell. And if you can’t get to us, then we’ll come to you – for no additional charge.