ASHA: This Summer, Protect Your Hearing Without Missing the Fun

June 3, 2026

(Rockville, MD) With a summer packed full of events and activities-World Cup matches, July 4th and America250 celebrations, music festivals, and major motorsports-the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) urges the public to take proactive steps toward protecting their own hearing.

Exposure to loud noise can cause hearing damage in minutes or even seconds. Fireworks, stadium crowds, engines, and amplified music can all exceed safe hearing limits. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 40 million adults in the United States may have hearing loss caused by noise exposure, and about one in six adolescents show signs of noise-induced hearing damage.

Ringing in the ears or muffled hearing after a loud event can be an early sign of noise-induced hearing loss, which is not reversible.

Hearing loss can have a major impact on a person's quality of life, affecting social situations, work, school, and even enjoyable activities.

"To be sure, we want the public to enjoy themselves, but we also want them to be safe. Both are possible-and easily so," said ASHA President Linda I. Rosa-Lugo, EdD, CCC-SLP. "Hearing protection can be achieved by taking just a few simple steps."

For a summer that will require hearing protection, ASHA recommends these actions:

• Keep earplugs or other hearing protection handy, and use them at concerts, fireworks shows, and motorsport events.
  
• Move away from speakers, fireworks launch areas, or racetrack barriers when possible. Every extra foot of distance can reduce the intensity of the sound.
  
• Take periodic breaks from loud settings by stepping into quieter areas, even for a few minutes, to give your ears a rest.
  
• Limit the amount of time you spend in loud environments.
• If your ears are ringing or buzzing, or if your hearing is muffled, step away from loud noise. If symptoms persist after you leave the noise, see a licensed and/or certified audiologist.

To schedule an interview with an expert, email [email protected]. For more information about noise-induced hearing loss and how to protect yourself and your family, visit helpingyoucommunicate.org.

About the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
ASHA is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for 247,000 members, certificate holders, and affiliates who are audiologists; speech-language pathologists; speech, language, and hearing scientists; audiology and speech-language pathology assistants; and students. Audiologists specialize in preventing and assessing hearing and balance disorders as well as providing audiologic treatment, including hearing aids. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) identify, assess, and treat speech, language, and swallowing disorders.