Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Motorcycle Safety and Awareness
Welcome to think bike, the podcast about all things motorcycle and the voice of motorcycle safety and awareness in Alberta. Your host is Liane Langlois.
Liane:Hey, everybody. Welcome back to another episode of think bike. This week, I'm super excited because this has been a bona contention topic between myself and our producer, Bryn Griffiths, on a few different catch up episodes. And it's all about hearing and protecting your hearing. And we are joined by Carrie Weisgerber of Here in Edmonton to talk a bit about why this is so important.
Liane:Welcome to the show today.
Kari:Thank you. Thanks for inviting me and having me talk about this very important topic for me.
Liane:Yeah. No. And I mean, in our community, this is a big one. And then for Brynn and I, we've had a few discussions that you might be able to solve some mysteries for me so I can say I won, but we'll see how that is. First of all, can you tell me a bit about who Carrie is and what got you into this whole hearing industry?
Kari:I started in this industry about twenty seven years ago, and I had experienced I used to work in childcare, and there was a little fellow there that had a hearing loss, severe hearing loss. He had somebody hired to work with him, and he didn't like her. He liked me. And so I had to learn really quickly how to look after him and his FM system and hearing aids. And, you know, he I was his go to person.
Kari:I was his comfort zone. But it gave me a really interesting introduction into the hearing world. And then when I decided on a career, it it kinda just struck home for me and it made sense and it was something that I became very passionate about.
Liane:That's awesome. You find that thing that just gets you up every day and gives back to community. It does. Yeah. So we're going to sort of jump into this, but not fully, but like why is the general overview of why is protecting your hearing so important?
Kari:Number one, once you've lost your hearing, you cannot get it back. It's not something that regenerates. You can't recover it. Once the damage is done, it's permanent. And unfortunately, we all age.
Kari:As we add aging to ourselves, the damage that was done in our early years takes a bigger toll as we we get older. So it kind of makes it worse in the bigger picture if we've damaged our ears in our younger years.
Liane:So going to see Motley Crue at the age of 15 in a stadium problem. That was the start of the problems I'm probably experiencing now, which you know, I just, I got asked like before we came on and started recording, I was asked about, you pronounce it differently and I say tinnitus, but I think you say tinnitus.
Kari:Tinnitus or tinnitus, both are 100% acceptable.
Liane:So help me explain that to people what that is because I'm experiencing that. I believe I'm experiencing that. So can you help me understand what that is, what may have caused that and what I need to do?
Kari:So there's a long list of things that can potentially cause that. If you've ever your concert that you were at, if you've ever come out of a concert like that and you're feeling a little muffled and hearing a ringing in your ears, you've done some damage and it can have a chain reaction. So I think it's important to know tinnitus or tinnitus is is not really a thing on its own. It's a side effect of something else. It's damage to our hearing.
Kari:It's medications. It's a reaction to stress, lack of sleep, hormones. There's such a long, long list. I have it. Mine was caused by surgery.
Kari:I was under anesthetic for a very long time, and I woke up with ringing in my ears and it's never left me. And so I wear hearing aids now and it helps kind of counteract the effects of tinnitus. And it's very effective for me.
Liane:So you describe it as rigging. I get what sounds like static. Yep. Is that the same thing?
Kari:It is the same thing. And there's such a variety of sounds. Some people will hear cricket, some people will hear music. You I have an ocean sound, like a high pitched ocean static humming. Like, it's kinda like putting my my ear to a conch.
Kari:That's very similar to what mine sounds like. And it's in both ears and it's louder than I'm speaking.
Liane:That oh, I really need to come see you to figure out what this is because right now it's just in my left ear and it's like a static and it doesn't last long, but it and it's
Kari:not You can have short intervals of it, but it's the you know, mine's there twenty four seven. I live with it constantly, and some people do. And it can be quite overwhelming, emotional. It can have a a huge reaction in our lives. And and unfortunately, there's a lot of a lot of being told there's nothing that can help, and that's just not true.
Kari:There are lots of things that can help, and we just kinda have to take a bit of a deep dive with some people and find what works for them. And no two people are ever the same, and we have to work with an individual first to determine if we can figure out why it's there. Is there something going on that we need to refer and deal with? And if there isn't, what can we do to make our lives work with it and not against it? And and how to make our daily living better?
Liane:Yeah, that quality of life. Exactly. Yeah, no fixing it, but solutions to help live. Perfect. Very much so.
Liane:So in our community, in the motorcycle world, there's a lot of people out there that ride with half helmets. There's people like there's people that ride with a whole bunch of different things that I'm not sure your ears are at the top of thought when getting out there. What should like basics of what should our community do to protect our hearing? Just like those basics.
Kari:It's never too late to start first of all. If you haven't been protecting your hearing to date, start now. It's not too late. You know, we don't wanna add even more damage as time goes on. So first and foremost, protection.
Kari:And we have such a great variety of ear protection now and communication molds. And, you know, depending on the style of helmet and the the shape of your ears and how you're you're addressing that or if you need the communication molds, there are so many great technologies out there and great ways to make it so that you're you are protected and not uncomfortable. We make custom ones that fit only your ears. So we actually take an impression of your ear that's only fit to you. We could do them very low profile.
Kari:So for those that have helmets that come down over their ears, a lot of a lot of my bikers will complain that it it's uncomfortable, but if we do a low profile or an ITC, which is it stands for in the canal, so we're not touching the the full pinna, we're we're kinda keeping it in a very specific area, then they're very comfortable.
Liane:And that's just like ear plugs or is there anything more to it? It's just like a protection in
Kari:that? A protection. Yeah. And you can have filtered where you still get some communication abilities or if you're off the bike or if you're, you know, not around any of the noise, you hear quite close to normal. And then if there is noise, it reacts to it's their sound pressure activated.
Kari:So the more noise there is, the more solid they become and then you're safe.
Liane:Is that that little filter that goes And in and so I guess when it gets loud, it's like, oh, we gotta close-up? Exactly. That's that's cool. Because I've seen custom molded earplugs that have, like, I've seen that little filter and I'm like, that's the coolest thing ever, but I never understood that's how it worked.
Kari:Well, a lot of people, when there is no noise, they don't wanna be completely plugged and they don't wanna be popping them in and out. This allows them to still be able to communicate. They're not cut off from the world, but when they need the protection, it's there.
Liane:There are people out there that use a little foam ones, like that you stick into your ear. Can you tell me if those are
Kari:effective? They can be if they're inserted properly. And that gets to be where the challenge is, is some people don't get them in deep enough to be effective or they're popping out or they're from a sanitary issue, I get concerned with those because they're rolling them in their fingers to squish them tight and shoving them in the ears. We have a higher risk of ear infections. Where the custom ones, we know they're sitting in a good place.
Kari:It can be verified how effective they are. And they're, you know, easy to clean. You can use wipes on them, clean them before you put them in their ears so they're much safer for you.
Liane:Yeah. I think that the technology has come a long way since the days of just having those little little foamies available and Very much.
Kari:So.
Liane:And then And I find most people don't put
Kari:them deep enough, and and they find them uncomfortable. And if they've got tiny ears, the foamies stretch out so much, and then it becomes even more uncomfortable, and you don't wanna leave them in very long. And if you do need to talk to somebody, you're popping them out and it's just inconvenient.
Liane:My tiny ears, I think I've never ever been able to put them in so they stay in. That's my problem is because I'm terrified of shoving something so far into my ears that I wreck them. Is that a possibility? It is if you
Kari:get it too too deep or if you do have earwax or something in your ears already and now you're shoving this too deep into your ears. You do run some risks. So it's better to have us know what's going on inside your ears and you can't see inside your ears. It's I can.
Liane:Yeah. Really, I can't. It's physically impossible. What about wearing earbuds or like headphones? So there's a lot of people that will use corded headphones and put them in even if they have a full face helmet or like in ears that are Bluetooth, calm systems that you can get in helmets now.
Liane:What is your opinion on that?
Kari:Potentially, they can be fantastic. However, I I see a lot of my people that still keep the volume too high. And if they're doing a long ride, duration is part of the equation. So it's not only how loud it is, it's how long you're riding and how long you're exposed to those sounds. So if you're keeping a lot of volume in your ears for a long period of time, you're still putting your ears at risk.
Kari:Know, at 85 decibels, you can spend eight hours in noise, but for every three decibels that you drop, it cuts that in half. So at 88 decibels, you only get four hours. At 91 decibels, you only get two hours and so on and so on. So it doesn't take much to hit that 100 decibel decibel area and you're in minutes versus, you know, being able to spend a long time without damage.
Liane:I'm gonna come back to that decibel thing in a minute because there's a whole nother topic on that. But going back to in your professional opinion, and this is where some of the debate is. Do you think playing music at any level is healthy to do while riding a motorcycle. The argument is for me, it keeps me focused and to have some noise in my ears and other people may think that that's irresponsible for playing music while you're operating a motorcycle. And I don't know if that's fully hearing related or if it's neurologically with your hearing or something going on with that, but do you have any input on that?
Kari:It would depend on the device you're using and whether it's actually reducing the noise impact from the bike and the wind, or are you just adding to it with music on top of the noise? So if it's doing a great job of reducing noise and then you're adding some music in, and I would take advantage of the technology in a lot of our if you're streaming through your phone to use your your music, take advantage of the technology and set a limit. Don't allow it to go above the 80 decibels. Keep it below a certain point where you know you're protected as long as you also have the noise canceling available in it. So it's a it's a kind of a challenge for us in the industry too because we appreciate that people do want music.
Kari:You know, they do wanna have some enjoyment from that or communication with others and and be able to do that, but we still have to be cognizant of how loud is it really. And if you're having to raise that volume of your AirPods or music or anything that you've got in your ears over the volume to be heard over top of the noise around you, you're you're still in the same boat. Still at risk.
Liane:Yeah. No. I hear you on that. Oh, Hey, no pun intended. Yeah, I was just thinking like, I know there's some people that have like their full face helmet, they have a calm system in and they still use ear plugs into their ears, which apparently allows them to hear the speakers on their comm system better.
Kari:Yes.
Liane:And maybe that volume then doesn't have to be so loud.
Kari:And that would be the key. We've the whole key is keeping that volume at a manageable level, a comfortable level, and below the level that can damage.
Liane:So when I get off my bike and sometimes I pull out my phone and my phone says, you've been in a loud environment, Maybe I need to turn that down a
Kari:bit. Might need to take that down a notch or two. Yes.
Liane:I mean, there's some days I like it a little louder than others, but I'm usually can still hear traffic around me and the sound of my motorcycle, which makes it a little deceiving that I would still get the you're in a loud environment notification, but I guess it is still too loud.
Kari:Well and if you think about it, if you've ever been in your vehicle or on your bike towards the end of the day, and that's it's a little harder to do this on a bike, but for people that are in a car, I've had many times I go to get in my car in the morning and my radio is super loud. We do need more volume as our day goes on. The more tired we are, our we just naturally crave more input. And, you know, we're we're needing more stimulus to have the same effect because we're drained. We've had, you know, brain overload all day.
Kari:We've had cognitive overload, and we need more stimulation to kind of have the same effects on us. So there's a fine line too between am I protected or am I tired and I feel the need for more volume? And it's hard to understand and know what that limit is at times. So it can become a problem.
Liane:Going back to the decibels and that was such a great breakdown of like, as the decibels increase, the more damage you're doing in less time brings me to the very extra loud motorcycles.
Kari:Very loud.
Liane:Music is one thing, music in your ears or wind noise that rumble from some of the louder motorcycles that we see out there. Out of the three, what do you think is the most damaging or is it pretty equal?
Kari:I would say it's pretty equal, especially if they're combining, you know, a little bit of everything. You're really asking for trouble at that point. You know, a good indicator that damage has been done or that you're in that you've had too much noise is ringing in the ears. That's a that's a big indicator. You know, you go into a hockey game or somewhere loud and you come out and your ears are ringing.
Kari:You've been exposed to too much sound. Your brain is telling you. You know, I look at tinnitus or tinnitus as the check engine light for our brain. It's telling you something isn't right. And it's a matter of what did you do?
Kari:What can you do? Where do you need to make some changes? And listen to that information, you know, be cognizant of it and take heed to it when it happens.
Liane:Yeah, we're doing some podcasts lately that are all about listening to what your body is saying and getting things checked out. So aside from like tinnitus, what are some of the other signs that maybe you shouldn't ignore?
Kari:One of the number one things that as we've had damage to our hearing, one of the things that we lose a lot of is the ability to understand speech in noise. So if you've gone to a restaurant, even people with so called normal hearing, you know, maybe aren't registering some actual loss on the charts, but their brain is starting to have trouble processing what people are saying when there's a lot of competing noise around them. And so we get a lot of people coming in going, I am just I'm struggling. I I get into a noisy environment. I have a restaurant noise.
Kari:I have car noise around me. I have other things going on, and I can't make out what people are saying. So that's a big kind of a red flag for us when people are coming in complaining of that. And unfortunately, hearing loss in general has a risk to our cognitive ability, and we see a higher risk of dementia and Alzheimer's because of the damage to our ears and not treating it and not stimulating the brain. So it certainly has long range effects if ignoring those signs.
Liane:Okay. So we talked about the ambient noise being a problem for people not being able to hear anything. There's something I've been experiencing lately, and I wonder if it might be attached to my hearing and not someone else's because I sometimes seem to be the common denominator where people aren't understanding what I'm saying. Could my speech level or clarity in my speech be affected based on if my hearing is suffering?
Kari:Often when people have a hearing loss themselves, they tend to speak very loudly or they will have a distinct difference, somebody that's missing certain areas of speech. Like, we have some people with a severe severe high frequency hearing loss don't hear s's and f's anymore, and therefore they don't say them. And so they because they're not hearing them themselves and they lose some of their own clarity. And it would require me to test your ears to see what's happening, but it certainly would be a good reason to get a hearing test and find out if there's anything happening there. Often, if we have sinus issues, colds, congestion, we'll hear ourselves differently.
Kari:And sometimes we feel like we're shouting as we talk very softly because we're we're not we're hearing ourselves too much internally and we drop our voices. So there's a lot of ways that that can impact your voice specifically. But again, without doing a full hearing test, that would be our key factor to find out if there's anything any red flags popping up there.
Liane:Yeah. And that that's why I'm wondering if it's me, if I'm just, like, thinking I'm going to be yelling, but I so I soften myself and it's yeah. It'd be interesting. I I think I need to come in and and get some get something checked for sure. When is it too late?
Kari:It's never too late. It's never too late. You know, whether it's the damage is there, maybe it's there and we can't fix that or or stop that, but we can certainly treat the damage that is there. Hearing loss left untreated, the long term side effects are so prevalent and the research and the studies are showing and information is there that if we leave it and don't treat it and unfortunately, the longer we leave it, the harder it gets, but it can be done. It's just it becomes more work on on the person with the hearing loss.
Kari:They really have to commit to being making the changes and understanding the change and helping themselves and go through the process. And the longer you leave it, the harder it gets. If you think of, you know, our brains, if we don't have the sound for a very long time, it's it gets lazy or or is unable to even handle those sounds anymore. And I put them back, and some people are just not able to cope with the sound being back that they've been missing for so long. It's like putting a cast on an arm and not using that muscle, it gets weaker.
Kari:If you think about your brain and your ears the same way, if you're not using the sounds that you should be using, it can get weaker. And again, those treatments and trying to fix that becomes a greater challenge for everybody.
Liane:It's like an atrophy in your ears.
Kari:Exactly. Yeah. Either use it or lose it, and we do need to use those sounds. And once once our brain starts to have trouble understanding those sounds, when we test hearing, we're testing not only your middle ear function and how well your eardrums are moving, we're testing the cochlea where all the hair cells are and is that sound getting there, But we are also testing your brain. Is your brain processing the sound that it's getting?
Kari:So there can be a disconnect anywhere along that chain, and the brain is the hardest one. We we don't hear with our ears. The hears are just the the way to get the sound to our brain. Our brains need to process everything, and it needs to understand what it's getting. And so if there's a disconnect, if if we need more volume, we've gotta give it more volume.
Kari:But at times, if the brain no longer even processes those words, then we really have a battle and a challenge once that starts to happen. If you've ever met somebody quite a bit older wearing hearing aids and they still don't understand a word you're saying, you know, they may have some disability that has reached the brain and it's not getting the signal to the brain anymore. That auditory processing has now become compromised. And that's really challenging to fix.
Liane:And that makes complete sense to me in like the if you don't use it, you lose it type of thing. How often should somebody get their hearing tested?
Kari:Definitely annually if you're exposed to noise without doubt. And if you notice a change, if things are all of a sudden gotten worse, you don't want to leave that. The early intervention and treatment is so important. So sudden changes in hearing, definitely ASAP, but annual testing and monitoring for those changes. And if there is damage, protection, protection, protection and treatment.
Liane:I know where I once worked at a truck body manufacturing plant and part of our health and safety plan was to do annual hearing tests and make sure that our guys were tested annually to figure out if there's any loss going and then, you know, put in some PPE to help with that. Motorcycle riders, I'm assuming especially the more music, loud music or loud pipes that there is, they'd probably fall under that should go every year.
Kari:Absolutely. That And unfortunately, the onus is on them to get it done. No, generally hearing tests are not covered. Yeah. You know, we don't charge crazy amounts.
Kari:We want people to come in, but, know, it's so important. You do sometimes have benefits. And if your benefits or your work benefits or or health spending accounts, all of those are certainly ways that we try to help people get coverage and and make sure they have the appropriate documents they need for that.
Liane:Yeah. Absolutely. And I know in most plans, hearing aids are covered to some Quite often. Yes. Yeah.
Kari:Depending on the plans.
Liane:Absolutely. And speaking of hearing aids, what do we say to those people who are just like, I don't need those. You know, when I have one friend and God bless him. His poor wife has to sit there and constantly explain everything that's going on. And then you can see the frustration that he's missing things and it's like, it'd be so much easier if you just got hearing aids.
Liane:But I think sometimes, and yes, it's male, female, There's no gender in this. Pride can get in the way. What do you say to those people? For me, it's a quality of life thing. But as an expert
Kari:can't. But often the person with the hearing loss generally is the last to know. Often those around them are the ones that are more aware of it because, you know, if you think about it, if you have a hearing loss and you haven't heard it the first two times, you're getting it the first time even though they've said it now three times and had to raise their voices. And, you know, it's exhausting for the people around you as well. So it's twofold.
Kari:The person with the hearing loss, it's exhausting. And and I can say that because I have a hearing loss, and I have ringing in my ears, and I wear hearing aids. And it is exhausting. And if you're not hearing, I find it so much easier. If I if I don't if I've had it where I've forgotten to put my hearing aids in and I get out in my day and I I'm way tireder, let's say, if that's a word.
Liane:We're gonna we're gonna make it a word if it's make it a word today.
Kari:Yeah. But I am far more exhausted at an end of a day by not wearing them. When I have to fight my ringing in my ears, I have to fight what I'm hearing. I can't imagine not treating it, I guess, is is a thought that I have on my end of it. But then I can imagine for everybody around me too, my TV's louder, I'm missing conversations, I'm asking for repeats.
Kari:It gets frustrating for everybody.
Liane:Yeah. It would be. And I did there is the other side of it where somebody I used to work with a long time ago when he got his hearing aids, he got fancy schmancy in ear once that had a remote control on it and he's like, my wife starts talking, I just turn it down. You know? So there is that side of it.
Kari:It is handy to have control. You know, a mute is a wonderful thing.
Liane:I mean, I'm sure the day that I get into hearing aids, I'm going to very much enjoy the mute function of it.
Kari:And I love the streaming ability. I love the fact that I can like, I listen to audiobooks a lot through mine. It helps with the ringing. It's a distraction if I'm having a bad day. You know, it's ways it's one of the coping strategies that some people utilize, alternate sounds.
Kari:And sorry. You may hear a puppy crying in the background there. He's being restless. Don't even worry about it.
Liane:I know when my mom got her hearing aids, that was the one thing that was first in was connecting Bluetooth to her phone. So anytime I call, she answers on her hearing aids.
Kari:It's fantastic. I'm I'm hands free when I'm working and walking and talking. I'm I'm I get to utilize the technology. And technology is a wonderful thing, and there's some great things coming. Like, if you've heard of Oracast, Marty is very into Oracast.
Kari:And Oracast is something that we're in the industry really excited about. It allows streaming. Imagine at an airport, how often is it difficult to hear the the information over the PA systems with all the other noise around and plane noise? You'd be able to scan a QR code and hear that notification directly in your ears for your specific gauge and not miss notifications. You go to symphony or a movie and be able to scan it and have it stream directly into your ears at your appropriate levels with your appropriate hearing already taken care of so that you can hear as clearly as possible.
Kari:So there's some wonderful technology things that are out there and coming, and, you know, it gets us very excited about it in the industry. We we have a lot of really cool things that we get to access and play with and help people with. And I'm always surprised. It's it's usually the big guys that fall the hardest, and I I've had many of them I put hearing aids on the first time, and they're so emotional. They cry.
Kari:They don't realize the impact it was having, and they they, you know, they've toughed it out, and all of a sudden, they get that sound back and the emotion just floods. And it the big guys fall the hardest and it it happens often, and they don't realize until that moment that they were struggling harder than they realized.
Liane:Yeah. I know with my mom, given that she lives in Saskatchewan, so the the most of our conversations have been on the phone and the difference in like no frustration in her conversation now that she has hearing aids versus what it was before. And I can imagine how frustrating it was for her because I know how frustrating it is for me to try and have a conversation with someone who can't hear me or understand me.
Kari:Well, loss disconnects you from people. You know, we're people, we're meant to be with people. That's our makeup. And hearing loss will disconnect you from people.
Liane:So at the end of the day, I guess our message to our community and the motorcycle community, what would be the number one message from you as the expert in this field?
Kari:It's never too late to protect. It's never too late to make some positive impact and and help yourself and to take those steps to do what you need to do, especially those that are new coming into riding bikes. Start early. Take care of it now. You'll you'll appreciate it in the long run.
Kari:But for those that have been biking for a long time, take care of it. Still come see us. There are still things that can be done to make sure that we prepare for the most that we can.
Liane:And Carrie's clinic here in Edmonton is called Here in Edmonton. I did not mean to do that twice. It's just how it comes out. H e a r, website here in edmonton.com or .ca. Right?
Liane:Both. Yeah. Both. Oh, both. Look at you.
Liane:Both will
Kari:get you there. Okay.
Liane:Exactly. No matter where you are in the province, look up a local hearing establishment and get your hearing checked and make sure that you're living life to your fullest so you can hear what's going on around you. I guess the verdict is in, music is okay at a reasonable level, sorry Brent. But we'll go from there. Carrie, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us about this.
Liane:It's such an important thing. I don't think people don't really realize it And I appreciate your expertise on this topic. I
Kari:appreciate coming on today and I hope I've helped somebody.
Liane:Oh, definitely me for sure. All right, everybody hang tight for the mail or the, oh, again, I do this every time, Carrie. You think I'd know how to run my own podcast. Hang tight for the mixed bag, everyone.
Leroy:Hey. This is Leroy with another helpful tip from Moto Instincts. When you first start riding a motorcycle, the sense of danger is obvious. Being exposed, speeding vehicles, and whipping wind make you feel vulnerable, and that sparks fear. It sharpens your senses, keeps you alert to danger, and reminds you of the real risks.
Leroy:For new riders, this fear is intense because everything is new. But as you rack up miles without crashes or close calls, your brain starts dialing it back. It's trying to save energy and reduce stress, so it mutes the fear response over time. For motorcyclists, danger doesn't vanish just because you've gotten used to it. There are always hazards nearby.
Leroy:If you let fear slip away, you risk turning complacent or careless, traits that can spell disaster on two wheels. Threats don't announce themselves. They blindside you. It could be encountering gravel mid corner, a driver cutting you off, a loose load spilling onto the highway, or an animal darting onto the road. Luckily, there is an easy fix to keep our senses keen.
Leroy:Maintain low levels of fear by riding like there's a target on your back. It's not about paranoia. It's about staying vigilant. Stay alert, anticipate the worst, and ride like your survival depends on it because it does. That's it for this week.
Leroy:Make sure you visit us at motoinstincts.com for more information. Ride smart. Ride safe.
Liane:And that's our show for today. To make sure that you don't miss out on any of our upcoming podcasts or listen to previous ones, make sure you click on subscribe or follow wherever you get yours. If there's a topic you'd like us to cover or a guest you think would be great on the show or even a question for the mailbag, let us know. You can connect with us on all the socials. Email us at info@ab-amss.org or reach out through the website at a b dash amss dot org.
Liane:Thanks for listening to Think Bike. From us, always remember to ride smart, ride safe, and think bike. See you out on the road.