Ear Plugs

People are realizing the serious damage that noise pollution can cause and the irreversibility of even partial hearing loss. For this reason, many people are looking into strategies to protect their hearing; ear plugs can be of use in these strategies. You can get custom made earplugs that can be used multiple times or disposable ear plugs. As a note, these are not the wood ear plugs or horn and wood ear plugs that come in various ear gauges; plugs of this nature are for body jewelry.

There are certain earplugs whose function is mainly to keep water out of the ear; these are used when swimming. Water in the ear can also damage delicate auditory structures and so wearing ear plugs during swimming can also indirectly protect against hearing loss. Many swimming ear plugs are silicone or wax ear plugs and can be custom ear plugs, like children’s fitted ear plugs. You can actually make water-blocking ear plugs yourself by saturating a cotton ball with petroleum jelly; studies have actually shown that this homemade ear plug can be more effective and comfortable than commercial ear plugs made of other materials.

For noise protection, ear plugs are most often made of a resin, or memory foam, that has energy absorption properties. The user rolls the foam into a cylinder that is very tightly compressed and inserts this cylinder into the ear canal. In the inner canal, the foam expands until sealing the canal; in this way, sound vibrations are blocked from reaching the eardrum. Other earplugs are made of silicone or wax; these materials are also rolled, this time into a ball, to be fitted over the opening to the ear canal. These act as “caps” over the ear canal and have the benefit of assuming just the right size and shape for the wearer’s ear.

There are certain ear plugs designed specifically for musicians. These music ear plug models decrease the decibels reaching the eardrum but do not modify bass and treble perception on the part of the wearer; these are essential for musicians who are constantly exposed to high volume music, but who need to be able to distinguish between various frequencies and components of sound; these frequencies can be heard at decreased volume. Other specialized ear plugs are electronic ear plugs, used by hunters and law enforcement personnel; military ear plugs are also often electronic. There are also low frequency ear plugs, such as snoring ear plugs.

You will find that noice reduction ear plugs are labeled with certain numbers; these are Noise Reduction Ratings (also called Single Number Ratings in the European Union). Ear plug noise reduction rating numbers indicate the level of noise protection that particular earplugs provide; the actual number signifies the reduction, in decibels, in the noise that will reach the eardrum. Check online for a noise canceling ear plugs comparison to see what noise reduction rating and which ear plugs work best for you.