Hearing protection is extremely important for anyone who is regularly in a high-noise environment, including target shooters, motorcyclists, airline pilots, musicians, construction workers and factory workers. The truth is that anyone subject to noise exposure may need to wear hearing protection to protect their long-term hearing. Sudden or prolonged exposure to noise can cause damage to your hearing, and is one of the leading causes of hearing loss. Hearing loss from prolonged noise exposure is often detected too late, and the hearing loss is irreversible – hence why it is wise to be proactive, and protect the precious gift of hearing before damage can occur.
The following noises are just a few of the especially dangerous sounds present in our environment when exposed to repeatedly: lawn mowers, truck engines, motorcycles, garbage trucks, chain saws, pneumatic drills, rock concerts, gun shots, and jet engines.
Store-bought, over-the-counter earplugs offer some protection, but a custom fit set of earmolds is much more comfortable for a longer span of time. If you are unable to obtain a comfortable or secure fit with traditional OTC earplugs, custom earmolds may be for you. They offer some of the best hearing protection available against hearing loss.
Custom Earmolds
Earmolds come in a wide variety of sizes and types. As the name implies, custom earmolds are made custom to fit the unique contour of your ear. Some earmolds are solid, and some are soft or spongy. The full shell style is the best for high-level noise exposure. For shooters and hunters, custom earmolds can be fitted with a filtered attenuator, allowing for verbal communication while still protecting hearing. Musician’s earplugs come several options – in both electronic and non-electronic models as well as in many sizes. Still other custom earmolds are perfect for use with iPods, MP3 players, laptop computers, etc. There are even a ton of uses for speciality custom earmolds such as for boom-mic headsets, police and airplane pilot radio head sets, newscaster ear pieces, and motor cyclist ear sets to name a few.
Whatever your unique lifestyle, your audiologist has custom solutions to fit your needs. Your hearing is important. Take care to protect it for today and for the future. If you work in a high-noise environment, it’s important to have regular hearing appointments to check for early indications of hearing loss. Speak with your audiologist today about the right solution for you.