Do you need ear protection but aren’t sure what items are available? Visiting a hearing health professional can help you find the right equipment. Read on to find out what types of ear protection is available and how they can help you protect your ears from loud noises.
Ear Defenders
Ear defenders can come in two different types: electronic headphones and non-electric earmuffs. Ear defenders are essential protective gear in noisy work environments, such as construction sites or factories. They effectively reduce the impact of loud noises, shielding the wearer’s hearing from potential damage. Their comfort and effectiveness make them a valuable tool in preserving auditory health and ensuring worker safety.
Earmuffs
Earmuffs are non-electronic devices that work through the use of hard caps that fit over your ears. They create a seal using foam or soft material that cups your ears. Special earmuffs can help reduce louder noise and allow lower frequencies to hear human conversation or safety signals. Standard earmuffs can help reduce noise across all frequencies.
Headphones
Headphones, unlike earmuffs, generally refer to electronic ear defenders that provide special noise filtering. If you need headsets at loud frequencies, your hearing health professional may recommend a pair of headphones. Headphones can also be compatible with equipment like musical devices to help you hear high-attenuation sound frequencies.
Earplugs
Earplugs are small devices that are inserted directly into the ear. They generally are smaller and lighter than earmuffs and headphones, but you would require special devices to provide adequate ear protection for louder noises. They can also be worn with other ear defenders to increase noise protection. Other earplugs include:
- Foam earplugs: Foam earplugs are a soft material that expands to fill the shape of the ear. They are generally single-use and need to be rolled up and held in the ear until they expand to fill the shape of the wearer’s ear.
- Reusable earplugs: Reusable earplugs might be made of foam but are more commonly made from rubber or soft plastic. These earplugs are usually made from less moldable material and can be washed and worn again. Unlike foam or one-use earplugs, they may provide less adequate protection.
- Canal caps: Refer to a type of earplug with a band to hold the earplugs in place during use. When you are not using them, they can sit around the neck. These can be useful when you are infrequently exposed to daily noise.
- Musicians’ earplugs: These earplugs still maintain the sound quality of musical instruments but don’t jeopardize the sound quality. They contain acoustic filters to help maintain the integrity of the music.
Combination Ear Protection
You can wear most earplugs in conjunction with headphones or earmuffs. This can help you when you are exposed to excessively loud noises and need to ensure you bring your noise exposure to within the recommended 75 to 85 decibels (dBs) range.
Your hearing health professional can help recommend the proper ear protection for you. Whether you are looking for ear defenders or more discreet earplugs, your hearing health professional will recommend the proper devices.
