Did you know that working in a noisy environment can lead to noise-induced hearing impairment? Well, it has been established that approximately 12% of the global population (600 million people) are at risk of developing noise-induced hearing ailments.
These statistics highlight the need to protect your ears whenever you’re working in an overly noisy place. This article explains various ear protection devices to consider.
3 Best Ear Protection Devices
If you work in a noisy environment, you should make protecting your ears a priority. To achieve this, you should purchase any of these ear protection devices:
- Ear Plugs
These are moldable/pre-molded foam plugs that you can insert in your ear canal. They work by trapping and reducing the sound level that gets to your inner ear.
These ear protection devices come in disposable and reusable forms. Additionally, professional hearing care experts can customize an earplug to suit your specific needs.
- Semi-Insert Earplugs
Unlike other earplugs, the semi earplugs do not get into the ear canal entirely. Instead, they are held over the canals by a headband. These devices cannot be customized and may not be ideal for everyone.
- Earmuffs
These ear protectors are made from warm sound-attenuating material. They have a thermoplastic/metal headband that wraps over the wearer’s head. Additionally, the protectors come with soft ear cushions that are customized to protect your ears from excessive noise.
Tips for Selecting Best Hearing Protector
When choosing your hearing protector, you should ensure that it’s designed to offer optimal ear protection regardless of the sound levels. Other factors that you can consider include design, comfort levels, and reusability. Here’s a comprehensive guide:
- Define Your Needs
Before you select your ideal hearing protection, you need to have an appointment with your hearing care expert. Alternatively, you can test your hearing ability online through the Phonak Online Hearing Test platform.
When you get the results, you’ll be able to determine the level of noise you need to block to keep your ears safe.
If you regularly visit areas with excessive noise, then you’ll need protection devices with the potential to reduce high noise levels. However, such a device should be designed to reduce the noise while allowing you to hear and communicate with other people.
- Consider Your Lifestyle
What you do daily will determine the type of ear protection device you need. For example, an individual working in a steel welding industry will be exposed to more noise than an accountant working in an office.
In such a case, the welder will require powerful protectors that will reduce the noise significantly, thus safeguarding their ears. On the contrary, the accountant may either require a relatively weak protector or none at all.
Additionally, you should always consider the frequency of exposure. Do you need to wear the protector always or just a few hours every day? If you’re to wear it for prolonged periods, then you must consider that which is easy to clean, thus guaranteeing an infection-free use.
- Look at the Comfortability of the Device
Comfort is paramount when using your ear protection device. Always ensure that you consider the size, weight, pressure, softness, and comfort in high-humidity environments. Many people may prefer headphones to earplugs due to comfort. But the earplugs are convenient and lightweight!
If the protector exacts too much pressure on your ear, it may result in pain and immense discomfort. As such, we recommend that you select a lightweight and soft earplug to guarantee hygiene, efficacy, and comfort.
Whichever option that you choose, just ensures that you’re comfortable, especially if you’re using them for a prolonged period.
- Ease of Use
When selecting your best ear protection device, you should always consider its compatibility with other gears. For example, an individual working in a steel welding factory requires both ear protection and goggles.
In such a case, the ear protection device should allow the user to use goggles without compromising their comfort and efficacy.
Additionally, you should always consider the shape of the protection device and how easy it is to wear and remove it. Also, it should be made from an easy-to-clean material to ensure that you protect your ears from infections.
The Bottom Line
If you want to safeguard your ears, you should take control of the level of noise that gets to your inner ear. To achieve this, you’ll need to undertake an ear assessment to determine the amount of noise you can tolerate.
After you get your results, you’ll be required to select your ideal ear protection devices and wear them whenever you’re in a noisy environment. This article guides you through every step of selecting your best ear protection device.