Sudden or prolonged exposure to noise is one of the most common causes of hearing loss. Loud sounds can damage the hair cells in the cochlea and unfortunately, once these hair cells are damaged, they do not grow back. Cary Audiology Associates gives you access to custom ear protection and custom earmolds to help protect your ears from new or further noise damage.
Importance of Hearing Protection
Hearing protection is highly important for people who are regularly exposed to loud noises (i.e working or spending time in a high-noise environment). Shooters, hunters, motorcyclists, construction workers, pilots, and musicians are highly susceptible to hearing damage due to loud noises.
Types of Custom Earmolds
Custom earmolds are commonly made from either silicone, acrylic, or vinyl.
Acrylic
Acrylic earmolds are the traditional type of custom ear protection. These are hard and durable which make them resistant to shrinking or breakage. Since they are hard and lack flexibility, these are not recommended for wearers with narrow ear canals, especially kids.
Silicone
Silicone custom ear protection is very soft and flexible, providing a tight seal for excellent protection. Since silicone earmolds are very soft, they can be a little bit difficult to insert at first.
Vinyl
Vinyl earmolds are the easiest to use among the three types of custom earmolds, making them a popular choice for children and older adults. Vinyl is also a highly popular choice for custom musician ear protection because of its attenuating qualities.
Custom Hearing Protection For All Lifestyles and Activities
Standard or store-bought earplugs may offer some level of hearing protection but custom earplugs and earmolds offer maximum hearing protection with a comfortable fit. Since custom hearing protection is tailored to fit the unique shape of the ears, they can offer more security and a better seal.
Not all hearing protection is made equal. Different products may vary in terms of attenuation (light to heavy protection) which will greatly depend on their material. Below are some custom ear protection options available at Cary Audiology:
Custom Sleep Plugs
As the name implies, “sleep plugs” are ideal for individuals who wish to tune out sounds from their environment so they can enjoy uninterrupted sleep.
Custom Swim Plugs
Custom ear plugs for swimmers are primarily designed to keep water out of the ear while the wearer is deep in water. Custom swim plugs are not just limited to swimmers, though. They can also be used by individuals who have or have had chronic ear infections to help lower the risks of water from entering and staying inside the ear.
Custom Earmolds for Communication
Earplugs and earmolds are not just for people who want to protect themselves from high levels of noise. There are also custom solutions for ear protection that can enhance the quality of communication.
Some earplugs come with a filtered attenuator to allow verbal communication while protecting hearing. Custom earmolds make communication easier for a variety of people including broadcasters, law enforcers, emergency responders, telemarketers, and sports players.
Hunting Custom Ear Protection
Custom ear protection for hunting is not designed to offer passive protection. Hunter’s plugs can suppress gunshot sounds while enhancing low-level sounds. Through this mechanism, hunters can still enjoy increased environmental awareness to carry on normal conversations while protecting their ears from gunshot noise.
Musician’s Ear Plugs
Just like hunters, musicians have another set of unique needs when it comes to hearing protection. Musicians need to protect their hearing while still being able to hear their own music clearly, along with other musicians’ instruments and voices.
Standard earplugs can provide hearing protection but sometimes, they provide too much protection to the point that speech and sound are muffled. Musicians don’t need earplugs that make voices and music unclear and unnatural to listen to. In fact, musicians need a custom ear plug that offers mid-to-low frequency protection.
Custom musician earplugs are positioned deep into the ear to allow the earmold to create a good seal within the bony portion of the ear canal. Getting a good and deep fit lowers the incidence of occlusion (a boomy or hollow sound from a person’s own voice).”
Deep-fit earmolds are the top choice among musicians because of the unrivaled sound quality provided while allowing them to hear clearly while performing or practicing.
CUSTOM EAR PROTECTION | CARY, NC
Whatever your occupation or hobbies may be, we have custom ear protection to suit your needs. Our audiologists at Cary Audiology will be happy to walk you through various custom ear protection options.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment!
