Noise exposure is hard to avoid when it is part of a hobby, job or career. When noise is a daily product of the user’s life, hearing protection should be added as a precaution. There are many types of earmolds and earplugs that shield in different ways. Learning the different types is helpful, and can prevent further damage to hearing.
The professionals at Life Hearing & Tinnitus Health Centers want to help you keep your hearing in the best shape possible. That’s why we offer a variety of hearing protection options, from custom earmolds to earplugs for musicians.
Custom earmolds and earplugs
Regular earplugs fit in anyone’s ear, with no personalization related to size or medical history. Custom earplugs and earmolds take regular protection a step further by introducing personalized options.
Custom earplugs can be soft or solid, and are even available with filtered attenuators. The range of features will differ based on brand and type, but the custom fit is perfect for comfort reasons. In swimming sports this can make a big difference, since keeping water out of the ear is almost as important as noise filtering. That is why custom earplugs for swimmers are so specialized, right down to their floating abilities.
Custom earmolds are similar but made more for hearing sound rather than filtering it out. Instead of focusing on drowning out noise, it normalizes the highs so that there are no surprise bursts of sound. Hearing professionals will make recommendations on earmolds and earplugs by looking at a client’s daily needs. These recommendations aren’t set in stone, so it isn’t unusual to have multiple custom earmolds and earplugs based on the occasion.
Earplugs and monitors for musicians
Hearing protection helps musicians by letting them listen to music clearly without doing any damage to their ears. Being able to hear is an irreplaceable sense for musicians, even when they don’t perform live. Regular earplugs filter out too much sound, providing maximum protection when only minimal is needed. That is where earplugs for musicians becomes essential, by lowering mid to low frequency sounds without muting all the important notes. Sound levels are reduced by up to 20 dB, all without distorting music or speech.
Since musician’s earplugs fit so deep, they also reduce occlusion. The technology is so high tech that musician’s earplugs are also used by professionals in other careers. In-ear musician monitors are the next step for performers that want the current standard in the industry for hearing protection. With IEMs in the canal, the performer can hear the music exactly how their audience is hearing it. The technology works while filtering out the loud amplification of nearby stereo equipment. Universal fits are available, but custom musician monitors are the most efficient.