Hearing is one of the five senses that help us have a complete perception of the world surrounding us. There are numerous factors that can influence hearing negatively, with noise and loud sounds being the most common. About 28 million Americans have various degrees of hearing loss, mostly due to exposure to a noisy environment at their workplace. 80% of them suffer from irreversible hearing loss. This means that it is extremely difficult to recover your hearing once it is damaged and prevention should be the number one priority. Besides causing hearing loss, persistent noise experienced at home or during sleep can lead to insomnia, sleep disturbances, high blood pressure and even ischemic heart disease in the long run.
One of the most effective ways to preserve your hearing is to wear earplugs during activities that involve noise or loud sounds. Wearing earplugs would be beneficial in the following circumstances:
1) Musicians and Concerts
Because musicians are frequently exposed to loud sounds, which are more intense than the acceptable noise amounts, they benefit greatly from wearing specialized ear plugs. Musicians earplugs are usually made of silicone rubber, and they may have a diaphragm that protects against low-frequency sounds and a dampening material for reducing high frequencies. These specialized earplugs usually offer a partial sound attenuation so that the musicians are still able to hear and interact with the music they are playing. Some earplugs in this category are custom-made to offer maximum comfort and precise fit for the specific needs of a musician.
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Best for MusiciansNRR 20, Two levels of protection -
Etymotic Research ER20 Flanged EarplugsExcellent for MusiciansNRR 20, Earplug and Play favorite
2) Sleeping
Earplugs for sleeping are also extensively used. Because getting a night’s rest is so important for your daily productivity and happiness, earplugs are highly recommended if your partner is snoring or if you are exposed to ambient noise during sleep. These types of earplugs may have sound-dampening qualities that will enable you to hear loud sounds such as the alarm clock while being undisturbed by snoring. They are made as soft and as comfortable as possible so that your sleep is not affected by wearing them.
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Macks Pillow Soft Silicone EarplugsMacks Pillow Soft Silicone EarplugsBest Reusable for SleepingNRR 22, Safe, comfortable and reusable
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Best for SleepingNRR 33, Highest protection for loud snoring -
Hearos Ultimate Softness Foam EarplugsHearos Ultimate Softness Foam EarplugsSoftest for SleepingNRR 32, Softest foam available
3) Miners, Military Personnel, Transportation and Construction Workers
Miners, military personnel, transportation and construction workers are frequently required to wear earplugs to protect themselves from their noisy work environment which exposes them to a higher risk of developing noise-induced hearing loss.
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Best All-Around EarplugsNRR 33, Highest NRR available
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Hearos Ultimate Softness Foam EarplugsHearos Ultimate Softness Foam EarplugsSoftest EarplugsNRR 32, Softest foam available
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Best Custom EarplugsNRR 26, Custom mold a perfect fit
4) Pilots and Airplane Passengers
Protection for pilots, flight personnel or passengers during flight landings and take-offs due to changes in air pressure also sometimes requires wearing earplugs.
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Macks Pillow Soft Silicone EarplugsMacks Pillow Soft Silicone EarplugsBest Reusable for PilotsNRR 22, Safe and comfortable
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Best Foam for PilotsNRR 33, Highest NRR available
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Hearos Ultimate Softness Foam EarplugsHearos Ultimate Softness Foam EarplugsSoftest Foam for PilotsNRR 32, Softest foam available
5) Swimmers, Surfers and Water Sports
Earplugs are also used by swimmers, surfers and other water sport participants to prevent water from entering in the ear. Water sports can cause discomfort, but also damage to the ear in the long run.
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Doc’s ProPlugs Preformed EarplugsDoc’s ProPlugs Preformed EarplugsHighest Rated for WatersportsNRR 7, Most effective for water
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Macks Pillow Soft Silicone EarplugsMacks Pillow Soft Silicone EarplugsMost Popular for WatersportsNRR 22, Easy and safe
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Good for Water ExposureUnknown NRR, Good alternative for Water
Although the above described earplugs are the most common ones, it is important to mention that any person who is exposed to high levels of background noise or loud sounds is advised to protect his hearing with earplugs. It is much easier to prevent noise-induced hearing loss than to treat it. Using earplugs is a great way to make this modern noisy world surrounding us just a little more peaceful and silent.
Nice site! I love earplugs, but never use them. I will probably lose my hearing at some point in my life, but your site might help me out! Thank you!