How Does Ear Protection Work?

An estimated every one out of five people in the U.S. has some form of hearing loss, which has an impact on their ability to understand normal levels of speech? There are many different reasons why this occurs. Of course, there are a lot of people who experience hearing problems simply because of the aging process. However, there are also many that could have avoided this situation with the right ear protection from an experienced audiologist. After all, there are a lot of individuals who are exposed to damaging and prolonged noise levels, whether it is through a noisy job or a hobby you enjoy, like concerts or clay shooting.

Proper hearing protection has been designed to lower the exposure of your nerves to sounds, protecting them from the damaging effects. There are three basic ear protection types that are available. This includes tactical hearing devices, as well as earmuffs and ear protection. Let’s take a look at the three types of ear protection and how they work in further detail to give you a better understanding:

• Tactical hearing devices: These devices are designed so that you have the added advantage of being able to communicate clearly with another person while being able to protect your hearing at the same time. This form of ear protection is suitable when working in concert security or while involved in military situations, for example. Essentially, if it is imperative that you are to communicate clearly for health and safety purposes, this is the sort of ear protection that you are going to need.
• Earmuffs: Another example of ear protection is ear muffs. They fit over the ears, sealing the area around the entire canal, meaning it will be fully blocked. A headband will hold your earmuffs in place. 
• Earplugs: Last but not least, we have earplugs, which most people would agree is the most common form of ear protection. Earplugs will fit into your ear canal in a snug manner, helping to seal out any loud noises. You need to ensure that earplugs fit your ears correctly and that they are clean if you are going to use this type of protection. Dirty earplugs or a loose seal in your ear may not have the right level of protection.

If you are someone who can be exposed to loud and prolonged noises, it is important to take steps to protect your hearing. Ear protection is the number one defense, and it is something that you should look into in further detail. The best thing to do is to book an appointment with an audiologist. They will be able to explain more about your current hearing level, as well as recommend the best form of hearing protection for you.