Sudden or prolonged exposure to noise can cause damage to your hearing and is one of the leading causes of hearing loss. Hearing loss from prolonged noise exposure is often detected too late, meaning the hearing loss is usually irreversible. It is the only type of hearing loss that we can prevent, therefore we are passionate about educating patients on preventing noise-induced hearing loss.
Hearing protection is extremely important for anyone who is regularly in a high-noise environment, including target shooters, motorcyclists, airline pilots, musicians, construction workers and factory workers.
Though store-bought earplugs offer some protection, custom earmolds and earplugs offer maximum protection and a comfortable fit that is designed specifically for your ears. They offer more security in knowing that you have a repeatable and reliable attenuation (decrease of sound) and that your ears have the best possible protection against hearing loss.
Custom Earmolds
Earmolds come in a wide variety of sizes and types.
Some earmolds come with a filtered attenuator, allowing for speech awareness while still protecting hearing, which is popular with musicians. These types of earmolds come in both electronic and non-electronic models. Earmolds are also popular for fitting over certain earbud headphones, under pilot boom-mic headsets, and other specialty uses.
As the name implies, custom earmolds are made custom to fit the unique contour of your ear. If you cannot get a comfortable or secure fit with traditional earplugs, custom earmolds may be for you. They offer some of the best hearing protection available.
Custom Earplugs
Earplugs are hearing protection that are custom made for your ears and are usually more comfortable than traditional earplugs. Some earplugs are solid, while others allow for more sound to pass through. Specialized earplugs are available for musicians and medical professionals who still want the ability to hear most of their surroundings while protecting their hearing.
Custom earplugs come both with or without handles or detachable cords.
Custom earplugs come both in an electronic version and a non-electronic version.
Earmolds and earplugs are not just for those who wish to protect themselves from high noise levels. Custom solutions are also available for other types of ear protection, such as custom earplugs for swimmers.
Whatever your unique lifestyle, Advanced Audiology & Hearing Care has custom solutions to fit your needs. Your hearing is important. Take care to protect it for today and for the future. If you work in a high-noise environment, or are exposed to loud recreational noises, remember it is important to have regular hearing evaluations to check for early indications of hearing loss. Schedule an appointment today to discuss the right solution for your needs.
Musician Earplugs
Musicians have unique needs when it comes to hearing protection. They need to protect their hearing, but they also need to be able to hear their own music clearly, as well as hear other musicians’ music and voices while performing.
Conventional store-bought earplugs are great at providing hearing protection. However, they often provide too much protection for musicians, muffling speech and sound in the process. They make music and voices very unclear and unnatural to listen to. While conventional hearing protection can reduce very high frequencies, this amount of hearing protection is typically not needed for musicians.
Most musicians do not need maximum protection. What they need is mid- to low-frequency protection. This can be accomplished through earplugs that are specifically designed for musicians.
These type of earplugs are deep in order to allow the earmold to seal within the bony portion of the ear canal. This deep fit reduces what is known as occlusion, a hollow or boomy sound in the musician’s own voice that is sometimes experienced with lower quality earplugs. These type of deep-fit earmolds are popular with musicians because of the quality of sound they allow them to hear while practicing and performing.
Musician’s earplugs are not just for musicians. They are also a popular hearing protection option for:
- Sound crews
- Recording engineers
- Band teachers
- Concert-goers
- DJs
- Airline personnel
- Athletic coaches
- NFL football players
- Referees
- Motorcyclists
- Medical professionals
- Construction workers
- Industrial workers
- Truck drivers
In-Ear Musician Monitors
For musicians who perform for large audiences, in-ear musician monitors (IEMs) are the current standard in musician technology. They allow the musician to clearly hear the music they are making as the audience would hear it while still protecting the musician’s ears from extremely loud amplification systems and audiences.
IEMs work best if they are custom molded to fit each musician’s ears personally. However, there is still the option of universal fit musician monitors. Universal IEMs typically come with interchangeable foam or silicone tips to allow for a semi-custom fit.
Custom Fit
Both earmolds and IEMs can be custom made at our office (using a mold) to fit your unique ear shape.
Hunter’s Earplugs
iCustom:
For use with any bud/button style earphones.
Custom Electronic Hearing Protection:
- Amplification for situational awareness.
- Noise attenuation when you pull the trigger.
- Various levels of sophistication
Occupational:
Ideal for high-noise industrial environments.
Motorsport:
- Designed with a hollow canal for under helmet use to reduce wind buffeting.
- Comfortable and easy to remove.
Hunting:
Hunting, shooting, and sudden noise. A filter instantaneously closes when damaging noise levels are reached. Allows essentially normal hearing at all other times.
Music:
Ideal for performing musicians and concert-goers. Also great for flight attendants, bartenders, waiters, dental professionals. Allows wearer to hear sounds accurately but at reduced levels. Have 3 filter options: 9dB, 15dB or 25dB.
Swimming:
For swimming and showering – and they FLOAT! Also provide superb noise reduction.
Sleep:
- Offers comfortable and uninterrupted rest.
- Great for shift workers and credited with saving many relationships!
Surf:
- Designed to prevent surfer’s ear and swimmer’s ear caused by exposure to cold water and wind.
- The floatable material is molded with a sealed membrane spanning the sound bore that keeps cold water and air out of the ear canal but allows for conversation and hearing while in the ear.