Custom Molded Ear Plugs: Advantages & Disadvantages
If you are like most people, you own earphones that are inserted directly into your ear opening. For some people, these fit instantly. If it doesn’t, they can choose from one of the other size tips that come prepackaged with the device. For most people, however, these devices never quite fit as well as they should. This can cause them to fall out constantly. People who wear noise-canceling devices suffer the same problem. This is one of the many reasons so many people now rely on custom ear products.
The Advantages of Choosing Custom Molds
The specific advantages of not going with store-bought ear plugs come down to why you use them. That said, many people buy plugs for one reason and end up finding them useful for many other purposes.
1. Stays Put:
Musicians who wear ear plugs often find that they begin to fall out when they move around. Workers at construction sites and factories may also find that as they work and begin to sweat throughout the day, the same problem occurs. Similarly, people who roll around a lot in their sleep often wake up to realize one plug is missing. When plugs are custom made, they stay put.
2. Preserves Hearing:
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) warns that continued exposure to loud noises could cost you your hearing over time. Even worse, when this type of hearing loss occurs, neither surgery nor even sometimes hearing aids can help. You may also suffer from an uncomfortable ringing in the ear known as tinnitus. If your foam plugs are uncomfortable, you may not want to wear them. Custom plugs can improve your rate of compliance.
3. Provides Comfort:
Some plugs offer no risk of falling out. Instead, they fit so snuggly in the ear that it begins to heat up and feel uncomfortable. The sound of your own voice may also begin to sound like it’s muffled, as if you are speaking in a barrel, stopped up. Then, there are those you can never quite get in correctly. You roll it and fold it and still, it only goes halfway in and pops back out. Custom-fit options are easy to insert because they are made specifically for you and the shape of your ear. You can even add features such as tiny handles for easy removal or cords for retention in case of a highly active lifestyle.
4. Improves Sleep Quality:
If you’re a light sleeper, plugs can help you to finally enjoy a good night’s rest. Your partner could be snoring loudly and you wouldn’t be disturbed. This offers additional health benefits throughout your day. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, good quality sleep boosts your immunity, reduces stress and improves focus.
5. Helps the Environment:
Musicians/professionals and people who use earplugs for sleeping throw out more than 700 foam plugs per year. This may not sound like much, but it adds up per person. In fact, a 2018 study found that single-use foam ear plugs are creating an environmental disaster. Owning a custom pair that lasts for years reduces the pileup up in landfills.
Disadvantages
The main disadvantage people perceive with custom molded ear plugs is cost. The keyword here is “perceive.” If you buy a pack of high-quality foam plugs, you probably spend about 20 cents per pair. Used once daily (or nightly!), that works out to $73 per year.
By year two, you’ve spent roughly $146, assuming you haven’t become frustrated and changed brands a few times with the last jar still full. In contrast, you can get custom-fitting plugs for around $150 that last for many years and is of much higher quality.
Get Your Pair at Memorial Hearing
Are you looking for ear plugs that comfortably keep out the loud noises that interfere with your work, health and sleep? Our hearing care professionals at Memorial Hearing in Houston can provide the solution you need. To get started, give us a call at (713) 984-7562 or contact us online.
Benefits of Ear Muffs
One of the main advantages of ear muffs is that they are easy to fit. They do not need to be specifically prepared, and can simply be put over the head. This makes them ideal for intermittent use, and especially suitable for work in construction and landscaping work.
Because they are easy to fit, ear muffs provide a consistent and reliable fit. This means that you can be sure that the protection wearers are getting meets the listed protection for the ear muff. This is important where workers may not be able to always properly fit ear plugs.
In cooler climates, ear muffs are often more comfortable for workers for wear hearing protection for long periods of time. However in warmer climates, you may find that ear plugs are more comfortable, as ear muffs can be warm and humid.
Negatives of Ear Muffs
Ear Muffs are very easy to fit, but they normally offer less protection than ear plugs. This is because they only sit over the ears, rather than directly in the ear canal. The way that ear muffs cover the ears can also be a problem in hot environments, as heat can build up, causing discomfort for the wearer.
Another issue for ear muffs is that they can lose some of their protection when worn with other types of PPE, particularly safety glasses.
Benefits of Ear Plugs
The main advantage of ear plugs is the level of protection they provide. Because they fit directly into the ear canal, ear plugs offer greater protection than ear muffs. This means that ear plugs are suitable when you need the highest levels of protection, for instance in very loud workplaces such as factories, airports, and foundries.
Ear plugs are also very light and easy to carry. Because they are small, they can be carried in specially designed cases which easily fit into a pocket. Ear muffs, however, are more difficult to carry and protect, making them more cumbersome for workers.
If you need to wear other types of PPE, then ear plugs are probably the best choice. Because ear plugs fit comfortably into the ear canal, it is easy to wear them with other types of PPE. This makes ear plugs a great choice for anyone who has to wear helmets and safety glasses.
Negatives of Ear Plugs
One problem with ear plugs is that they can be difficult to fit. They rely on properly fitting the ear canal to ensure full protection, and this can be difficult to guarantee. However, if employees are trained on how to correctly fit ear plugs, then ear plugs are able to consistently provide their listed protection.
One other problem of ear plugs is that they are often difficult, or impossible, for people with ear infections to wear. In this case, ear plugs may not be a good choice, as it is likely that they will be uncomfortable
Whichever type of hearing protection you choose, the most important factor is the level of noise reduction provided. Hearing protection will have a ‘dB’ rating – this indicates how much noise is reduced. It is important to understand exactly how much noise protection you need for your workplace. Once you know the type of protection you need, you can browse our wide range of ear muffs and earplugs
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