Monthly Archives: June 2009

The Noise of Summer

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Well, we’re a month into summer vacation, and with each passing day, the decibel levels in my home are getting louder. I’ve begun to wonder if wearing earplugs to drown out the noise of bickering kids would be considered irresponsible parenting. Is it okay if my iPod and earphones become a permanent fixture?

At first, summer was flying by. My two kids were happy to be home taking a break from the daily routine of going to school. Yes, my house was still noisy with the sounds of my kids and their friends from the neighbourhood playing a lively game of Wii sports or running in the sprinkler in the front yard. But those were “happy” sounds; laughter, giggles and screams of delight as they blasted each other with super-soakers and water balloons. Sounds that parents relish, not choose to block with earplugs. Continue reading →

Cutting Safety Costs with Earplug Dispensers!

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We’re all looking for ways to save money these days. I’m tired of hearing about the economic crisis, recession, down-turn or whatever you choose to call it, but we can’t ignore the fact that it’s crucial to save money both at home and in the workplace. Earplug Dispensers can help cut costs by purchasing your earplugs at a lower bulk cost AND by preventing waste. Continue reading →

ProGuard CUSTOM Earplugs for the Professional

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Whether you are a professional athlete, musician, DJ, club employee, or motorcyclist, ProGuard makes a custom earplug for you! Though I still use inexpensive foam earplugs for various purposes, I was glad I made the leap and had custom musician’s earplugs made as well as professional quality earphones. The sound is amazing and as much as I love music and concerts, I’ve never regretted the expense.

The ProGuard manufacturing process is simple and efficient. You receive a kit in the mail and take it to an impression lab where simple impressions are taken of your ears. It tickles a bit, but it’s a relatively quick and easy process. Then you send the impressions back and a few weeks later, your custom earplugs arrive at your doorstep. Continue reading →

The Many Uses of Foam Earplugs

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Potentially THE most comfortable earplugs, foam earplugs are highly versatile and are an important addition to your home safety kit or workplace safety standard closet. Beyond protecting your hearing, foam earplugs just seem to make life a bit more comfortable.

I can’t think of a place where comfort is more imperative than in the bedroom. And, sleep is SOOO important to your health. Obviously, sleep deprivation can cause fatigue, sluggishness, weakness and fuzzy thinking, but in addition, it has long-term affects such as premature aging! Yikes! Sleeping earplugs can block those annoying nighttime noises whether that’s a partner snoring or grinding their teeth or the neighbour’s yappy poodle they forgot to let in for the night. Continue reading →

Turn It to The Left?

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Hearing loss information from overseas! The American Academy of Audiology has begun a “Turn It to the Left” program to try to convince parents and children to mind the decibel levels of various audio devices and toys.

According to the New York Times article, as many as one in eight children have noise-induced hearing damage, which means that over 500 million children have a disability that could have been prevented. Continue reading →

Sleeping Aids for Weight Loss?

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Can sleeping earplugs help you lose weight? Well, that depends on whether you want to lose fat or muscle. Silly question, right? Of course we all want to lose fat and develop toned, defined muscles. According to a recent study, sleep deprivation may be responsible for increased lean body mass (muscle) loss during a weight loss diet.

The subjects in the study both ate healthy, low calorie diets to promote weight loss. Both groups (sleep deprived and well-rested) lost weight during the study, but the sleep deprived group lost mostly lean body mass with only 26% of their weight loss being fat. The well-rested group experienced a fat loss of 57%! Continue reading →

Can You Hear Me Farmer Joe?

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Apparently, farmers are being told to wear hearing protection due to the noise level of pigs during feeding. The little oinkers squeal to the tune of 100dB or more while being fed! Remember that hearing can be damaged in as little as 15 minutes at 100 dB, so I guess if Farmer Joe wants to keep his hearing, he’s going to need some protection.

According to the NASD (National Ag Safety Database, United States), farmers have more hearing loss than other occupations. If you think about it, farmers are independent and therefore not governed by the usual safety laws that protect employees in an industrial setting by forcing compliance. So, even though many of the noises on a farm are at decibel levels high enough to cause hearing damage in a short time, the farmer may or may not protect his or her hearing or that of the hired help. Continue reading →

Forget About the Barking Dog and Worry About the Squealing Pig

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And you were worried about the new neighbour with the yapping pup! Be happy he didn’t bring a potbelly pig to the neighbourhood. According to a recent press release, pig owners beware! The noise from the little piggies during feeding can reach levels of 100 decibels which is enough to damage hearing in as little as 15 minutes of exposure per day. Continue reading →