Women’s Earplugs taking care of mothers

Women's earplugs by JenGenFor many mothers there comes a time when you just want to tune out, especially when the kids are arguing or screaming. However, you don’t want this to become a permanent thing. You many miss out on their laughter or the greatly appreciated ‘I love you’. As a mother you often consider everyone’s health but our own and your hearing and women’s earplugs may be the last thing on your mind.

However, it is the decibel levels that you’re exposed to constantly that can affect your hearing. Continuous exposure to 85 decibels or more can cause permanent hearing loss or damage, such as tinnitus (ringing in the ears).

Everyday activities such as mowing the lawn and even some of your children’s toys (some can reach 150dB) can have a knock on effect on your hearing. Whether it is using a noisy device or simply listening to music at a high volume, you could be incurring permanent hearing damage.

We live in a noisy world that is filled with chatter, traffic and sometimes industrial sounds. Some noises are within the home environment and some are outside. Wherever we go, we are surrounded by noises that could impair our hearing and this is why it’s so important to protect it. Once it has gone, it’s gone forever.

Women’s earplugs are designed to fit smaller ear canals and seal out the dangerous decibels while allowing you to hear sounds. So although you may be able to protect your hearing from dangerous noise levels, you will, sorry to say, hear the 200th ‘Mum, I want…’ of the day. On a more positive note, though, your teenager’s metal music could be drowned out.

You will find a fantastic range of women’s earplugs at Earplug Shop, including the JenGen Blue Tassel Earplugs that are reminiscent of those Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s wears.

Snoratorium or earplugs – the choice is yours

Etymotic Research ER-20 High fidelity earplugsTom Cruise and Judge Judy calls them ‘snoratoriums’ and it seems this new snoring room has become a celebrity craze that is sweeping the world. Some celebrities have even taken the idea of a snoratorium to another level. It’s been told that due to Tim Burton’s snoring he lives in a separate (but adjoining) home to his wife Helena Boham Carter.

According to Jim Toy, principle at False Creek Design Group Ltd. they have been seeing an increase in demand for adjacent sleeping quarters, or smaller areas built off the master bedroom “for, among other things, the snoring issue.” What’s even more astonishing, it was reported in a 2007 survey from the U.S. National Association of Home Builders, that they expect over 60% of upscale homes to have ‘dual master bedrooms’ by 2015. Designer Tom Sheerer recently told House Beautiful:

“It used to be his-and-hers bathrooms, his-and-hers closets, and his-and-hers offices. Now, everyone wants a snoratorium.”

Sounds like an expensive way to battle out the war on snoring. However, at Earplug Shop we have a great selection of sleeping earplugs that is a great alternative to a snoratorium and a lot more cost effective too.

It’s been said that 30-50% of people snore at one time or another and that is just in the United States! So, now’s the time more than ever to get those sleep and snoring earplugs. Take a look below to view some of the earplugs we have available for you:

Mack’s SafeSound Earplugs for Her

JenGen Blue Tassel Earplugs

Etymotic Research ER-20 High-fidelity Baby Blue Earplugs

Mack’s Dreamgirl Sleep Mask – Another great sleeping accessory.

When should children wear earplugs?

Pluggies swimming ear plugsIt’s easy to take our hearing for granted and sometimes we tend not to think about the damage we could be causing it when doing the most normal of activities. This is especially true when it comes to children. They have very sensitive hearing and are prone to ear infections such as grommets and swimmer’s ear. There are many occasions when it can be vital for a child to wear appropriate ear protection such as earplugs including:

Swimming

At Earplug Shop we have a great selection of children’s earplugs that are suitable for swimming and other water activities, including these Pluggies Swim earplugs, by Alpine. Not only are these earplugs waterproof to create a barrier against water, they’re also double flanged thermo plugs to provide the ultimate fit.

Travelling

When it comes to travelling children can experience a lot of discomfort in their ears. However, with a pair of Cirrus Healthcare EarPlanes Kids earplugs, discomfort will be a thing of the past. The beauty of these earplugs is that they can also help children to sleep on the plane, blocking out the loud noises that are preventing them from nodding off. Can you think of anything more ideal when on a long haul flight?

Mack's sleeping earplugsSleeping

Loud noises during the night are normally the main culprit when it comes to your child having a disrupted night, which can have a negative effect on their sleeping pattern. However, wearing a pair of earplugs for sleeping could be the solution. Sleeping earplugs for children can block out the loud noises and allow your child to sleep peacefully throughout the night. We suggest your child should wear a pair of Mack’s pillow Soft Kids size earplugs; they are doctor recommended and are also great for protecting their ears when swimming.

Facts about ear plugs

•    Earplugs reduce noise levels, they don’t block out ALL of the sound
•    Custom fit earplugs provide the best in comfort and are generally the most discrete, but not always the best option
•    There are earplugs available at Earplug Shop that block out harmful noises, yet allow you to hear speech
•    Earplugs can be used to relieve discomfort
•    Never share earplugs
•    You should wear earplugs if noise levels exceed 80dB
•    Tinnitus is not curable, but can be prevented by wearing earplugs

Children’s earplugs

Mack's children's earplugsThere are many reasons why children should wear earplugs, the most common being protecting their ears from infections, another is to prevent water from entering the ear canal and causing irritation. However, the most significant reason is to prevent hearing damage and impairment.

In the early stages of a child’s life their hearing is extremely sensitive to loud noises and if they’re exposed to these noises on a regular basis it can cause irreversible hearing damage or loss. If the noise exposure is even greater, it could cause deafness, which will not only affect the relationships in their lives, it can also cause learning difficulties too.
It isn’t just noise levels either that can cause damage to your child’s hearing, below you will find a number of infections that are commonly found in children.

Ear Infections

Here you will find all the explanations you need for the most common of ear infections. However, if you still have questions and are uncertain about the infections, please feel free to contact us, or talk to your GP.

Otitis media

Otitis media occurs when there is a build up of fluid or mucus between the eardrum and inner ear. If a bacterium is then present it can cause a middle ear infection and become very painful. Symptoms are severe earache, fever and general sickness and dulled hearing. The eardrum may appear to be inflamed or look yellow and have a bumpy texture.

Signs to look for in young children include:

•    Irritability
•    Poor feeding
•    Disturbed sleep
•    Coughing
•    Lack of response to sounds

The simplest cases of Otitis media do not require antibiotics, as 80% of cases resolve within three to four days. However, the BNF recommends treatment if:

•    There is no improvement after 72 hours, or earlier if there is evidence of deterioration
•    The child is unwell
•    Mastoiditis is present
•    The child is under two and both ears are affected

Please note: Glue ear is the common name for Otitis media. Long-term hearing impairment is a significant risk with prolonged glue ear.

Otitis externa

More commonly known as ‘swimmer’s ear’, Otitis externa is an inflammation of the external ear canal and can be caused by many common factors such as swimming, heat and humidity, skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis or seborrhoeic dermatitis, damage to the ear canal caused by hearing aids, cotton wool swabs or ear syringing and discharge produced by a middle ear infection.

The danger concerning Otitis externa is that is can develop spontaneously.  However, it is easy to treat. In some cases the infection may need to be treated by an effective antibiotic ear drop or spray.

Best practice when preventing ear infections:

•    Let ears dry naturally
•    Avoid cleaning the ears with cotton wool
•    Never pick or poke at the ears
•    Keep ears dry when swimming by using silicone rubber earplugs

Hearing is essential to children especially when it comes to learning and developing their social skills. There are many children’s earplugs available at Earplug Shop that are ideal for general use as well as more specific requirements such as swimming, sleeping and travelling.