Uncle Derek is going to a lot of concerts recently, watching bands like Kings of Leon (I think he might be going through a mid life crisis).

• Present Idea: Musician Ear plugs, band t-shirt, whistle and a CD.

Aunty Margaret has been saying she wants to go on a diet after Christmas along with some gentle exercise.

• Present Idea: Home workout DVD, swimming ear plugs, water blocker for the nose and a work out vest.

Cousin Tim loves his motorcycle and watching extreme sports.

• Present idea – Extreme sports DVD, motorcycle ear plugs, Biography of Erik Weihenmayer

Cousin Frank has recently moved to the country to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, but has got a bit of a pest problem.

• Present idea – Country cooking book, shooting ear plugs, vegetable seeds, gardening tools.

Cousin Gemma is a lover of old fashion films and vintage (a bit of a fashionista).

• Present Idea – The Red Shoes DVD, Vintage jewellery, JenGen ear plugs – just like the ones Audrey Hepburn wore in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

Wind noise when travelling at a high speed can seriously affect your hearing, but with the use of motorcyclist ear plugs you will be getting the protection you need at all times. They are also specifically designed to fit comfortably under a helmet as well as reducing the noise for you to hear more coherently and protecting your hearing. Wearing these motorcyclist ear plugs can make your ride more enjoyable as it can make your journey a lot less stressful.

Not only do you need to protect yourself from wind noise, but also helmet noise.  This is when air comes up under the neck of the helmet and makes an incredibly uncomfortable level of noise. Ear plugs when worn correctly can reduce this level of noise and make your riding experience a lot more enjoyable and stress free.

For more information about biking with ear plugs have a look at webbikeworld, there is a great source of information to be found.

Perhaps. According to Deafness Research UK, some power tools can reach decibel levels that would require hearing protection at the workplace. Unfortunately, people at home may not take this seriously. If you’ve never had a job where hearing protection was required, you might not know about the risks of noise-induced hearing loss.

If you are exposed to decibel levels above 85 for an extended period of time, you may be damaging your ears. Tiny little hair like cilia line the inner ear. They are responsible for receiving noise vibrations and sending these signals to the brain where they are interpreted. When loud noises damage these cilia, they cannot be repaired by the body. Overtime, this can lead to permanent, irreversible hearing damage.

Some power tools can reach over 90 decibels, meaning exposure to these tools may cause hearing damage if proper measures aren’t taken to reduce the damaging decibels.

Deafness Research UK lends the following advice for DIY folks and others who may be exposed to loud noises during leisure activities:

• Use earplugs. Earplugs can be unobtrusive and will not block out the sound of

music or conversation. In fact, by blocking the excess noise, they can improve

your ability to make out conversation and music. If worn correctly, earplugs can

reduce sound levels by between 15 and 35 dBA. Special earplugs are available

for musicians.

• Take regular breaks from the music or other noise source. Aim for at least ten

minutes’ break every hour.

• Give your ears time to recover after exposure to excessive noise. Exposure to a

100 dBA sound for around two hours requires at least 16 hours of rest for the

ears if the hearing loss is not to become permanent. A minority of people are

more sensitive and a longer period of rest may be required.

• Avoid standing too close to the speakers or other noise source.

• Don’t go to noisy places too often, and try less noisy pastimes.

Other leisure activities may require earplugs as well. There are many different types of earplugs to protect your hearing so you can enjoy your activities for many years!

Motorcycle Earplugs

Shooting Earplugs

Musician’s Earplugs

Swimming Earplugs

I’m a music lover (yes, I know I’ve mentioned this a time or two), and the way I view hearing protection is akin to the way I view protecting and appreciating any gift. I don’t know what I’d do if I couldn’t hear my music or other important sounds such as my children laughing, singing or even telling one of those incessant knock-knock jokes.

For me, wearing musician’s earplugs when I attend concerts or clubs is a must. The music actually sounds much better and a don’t have to suffer from the annoying muffle or ringing in my ears after the show. Not only does this protect my hearing and ensure I’ll be able to hear my music for many years to come, but what if I run into one of my favourite musician’s after the show someday? I’d hate to miss out on that conversation!

I also use custom earphones or fleximonitors when I listen to my iPod. The attenuating filters allow studio quality music into my ears while filtering out distortion. This way, I can enjoy the music to its fullest degree without cranking up the volume.

My children are too young for fleximonitors, so I bought external speakers for their bedrooms so they wouldn’t have earphones in all the time. It’s important to monitor the volume on your child’s personal music device or handheld gaming device. Check with them while they are using these items by asking them a question in a normal voice. If you have to yell, they have it up too loud. Or, you might be asking them a question they don’t want to answer, so ask something like “Would you like some ice cream?” rather than “Did you do your homework?”

Enjoying music is perhaps the biggest area in my life where hearing protection is required, but there are certainly other instances for hearing protection. Motorcyclists, sharpshooters, hunters and other sporting enthusiasts should definitely wear motorcycle earplugs, shooter’s earplugs or sporting earplugs. If you have anyone on your holiday list who could benefit from hearing protection, you might want to throw a pair of inexpensive earplugs in their gift bag and spread the word about this important area of preventative health.

Remember, hearing damage is permanent! It’s not something that should be ignored, and I hope music lovers and sporting enthusiasts alike begin to deem a simple thing like earplugs a little more important.

Cheers!
Meghan

The study printed in the Journal of Otolaryngology found that the noise to the left and right of a convertible driver can reach more than 88 decibels at speeds over 50 mph. Higher speeds may increase those figures to even higher, more damaging, decibel levels. Remember, permanent hearing damage can occur after repeated exposure to decibel levels at merely 85.

Motorcycling earplugs may come in handy for those Sunday afternoon drives in your convertible. If anything, they would make your drive more comfortable and at the same time, protect your ears from permanent damage. There are many different types of earplugs that can protect your ears while you drive your convertible. The following three are most likely your best choices.

You can purchase Moldex Spark Plugs Pocket Pak. There are two pairs of contoured shape earplugs in a handy plastic case. They are bright in colour and highly comfortable. They are capable of blocking up to 35 decibels making them extremely protective.

Another good choice would be Alpine MotoSafe earplugs. You can hear ambient noise because of the attenuating filters, but they also block damaging decibels. You’ll be able to hear your passengers and sounds such as emergency vehicles. They are also reusable. Just a quick wash and dry and they’ll be good to go for your next road trip.

For the avid driver, ProGuard makes custom motorcycle earplugs. You simply order the complete kit and take it with you to a predetermined audiology lab where impressions will be taken of your ears. Send the impressions back in the kit and your custom earplugs will arrive in just 14 business days. You’ll be amazed at the extreme comfort and protection custom earplugs provide because they’ve been created to fit the exact shape of your ear canal. They come with a few different filters to change the level of protection.

This is just another example of how earplugs come in handy for many common activities. Whether you’re driving a convertible or a motorcycle, there’s a pair of earplugs that will help protect your hearing for many years to come while you enjoy your road trips. Protecting your ears is an easy remedy, so make sure you protect your hearing today!

Cheers for now!

Meghan

Are you planning to attend? If you are, you still have time to order your earplugs, and with decibel levels reaching 120 dB, you probably ought to make that preparation priority! Remember that hearing damage can occur almost immediately at 120 dB! And with 80 or more bikers screeching past for miles and miles of road, there is a high possibility of incurring hearing damage or tinnitus (painful ringing in the ears).

If you happen to be a participant, you probably already have your ProGuard Custom Motorcycle Earplugs. Spectators can find great hearing protection and comfort in many different motorcycling earplugs.

Moldex Spark Plugs earplug pocket pack is a great alternative to more expensive earplugs. They are convenient and I happen to keep a pack in my purse for those unexpected noisy occasions. They are very comfortable foam earplugs that you compress, easily insert, and the material expands to fit the contour of your ear canal.

There are also reusable earplugs that have flanges and are attenuating earplugs that filter harmful noise while still allowing you to hear conversations.

Remember that if you have to shout in order to be heard, the noise around you is damaging to your ears. Professional motorcyclists and racecar drivers have been protecting their hearing with earplugs for many years, and it’s time that the spectators did the same!

If you plan to bring your child with you, remember to protect their ears too! Children’s ears are very sensitive to noise. My kids are old enough for children’s earplugs, but young toddlers might prefer earmuffs.

You still have time to order your motorcycling earplugs because The Earplug Shop offers next day delivery.

He’d only been riding it a few weeks when I noticed that he seemed to be ignoring me. He had mentioned that the office receptionist thought it was kind of cool that he was riding the Harley! I thought, should I be jealous? Then I realised what was really going on! He couldn’t hear me! When I would make a comment about a movie we were watching, it wasn’t that he was dismissing it, he literally didn’t hear me say it.

I realised this because I started noticing him turning up the volume and talking more loudly. Now, I’m not sure if he heard me say “please take the garbage out” and simply ignored me, but I did know based on the other symptoms that the bike we’d purchased to save money on gas was causing hearing loss! After a bit of research, I realized that this is a pretty common occurrence whether you’re a die hard biker or an occasional guest on the back of a bike (like me).

Hearing loss can occur at decibel levels as low as 85 and some motorcycles, including our little Sportster can have a decibel level of 100 decibels at idle, 108 at moderate rpms and 120 decibels at fully revved. In other words, hearing loss or tinnitus (painful ringing in the ears) can begin to occur while sitting on your Harley in the driveway!

We’d purchased a helmet for safety, but we hadn’t thought about my husband’s hearing. I’m sure there are times when he’d rather not hear me, but I decided it was best if we looked into purchasing motorcycle earplugs.  At first, we couldn’t afford anything but a Moldex Sparkplugs Pocket Pack, and they worked beautifully, but then we looked into custom motorcycle earplugs and my husband found them very comfortable under his helmet.

I still use the Moldex Sparkplugs Pocket Pack if and when I ride. Call me a worrier, but the older I get, the more I appreciate the airbags in the four walls of my Honda! My husband on the other hand has recently purchased a leather jacket and I’m starting to wonder if he’ll want to go to Sturgis next year! Yikes! I think I’ll stick around here for my concerts rather than spend a few days eating bugs in the wind.

Cheers for now!

Meghan

P.S. If you ride, protect your hearing or his! Order your motorcycle earplugs, custom or disposable, today!