Category Archives: Noise Earplugs

Ear plugs: Christmas Shopping

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I love Christmas shopping, in my eyes it is the best part of the holiday. You really have to put some thought into the gift you want to give, but once you have a warm feeling come over you. You know your loved one is going to adore it and it is one of the best feelings in the world.

Over the weekend I started my Christmas shopping, the Christmas lights have already been switched on, the big Christmas tree in the town square has been put up and everyone is in a really good mood. Christmas is definitely on the way.

However, it was a different story however, when I walked into the stores. People were wearing faces filled with stress and dare I say it remorse. I must admit myself, at the end of my shopping trip I was glad to be home.

The shops were filled with couples searching for gifts, whilst letting their little ones run riot around the stores. They were bumping into people and into the displays, crying when they fell over. The mass of people in each store, I think was more the problem than the children running around. Shopping became stressful. If only there was a way of blocking it all out.

Then it dawn on me, as soon as I started writing this piece. Ear plugs. Why didn’t I think of that? It would have blocked the sound of crying and screaming children, couples arguing over how much they want to spend on their relatives and the bad Christmas music that shops are adamant in playing.

It would have been peaceful. Well at least I know for next time.

Ear plugs: Pantos need to be blocked out?

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I have always found pantos a lot of fun and in the past couple of years they are growing in popularity, especially with young families. Pantomimes like Christmas is a bit of fun and you can’t take it too seriously, but because there is a higher demand for tickets and more shows the noise levels are also rising.

Last year I could hardly hear the punch lines. It was still an enjoyable experience, but having a lot of children crying, running about and having everyone talking above the performers did mean I missed quite a lot of the jokes.

I don’t want to sound like a bar humbug, I suppose I have sensitive hearing. So this year, I am going to bring along some noise reduction ear plugs. Why? Surely that will block everything? Well, I have found they only block the noises that can be harmful to your hearing, whilst letting the good noises in. These ear plugs can do this due to having two sets of filters, which I think is pretty amazing.

This year will most certainly be jolly, I will be able to hear all the jokes and really get involved in the panto and the audience, instead of suffering in silence.

Noise Pollution

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Noise pollution is everywhere we go, we can never escape it, but not all noise pollution is bad, it all depends on the level of which the noise is omitted. Safe sounds are measured up to 85dB (decibels), anything above that can have serious effects on your health. Noise pollution can cause not only hearing problems such as tinnitus and hearing loss, but can have an effect on sleep, aggression and stress levels, which in itself has damaging health effects.

High noise levels can have damaging effects even when exposed to the sound for a short amount of time, according to Hearing Loss and Coronary heart disease by S. Rosen and P. Olin during an eight hour period blood pressure can rise by five to ten points, which can rise even more if stressed.

Many people who reside in urban areas where there is a lot of noise pollution (maybe they have an airport situated close by) according to a study undertaken in 2005 approximately pay 4 Euros per decibel per year for noise reduction. However, there is a simpler way to protect your hearing and health when it comes to noise pollution and that is wearing a pair of noise reduction ear plugs. They are cheaper and can be taken everywhere you go, whether you decide to attend a music concert or are travelling.

It is scary how easily our hearing can be damaged, but it is even more reassuring that it can be protected just as easily, if not more so.

Hearing and Balance

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We all know how important our hearing is, once you have lost it, there is no way of getting it back. Many people who suffer from hearing loss use hearing aids to help hear better, amplifying the sounds they are hearing to make them louder and clearer. However, our hearing has an even more significant effect on the way we live, it also affects our balance.

Hearing and balance work hand in hand as balance is controlled through the vestibular system, which is found in the inner ear. The cochlea and the vestibular also share the same bone space and the same fluid, making it increasingly important that nothing harmful happens to the inner ear.

It is also known that the vestibular system depends highly not only hearing systems, but also vision and muscle feedback to function successfully. The best way to prevent damage to your inner ear when subjected to loud noises is to reach for protective wear.

When it comes to preventing hearing loss and damage to the inner ear there is a simple, effective and cheap way. Ear plugs will help you protect your hearing from harmful sounds, some have unique filters which allow you to block the harmful noises from reaching your inner ear, but still allows you to hear the sounds you want to. The best ear plugs to have on you are noise reduction ear plugs as you can choose the NRR (noise reduction rating) depending on how noisy the environment you live, work or socialise in.

Ear plugs offered by the Canton Chapter of Quota International

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Ear plugs are being offered to local businesses and audiologists as an incentive to healthy hearing by the Canton Chapter of Quota International.

The group, Quota International provides services to people with hearing or speech difficulties as well as services for disadvantaged women and children across the world.

The Canton chapter raises funds annually to support community activities, provide scholarships for colleges and holiday dinner for girls at the Multi-County Juvenile Attention Centre as well as honouring a person in a community that is making a difference or a deaf teen.

Healthy hearing is extremely important in everyday life it helps us communicate with others, helps us balance and enjoy the sounds of whatever life throws at us. Hearing damage can have a lot of disheartening effects such as depression, isolation and anxiety so it is increasingly important to protect your hearing whenever necessary and the younger you are when you begin to protect your hearing the better quality of life you will have when you are older.

The best way to protect your hearing is by wearing a pair of ear plugs when you feel your ear ringing (which is a sign of tinnitus) or when you think the sound levels are just too high.

If ever in doubt of the level of noises that are omitted when for instance at a concert, noise reduction ear plugs are always the safest option when it comes to protecting your hearing.

Residents for the G20 may have needed ear plugs

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It has been a while since the G20 summit, however I have found it is really interesting to see that ear plugs have even been mentioned on such a political agenda. Many ear plug stores have been wanting to cash in on noisy demonstrations and in some cases rightly so.

Protesters, delegates and residents living nearby have been the main target audience as it only takes a few seconds of exposure to permanently damage your hearing. This is the message that peopel are trying to get across when such demonstrations are in play, but how many are listening?

In a recent report specialised ear plugs have been a main focus to help prevent any hearing damage to people taking part in the demonstration as well as nearby residents. Not only do these noise reduction ear plugs, such as Mack’s Ultra SafeSound soft foam ear plugs prevent damaging noise entering the ear canal it can also help people hear more coherently. This is a win win situation not only will protestors be able to protect their hearing they will also be able to hear what is being said and construct their arguement better.

demonstrations and political debates happen everywhere around the world and happen on a regular basis so if there are any events happenign aorund your area, whether you live by or are takign part ear plugs could be just what the hearing doctor ordered as some protests can become extremely loud.

Hyperacusis in the news

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I was reading a newspaper article recently and there was a very interesting topic on hearing problem, hyperacusis. Singer-song writer Chris Singleton suffered from this condition, which put a strain on his career and relationship with his girlfriend. His ears became extremely sensitive to everyday sounds, such as the sound of espresso machines and mobile ringtones.

Chris told the Independent; “It started with the sensation of a ‘fullness’ in my ears, a bit like the experience you might have after swimming,” he says. “Then, within weeks, the most commonplace noises were becoming excruciating.”

“I suffered from it for the best part of a year and it affected every aspect of my life. I had moved to London to be with my girlfriend, Emma, and it put a real strain on our relationship. I was angry and irritable all the time and she would have to tip-toe around me. During arguments, we would have to whisper rather than shout.”

To make sure he could hear without having constant pains in his ears, Chris wore attenuating earplugs to lower the level of sound emitted whilst still being able to hear conversations.

In the studio, when he was mixing his first album at Abbey Road, Chris found himself in an embarrassing situation, having to tell the engineer to turn the volume down. “He looked at me like I had lost my mind”.

After a while and countless appointments with the doctor, Chris Singleton was diagnosed with the rare medical condition of hyperacusis, in which he had to refrain from wearing the earplugs and attend regular appointments at a hearing therapist.

“It’s made me appreciate my hearing, that’s for sure. I’m careful not to wear headphones that much and when I’m playing or at a gig I wear special musician’s earplugs.”

Clubbing experience with ear plugs

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Clubs always boast a great atmosphere to be a part of where you can enjoy and share the music you love with other people. However, if you tend to go out painting the town red regularly it can seriously damage your hearing as clubs can reach approximately 120dB. Not only is this a matter for people attending the nightclubs, but it is also concerning for those working the nights such as the bouncers, bar staff and DJs.

The solution to the problem is to wear ear plugs, but if you are concerned about the aesthetics of wearing them there are ear plugs that are very small and discreet. By wearing ear plugs, it will help you with your hearing in years to come and what’s more will allow you to enjoy your music for longer without any ringing sensation.

There are many disadvantages of going clubbing; sore throats from trying to communicate over the music, suffering from ringing ears and if the volume is too loud can change the enjoyment of the music. With musician ear plugs not only will you be able to hear conversations and prevent ringing ears you will also be able to enjoy the music as it will intensify and clarify it.

Another ear plug form that could be advantageous is noise reduction ear plugs as they reduce the background noise to a safer level and giving you the benefit of hearing conversations over the music. There are many forms of ear plugs out there for you to choose from and are all suitable for wearing when out hitting the nightclubs; re-usable, mouldable, custom fit and pre-moulded.

Hearing festivals in all their glory

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It is the festival season and what better way to celebrate music and enjoy great atmospheres, but the sounds emitted can have a serious effect on your hearing. It has been featured in the Music Festival Survival Guide that earplugs are one of the essential items for you to take with you in your backpack.

Here are some reasons why:

Screaming fans

Yes the band you are seeing are amazing musicians, yes they maybe heartthrobs, but is it necessary for all the screaming? If you are lucky to be close to the main stage as well, not only could you be damaging your hearing with the volume of the screams but also the noise coming from the speakers.  Musician earplugs could help you have an excellent time at the festival as it will decrease the level of sound, but still allowing you to have a conversation with your fellow festivalers.

Techno music at 5am

People sometimes like to party into the early hours of the morning and that can mean the campsite could get extremely loud. If you like to up at a reasonable time to see your favourite bands that are starting fairly early in the day, sleeping earplugs could be the solution. With the help of these earplugs they will allow you to drift into sleep and have a good night’s rest without having to put up with the disturbance outside.

Spectators thinking they can form a band themselves

After hearing their favourite bands playing, some spectators become inspired and believe that they too can become the greatest rock band in the world, whereas a matter of fact they are pretty rubbish. Simple noise reduction earplugs could help you block the sounds of dreary vocals pretending to be Rod Stewart whilst still allowing you to hear the professionals and hear the conversation your friends are trying to have.

Hearing loss in children

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Hearing is a critical part of a child’s cognitive learning and with 1 in 3 out of 1,000 babies being affected by hearing loss and deafness, it is extremely important to have your babies hearing screened on a regular basis.

The good news about hearing loss in small children is that it can be treated if it is caught early, preferably before they are 3 months old, however some are not treated quickly enough. Hearing loss in children can occur due to a number of reasons such as:

  • Born prematurely
  • Stayed in the neonatal intensive care unit
  • Had high bilirub requiring a transfusion
  • Had frequent ear infections
  • Exposed to very loud sounds even for a brief duration.

Children are very sensitive when it comes to loud sounds and being exposed to deafening noises. Even at an extremely young stage of life hearing is imperial for children’s learning. The best way to protect your children’s hearing is to use earplugs designed specifically for them. These earplugs cannot be used for babies, but are ideal for young children who are learning to swim and who are exposed to damaging noises.

When my children were growing up, I made sure they always wore these children earplugs to prevent them from getting any infections such as swimmers ear. Children’s hearing is extremely important and I felt I had to make sure they were protected in times when it was very loud such as days out when we went to see plays.