Hearing aids can be helpful as they can improve the hearing in a variety of social situations, promote interactions and reduce perception of any tinnitus you may have. Hearing aids, however, can help you regain access to sounds you might miss with hearing loss. Still, prevention is important to avoid harming your hearing in the first place. There are two main ways to do this.

During outdoor events: Many large events may be loud and push the limits for safe levels of listening. These include displays of fireworks, music events, and sports games. You don't have confine yourself to your home, but maybe consider upgrading your smartphone with a sound level app. These are widely available, and you can use them to calculate the noise levels of any sound source to which you are exposed and how long you are in that environment.

When listening to music: Set the volume of your headphones when you're in a calm environment, not a place with lots of opposing sounds. When you can't hear those around you speaking, reduce the volume. Be careful how long you're listening to loud music. The ears adjust over time to higher volume conditions, so you can be harming your hearing even when your ears don't feel uncomfortable with how loud the sounds are.

At work: The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that around 22 million employees experience potentially harmful noise at work. Whether you're working in a bar, teaching in a kindergarten or operating machinery on a farm, hearing loss is preventable. If you need to raise your voice to talk to someone three feet away, it might already be too loud.

Disposable earplugs: Disposable earplugs are comfortable and fit in your ear easily. Typically, they are made of rubber or silicone. Many disposable earplugs must be rolled between your fingers inserted into the ear and held in place until the ear canal is filled and sealed. Although these are effective, they aren’t very long-lasting and will need to be replaced often.

Custom-made earplugs: Custom made earplugs fit into your ear canal much more easily. They definitely cost more money, but they should easily reduce noise and be more comfortable than other styles. These may last for many years and may therefore be cheaper for daily, lengthy use than disposable earplugs.

If you’re looking for custom-fit ear protection, we can help! Contact us today for more information.

Reusable earplugs: Reusable earplugs are comprised of foam, soft plastic, or rubber. They are easily washed and reused. This type are very durable and don't have to be reshaped to fit your ear. But they might not fit as tightly as custom earplugs and probably wont provide as much protection as they do.