How to Choose a Hearing Protection Device

Sounds louder than 90 decibels cause damage to the delicate hearing nerves in your ears. The damage caused by repeated exposure to loud noise will eventually lead to hearing loss. Protecting your ears when in noisy environments can reduce your risk of developing hearing loss later in life. Hearing protection comes in various materials and styles. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the best form of hearing protection is one you can comfortably wear every time you’re in an environment with hazardous noise levels.

Instructions

• 1

  Determine when you’ll be using ear protection devices the most. During what kinds of activities? Certain custom styles of ear protection are worth investing in if you’ll be using them often. For example, custom earplugs for hunters and shooters have valves. They offer exceptional protection when your gun is firing, and open up once the noise stops.

  According to Starkey Laboratories, law enforcement officers, pilots, race-car drivers and industrial workers should use ear protection with valves to protect their ears from permanent damage.

• 2

  Decide how much you want to spend on hearing protection. Custom-fitted earplugs range in price from $150.00 to $300.00 per pair. Disposable foam and silicone earplugs cost $5.00 to $10.00 for several pairs.

• 3

  Try several sizes and styles of disposable earplugs until you find a style that works best for your ears. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, earplugs should seal your ear canals without being uncomfortable.

• 4

  Have a professional hearing aid clinician take your ear impressions for ordering custom earplugs. Although some companies offer at-home ear-impression kits, taking an ear impression is complicated. If it is done wrong, you could permanently damage your ear. The more accurate your ear impressions are, the better your earplugs will fit.

• 5

  Use multiple ear protection devices if you’re in varying noise levels. For example, at a shooting range, where many people are shooting at the same time, or at a construction site, where many people are using power tools at the same time, the level of noise can become very intense. Foam earplugs and earmuffs can be used together to drastically dampen surrounding noise levels.

• 6

  Take time to adjust to wearing hearing protection. The more you wear earplugs, the more comfortable they’ll become. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the best way to choose ear protection is through trial and error of the various sizes and styles available.