Alternatives to Earplugs

You're exposed to sound everyday. Most of these sounds are not loud enough to damage your hearing, but if you're exposed to loud noise on a daily basis, you need hearing protection. Earplugs are easy to carry with you, and not too expensive. But if you have ear problems that make earplugs unsuitable, alternative hearing protection is available.

Ultimately, the best hearing protection will be something that's comfortable enough to wear when you need to.

Cap-Mounted Earmuffs

• If you work in an industrial environment with a high noise level, you need ear protection that prevents hearing damage but lets you keep in contact with other workers. You need earmuffs with different sound levels that are suited to your particular work environment.

  Cap-mounted earmuffs are constructed with steel wire, so you can use them daily, and these earmuffs should give you many years of use. A padded foam headband gives you a comfortable fit, and with extra soft ear cushions, you won't feel like your ears are being squeezed. Put your earmuffs into place when you need them, and swing them back when you're not using them.

  Newly patented technology controlling how sound passes through the earmuffs lets you hear conversation more clearly, while blocking out high noise levels.

  Hard hats come in different styles and are sold separately.

Ear Canal Caps

• Ear canal caps look like earplugs and can be worn inside or outside of the ear canal. If you buy an ear canal cap with a headband, you can choose to wear the headband over your head, behind your head, or underneath your chin. Adjust the headband if it feels too tight.

  Some prefer ear canal caps, because they're convenient to insert into your ears when you need them to block out noise. Ear canal caps work most efficiently when you're exposed to noise levels for short periods of time but are not effective for high noise levels.

Noise Muffs

• A noise muff consists of two plastic ear cups, cup seals, and a headband. According to the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventative Medicine, noise muffs work effectively for people who can't wear earplugs due to a medical or work condition.

  Cup seals can be made from foam or liquid materials, with liquid seals providing better hearing protection from loud noise. The outside of your ears should be completely covered by the noise muffs, and the seals should be aligned with your face. If you're wearing glasses or earrings or have hair hanging over your ears, these items may interfere with the proper fit of the noise muffs.

  Adjust the tension in the headband so that the noise muffs form a good seal around the ears. You can wear the headband over your head, behind your head, or underneath your chin. If you're working in an industrial job that requires head protection, you can mount your noise muffs to a hard hat.

  Noise muffs may be more comfortable for some people than wearing earplugs, and one size fits most adults. If you have a small ear canal, an earplug can fit too tightly; causing pain in the ear, or your earplug may continually slip out of your ear.

  It's easier to misplace earplugs, especially if you're removing and reinserting the earplugs throughout the day.

  Ear cup seals on noise muffs are better at blocking high frequency sounds. Exposure to high frequency sounds while wearing earplugs may cause your speech to sound muffled, and your words may not be heard.