Universal Hearing Protection Products
Protecting your hearing is one of the most vital ways to protect your health. After all, no one should experience the disappointment of missing out on life because your hearing has deteriorated.
Vibrant Hearing is one of the leading hearing and ear protection groups in Western Montana. Since 1970, our group of audiologists has taken a patient-centered approach and focused on new technologies to help restore hearing to anyone who needs it.
Choosing the Right Hearing Protection Devices
There are plenty of ways to provide excellent hearing protection for your ears. It’s not just about buying a pair of earmuffs and hoping for the best. Custom ear protection is almost necessary, depending on your needs. You need the best options to protect your hearing, from construction sites to working outdoors.
Here are just a few options the experts at Vibrant Hearing can offer you:
Expandable foam plugs
Expandable foam plugs have been a mainstay at construction sites for decades, giving workers an affordable and effective way to protect their hearing.
These plugs are a formable material designed to expand and conform to each person’s ear canal shape. Roll the expandable plugs into a thin, crease-free cylinder. Whether you roll plugs with your thumb and fingers or across your palm doesn’t matter. The result is critical—a smooth tube thin enough so that about half the length will fit easily into your ear canal. Some individuals, especially women with small ear canals, have difficulty rolling typical plugs small enough to make them fit. A few manufacturers now offer a small size expandable plug.
Canal caps
Canal caps often resemble earplugs on a flexible plastic or metal band. The earplug tips of a canal cap may be formable or pre-molded. Some have headbands that can be worn over the head, behind the neck, or under the chin. Newer models have jointed bands, increasing the ability to seal the earplug properly.
The main advantage canal caps offer is convenience. Employees can leave the band hanging around their necks when it’s quiet and quickly insert the plug tips when hazardous noise starts again. Some people find the pressure from the bands uncomfortable. Not all canal caps have tips that adequately block all types of noise. Generally, the tips resembling stand-alone earplugs block the most noise.
Earmuffs
Earmuffs come in many models designed to fit most people. They work to block out noise by completely covering the outer ear. Muffs can be “low profile” with small ear cups or large to hold extra materials for use in extreme noise. Some muffs include electronic components to help users communicate or block impulsive noises.
Workers with heavy beards, sideburns, or glasses may find getting good protection from earmuffs challenging. The glasses’ hair and temples break the earmuff cushions’ seal around the ear. For these workers, earplugs are best. Other potential drawbacks of earmuffs are that some people feel they can be hot and heavy in some environments.
The best hearing protector is the one that is comfortable and convenient and that you will wear whenever you are in an environment with hazardous noise.
Filtered
Universal-fit filtered earplugs are designed to be uniform in attenuation, meaning they reduce sound relatively equally across all frequencies to keep music sounding more natural.
Trust the Hearing Experts at Vibrant Hearing
Whatever your hearing needs, the audiologists at Vibrant Hearing are ready to assist you in protecting one of the most vital senses. Learn more about our product selection, or contact us today to schedule an appointment. We look forward to serving you.
