Should I Wear Earplugs?
Should I wear earplugs? The simple answer is, yes! Once your hearing has been lost it can never be restored. Our hearing degrades naturally as we get older but causing damage at a younger age can make this degradation much worse in older age. Although hearing loss can be managed with hearing aids, the best way to save our hearing is protecting our ears as often as possible.
What are the benefits of wearing earplugs?
Protect your hearing against loss or damage
The inner workings of our ears are very delicate and once our hearing is damaged, this is permanent. The more we can protect our hearing from loud sounds, the longer we can keep our hearing intact.
Reduce the risk of tinnitus
Tinnitus is a ringing or whistling in the ears that isn’t caused by an external sound. It is often associated with hearing loss as it can be caused by exposure to loud environments. To learn more about Tinnitus, check our our blog here.
Enjoy noisy activities comfortably
Ever been to a concert where the music is so loud that you struggle to actually enjoy yourself? Or been on a motorbike for so long that your ears are ringing and you have a headache? Filtered earplugs allow you to still enjoy some of the sounds around you while protecting your hearing!
Multi-purpose
Earplugs can be used in many different scenarios. As long as the level of protection is high enough, the same pair of plugs could be used for work, concerts, shooting, sleeping and flying to name a few.
Help with concentration
If you’re exposed to loud sounds or in a noisy environment for a long period of time such as at work or on a motorbike, earplugs can help you focus on the task at hand and increase concentration.
When should I wear earplugs?
Decibel level and maximum exposure time
This chart shows the average intensity of a sound made by different things and the amount of time it is safe to be exposed to this to, without needing hearing protection.
| Decibel Level | Source of Sound | Length of Time |
| 85dB | Kitchen blender | 8 hours |
| 88dB | Forklift truck | 4 hours |
| 91dB | Tube train | 2 hours |
| 94dB | Lawnmower | 1 hour |
| 97dB | Industrial fire alarm | 30 min |
| 100dB | Bulldozer/handheld drill | 15 min |
| 103dB | MP3 player full volume | 7 min 30 seconds |
| 106dB | Motorbike | 3 min 45 seconds |
| 109dB | Crying baby | 1 min 42 seconds |
| 112dB | Live rock band | 1 min 6 seconds |
| 115dB | Ambulance siren | 33 seconds |
For more information on how loud is loud, you can visit Tinnitus UK’s website!
Should I wear custom or standard earplugs, what’s the difference?
Standard Custom
Advantages of standard/over the counter earplugs
Cheaper short term
Smaller and more discreet
Off the shelf – no impressions needed
Simple to use
Reusable
Advantages of custom earplugs
Better fit – moulded to the ear
Longer lasting
Can be tailored to your needs – shooting, work, concerts
Cheaper in the long run
For more information on the different types of earplugs, you can take a look here.
