More than 1 billion people are at high risk of noise-induced hearing loss, especially teens and young adults ages 12-35, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). From concerts and loud live events to blasting music on radios and personal devices, the world has only gotten louder and louder.
Hearing protection can help alleviate the damages of noise-related hearing damage , whether it be from a one-time extreme noise event or long-term exposure. Earplugs, even generic ones, can provide adequate protection when attending concerts or going hunting. However, custom-molded hearing protection brings a tight acoustic seal that will protect your unique ears, no matter the context you’re needing them for.
If you’re a musician, a hunter, an avid concertgoer, or looking to protect your hearing for the long run, your search for custom hearing protection in the Bay Area ends here with us. Berkeley Hearing Center provides custom hearing protection for a broad range of lifestyles, occupations, and activities.
Do I Have Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL)?
NIHL can affect us at any time and age. Exposure to loud noise, whether it be a one-time event (like a sudden gunshot or explosion) or over a prolonged time period (like listening to music every day at full volume), will damage the hair-like sensory cells in the inner ear that convert soundwaves to the electrical signals our brain registers as sound.
Damage to your hearing depends on the intensity of the sound as well as the time you spend exposed to it. Any sound over 85 decibels (dB) can prove to be damaging, and the longer you listen to a loud sound, the more likely you’ll suffer hearing damage from it.
Some examples of loud noise at different times that can all cause damage include:
- 90 dB: a lawnmower for four hours
- 95 dB: an electric drill for one hour
- 100 dB: a nightclub, train, snowmobile for 15 minutes
- 110 dB: a power saw, jackhammer, motorcycle for four minutes
- 120 dB: an ambulance siren, chainsaw, rock concert for one minute
- 130 dB: a stock car race, jet engine for eight seconds
- 140 dB: an airplane takeoff for one second
- 145+ dB: fireworks or firearm discharge instantaneous
If you take part in these or similar occupational, recreational, or social activities that involve ongoing exposure, you should consider custom hearing protection to safeguard your hearing health.
What Benefits Do Custom Earmolds and Earplugs Give Me?
Looking to protect your ears with something a little more than drugstore earplugs? Custom earplugs and earmolds, made to fit the custom contours of your ears, provide the best solution for hearing protection because they:
- Provide an airtight acoustic seal for greater protection (you can even wear them swimming!).
- Allow for greater wearing comfort so you can protect your ears for longer.
- Are less likely to fall out or move around when you’re active, thanks to the custom fit.
- Provide a more accurate frequency response.
- Prevent reverberation inside your ears by allowing sound to pass both ways so you won’t deal with that “plugged up” feeling.
- Come with replaceable, precision-engineered filters for specific, measurable protection, more natural sound, and the capacity to change sound protection for different activities.
- Manufactured from medical-grade silicone for less skin irritation and easier wear.
- Provide a unique fit for each ear.
What Kind of Custom Hearing Protection Do I Need?
Unsure of where to start? You have a myriad of options for custom hearing protection when partnering with us, including:
Custom Solid Noise Plugs
Offering the most all-inclusive hearing protection, solid noise plugs are made of medical grade silicone that offers more comfort than foam plugs. They’re available in a wide array of colors and come with accessories to help keep them safe and in place.
Custom Swim Plugs
Swimmer’s ear and surfer’s ear can contribute to permanent hearing damage, but these conditions are preventable with floating silicone swim plugs. Designed to create a watertight seal within the ear, swim plugs help reduce your chances of developing a swimmer’s or surfer’s ear.
Custom Sleep Plugs
Sleep plugs are made of medical-grade silicone and allow you to lie on a pillow with no discomfort. These are also good options for motorcyclists, as they fit comfortably under the tight fit of a helmet.
Acoustic Filtered Plugs
Acoustic filters allow you to hear speech clearly while providing protection from sounds at a high frequency. These kinds of earplugs are perfect for those who work in moderate noise and need to communicate with their coworkers. Also made of medical-grade silicone, these plugs are available in a wide range of colors.
I’m a Musician – What’s the Best Hearing Protection for Me?
Musicians are one of the groups of people that run the greatest risk of developing NIHL. All genres of musicians could be at risk, not just rock ‘n roll or heavy metal rockers!
Hearing well is crucial for musicians; without the ability to hear the right notes and stay in the right key, a livelihood and joy for music are put at stake.
Many musicians now wear hearing protection on stage, and many more musicians have come out as saying they deal with hearing loss or wear hearing aids as a result of noise exposure giving them hearing loss or tinnitus.
Hearing loss is not physically life threatening, but it can put a musician’s career in jeopardy if not looked after.
One of our doctors of audiology, Dr. Gabriel Liboiron-Cohen, is an avid musician and opera singer. Our entire team knows the importance of good hearing for a strong musical career. Stay on beat with high-fidelity hearing protection, such as:
Musician Earplugs
Our musicians earplugs come in both custom-fitted and non-custom options and are made of materials designed to be worn for extended periods of time. Music isn’t blocked, but high-frequency sound is; you can enjoy the melody without sacrificing the sound, whether you’re making the music or watching it performed.
In-Ear Monitors
Stage monitors for musicians can provide necessary sound to pass through without damaging hearing or sacrificing the musical feedback needed to perform well.
Musicians Earplugs Are Not Just for Musicians
While musicians earplugs are designed to help professional music-makers, they can be beneficial to all sorts of creative virtuosos, such as:
- Students in the school band or orchestra
- Music teachers or conductors
- Concert or festival attendees*
- Nightclub workers or patrons
- Entertainment industry staff (including roadies, managers, and bodyguards)
*Musicians earplugs can actually improve the fidelity of amplified concerts by reducing distortion associated with the auditory system being overdriven.
Looking to Protect Your Hearing?
Noise-induced hearing loss can be easily prevented with hearing protection. Whether you’re a musician, a construction worker, or someone looking to safeguard your hearing for the long run, custom hearing protection provides the most comfortable and protective experience so that you can continue to hear the life you love.
Fill out this form to get more information, or get in touch with a member of our team about custom earplugs and earmolds – we’ll get in touch as soon as we can.
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