One of the greatest threats to your ability to hear well in the years to come is exposure to loud noises. Noise exceeding 85 dB can cause hearing damage over time. Furthermore, certain activities and professions expose you to noisy environments for long enough to impair your hearing acuity.
When it comes to hearing protection, several approaches can prove effective. Depending on what you are doing and the environment in which you operate, one option will better suit your needs.
Here is an overview of the different hearing protection options, how they work, and their benefits. Knowing what is available will allow you to make the best decision for your specific needs and protect your ears from unnecessary wear due to noise.
How can noise damage the ear?
Ears are incredibly well-adapted to perceiving sounds, but only below a certain intensity threshold. Conversations, birds singing in the distance, and most everyday sounds fall within this range. When a sound exceeds the 85 dB threshold, you still hear it perfectly, but over time, you may pay the price with your hearing and your ability to perceive quieter sounds.
Here is a more detailed look at how sound can damage your ears and the type of hearing loss that can result from loud noises. Understanding how noise damages your ears will help you grasp why it is so essential to protect them in the presence of loud sounds.
How does hearing work?
Hearing is a complex human function. It is this complexity that allows you to perceive such a wide dynamic range of sounds. Your ability to hear begins with the shape of the pinna (outer ear) and the ear canal.
When a sound reaches the outer ear, it is channeled into the ear canal, which carries the sound wave to the eardrum. The eardrum vibrates in response to the sound waves that strike it. This vibration is transmitted to the ossicles of the middle ear, which conduct the vibrations to a structure in the inner ear called the cochlea.
When the cochlea vibrates, it converts this physical stimulus into a nerve signal which is then sent to the auditory center of the brain, where it is perceived as sound.
Loud noises and hair cells
The first way high sound levels can damage your hearing is by attacking a part of the cochlea: the hair cells. As described above, the cochlea is responsible for converting vibratory energy into nerve impulses. This is done by extremely specialized hair cells.
The cochlea is a hollow structure that contains hundreds of hair cells. When the middle ear ossicles transmit a sound to the cochlea, a wave travels through it at a frequency and intensity corresponding to the sound emitted.
Each hair cell is tuned to a precise sound frequency. When that frequency reaches the cochlea, the corresponding cell bends and triggers the sending of a nerve signal to the brain for that specific tone.
This is where intensity, or sound power, comes into play: it can damage the delicate hair cells of the inner ear. Listening to music too loudly, being exposed to the roar of a factory, or even standing too close to a motorcycle for too long wears these cells down and reduces their sensitivity.
This is the fundamental mechanism of sensorineural hearing loss, which is usually permanent, as there is no realistic way to restore hair cells to their original state.
Loud noises and the eardrum
Loud sounds can also affect your hearing through the eardrum. The eardrum is the thin membrane that separates the middle ear from the outer ear, and its ability to vibrate like the skin of a drum is essential to your hearing.
Unfortunately, because of the thinness of this tissue, it can tear when a sufficiently powerful sound occurs. Sound is a form of vibratory energy: it propagates through the air by creating waves of pressure differences. If a sound is loud enough, the pressure it generates can be excessive, exceeding the strength of the eardrum and causing it to rupture.
A perforated eardrum is never good news, but unlike sensorineural hearing loss, it can heal over time. A perforated eardrum can lead to sudden hearing loss, dizziness, tinnitus, and ear pain. With time and proper care, the eardrum heals and most people regain their hearing.
Hearing protection options
The best way to prevent the noise-induced hearing loss described above is to wear hearing protection when you know your environment is likely to be noisy. It is impossible to protect your ears from every loud noise, but limiting your exposure as soon as possible with hearing protection will allow you to hear for many more years.
Earmuffs
Earmuffs are one of the most well-known forms of hearing protection: they are very similar in design to over-ear headphones. They consist of two cups placed over the ears and connected by a headband that holds them in place. The cups create a seal and contain sound-absorbing materials that isolate the ears from ambient noise.
Their main advantages: they are generally universal, easy to put on, and allow the ear canals to breathe, which prevents earwax buildup. Among the disadvantages: their relatively large size, their weight, and the fact that they can make the ears sweat.
Banded earplugs
Banded earplugs are plugs connected together by a band, which generally rests behind the neck. The band exerts lateral pressure that helps keep the plugs in place, while also allowing them to be worn around the neck when not in use.
They are perfect for those who like earplugs for sound protection but need to remove and reinsert them frequently. It is practical, for example, if you like going to a drag strip to watch quarter-mile races. The vehicles are very loud, and banded earplugs allow you to put them on and take them off quickly between races.
Single-use foam earplugs
Single-use foam earplugs are among the most common forms of hearing protection. They are very popular because of their low cost and almost universal fit. These plugs are made of a soft foam that is rolled and compressed before being inserted into the ears, where it expands and fills the entire ear canal space.
Single-use earplugs are effective and inexpensive, but some people find that the pressure exerted on the ear canal causes pain, discomfort, or irritation.
Custom-molded earplugs
For people who like earplugs but find them uncomfortable, custom-molded earplugs are an excellent option. This type of protection is made from an impression of your ear, from which plugs are created that fit its exact dimensions.
These plugs are generally better tolerated over long periods, as they exert no force on the ear canal and do not cause the squeezing sensation of hearing protectors with a headband that compresses the head.
Musician's earplugs
One thing many people don't think about: the amount of noise musicians are exposed to when they play. Many musicians suffer from noise-related hearing problems, including musical ear syndrome (also called musical tinnitus) and hearing loss. They could wear standard earplugs, but many hearing protectors muffle sounds, which, for a musician, can be problematic and hinder their performance.
Musician's earplugs are a special type of plug, designed to reduce the intensity of sounds without distorting their pitch or timbre. They resemble custom-molded earplugs but incorporate a special membrane that allows for an accurate sound profile.
Protecting your hearing
Hearing the sounds around us is a beautiful thing, but noise can also damage your ears if it is too loud. By understanding the available hearing protection options, you will be better equipped to preserve your hearing for many years to come.
Sources
Preventing Noise-Induced Hearing Loss | CDC
The Study of Attenuation Levels and the Comfort of Earplugs | NCBI
What Noises Cause Hearing Loss? | NCEH | CDC.
