An earplug is a device that is meant to be inserted in the ear canal to protect the wearer's hearing from loud noises or the intrusion of water, foreign bodies, dust or excessive wind. The ear canal ( external auditory meatus, external acoustic meatus) is a tube running from the Outer ear to the Middle ear.
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Protection from water
Some earplugs are primarily designed to keep water out of the ear canal, especially during swimming and watersports. These may be made of wax or silicone which is custom-fitted to the ear canal by the wearer. Wax has traditionally referred to a substance that is secreted by Bees ( Beeswax) and used by them in constructing their Silicones are largely inert compounds with a wide variety of forms and uses
A 2003 study published in Clinical Otolaryngology, found that a cotton ball saturated with petroleum jelly was more effective at keeping water out of the ear, easier to use, and more comfortable than wax plugs, foam plugs, EarGuard, Aquafit, or EarSeal.
As many have advised, including Jacques-Yves Cousteau[1], ear plugs are actually harmful to divers, especially SCUBA divers. Jacques-Yves Cousteau ( 11 June 1910 – 25 June 1997) was a French naval officer explorer, Ecologist, Scuba divers breathe compressed air or other gas mixtures, at a pressure matching the water pressure. This pressure is also inside the ear, but not between the eardrum and the earplug, so the pressure behind the eardrum will often burst the eardrum. Skin divers have less pressure inside the ears, but they also have only atmospheric pressure in the outer ear canal.
Hearing protection
History
The first recorded use of wax earplugs is in the Odyssey, wherein Odysseus's crew used wax earplugs to avoid being distracted by the Sirens' songs. The Odyssey ( Greek: Ὀδύσσεια or Odússeia) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. grc-Latn Odysseus or la Ulysses ( Greek grc-Latn Odysseus; Latin: la Ulixes or more commonly Ulysses) oʊˈdɪsiəs In Greek mythology, the Sirens ( Greek singular Seirēn; Greek plural Seirēnes) were three dangerous bird-women
Current earplug material was discovered in 1967, at National Research in the USA, by Ross Gardner and his team. As part of a project on sealing joints, they developed a resin with energy absorption properties. This E-A-R material was later developed into commercial memory foam earplugs. Memory foam is made from Polyurethane with additional chemicals that increase its Viscosity level thereby increasing its Density.
'Basic' type plugs
This kind of earplug protection is often worn by industrial workers who work within hearing distance of loud machinery for long periods, and is used by the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) for soldiers to use when firing weapons. Industrial noise is usually considered mainly from the point of view of environmental health and safety rather than nuisance as sustained exposure can cause permanent hearing damage The Ministry of Defence ( MoD) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters A soldier is a general English term that refers to a member of a land component of National Armed forces. Earplugs are rated with "Noise Reduction Ratings" or NRRs (Single Number Ratings, or SNR, in the European Union), which provide a guide to the noise protection, in decibels, afforded by the device. The decibel ( dB) is a logarithmic unit of measurement that expresses the magnitude of a physical quantity (usually power or intensity relative to Ratings usually spread between 26 and 33 decibels.
Most earplugs are made of memory foam, that is typically rolled into a tightly compressed cylinder (without creases) by the wearer's fingers and then inserted in the ear canal. Memory foam is made from Polyurethane with additional chemicals that increase its Viscosity level thereby increasing its Density. Once released, the earplug expands until it seals the canal, blocking the sound vibrations that reach the eardrum. The tympanic membrane (also tympanum or myrinx is a thin membrane that separates the External ear from the Middle ear. Other plugs simply push into the ear canal without being rolled first. Sometimes earplugs are connected with a cord to keep them together when not in use. Other common material bases for earplugs are wax or silicone, which is rolled into a ball and carefully molded to fit over the external portion of the ear canal, providing a snug custom fit for the wearer. Wax has traditionally referred to a substance that is secreted by Bees ( Beeswax) and used by them in constructing their Silicones are largely inert compounds with a wide variety of forms and uses
Other devices that provide hearing protection include electronic devices worn around and/or in the ear, designed to cancel out the loud noise of a gunshot, while possibly amplifying quieter sounds to normal levels. While rich in features, these electronic devices carry a price over one hundred times their foam counterparts.
Since they reduce the sound volume, earplugs are often used to help prevent hearing loss and tinnitus (ringing of the ears), amongst other ailments. Tinnitus (tɪˈnaɪtəs or /ˈtɪnɪtəs/ from the Latin word for " Ringing " is the perception of sound within the human ear in the absence of corresponding
Musicians' or 'Hi-Fi' earplugs
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Some earplugs are manufactured to provide a direct decibel drop without affecting the user's perception of bass and treble levels. The decibel ( dB) is a logarithmic unit of measurement that expresses the magnitude of a physical quantity (usually power or intensity relative to Bass (ˈbɛɪs as in base) when used as an adjective is used to describe tones of low Frequency or range. These are commonly used by musicians and technicians both in the studio and in concert to avoid overexposure to high volume levels whilst providing a good balance over the frequency range.
Musicians who perform music styles noted for their loud nature, especially rock music, often wear earplugs to prevent their own performances from damaging their hearing. A musician is a person who plays or writes Music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music An instrumentalist plays a Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums.
Musicians' earplugs are designed to attenuate sounds evenly across the audio band thus enabling musicians to hear clearly the upper harmonics, vocals, cymbals, and other high frequencies, but at a reduced volume level. In Physics, attenuation (in some context also called extinction) is the gradual loss in intensity of any kind of Flux through a medium An audio frequency (abbreviation AF) or audible frequency is characterized as a periodic vibration whose Frequency is audible to the average human They generally achieve this by incorporating a tiny diaphram to reduce low frequencies, together with absorbant or damping material for high frequencies, and so can be quite costly, being intended for constant re-use unlike simple earplugs which are disposable. These earplugs usually give an attenuation of only about 20dB and are not intended for protection from very high noise levels (>105 dB).
Some "Musicians" earplugs are custom made for the individual listener. This involves visiting an audiologist to undergo a hearing test and getting the molds made to send to a company who will then make the customer a custom set of molds into which different capsules can be inserted.
These different capsules will provide different levels of attenuation, usually 9, 15, and 25dB. These types of earplugs will provide the flattest attenuation and the truest isolation from outside noise, as they fit firmly into the individuals ears. They also provide much better protection from very high noise levels. This type of plugs is quite popular amongst audio engineers as they can listen to their loud mixes at an even and safe level for extended periods.
In other activities, hobby motorcyclists and skiiers may also choose to use decibel reduction earplugs, to compensate for the ongoing noise of the wind against their head or helmet. Motorcycling is the act of riding a Motorcycle. A variety of subcultures A ski is a long flat device worn on the feet designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow
Flight ear protection
Earplugs are available which help to protect ears from the pain caused by airplane cabin pressure changes. Some products contain a porous ceramic insert which reportedly aids equalization of air pressure between the inner and outer ear thereby preventing pain during landings and take-offs.
Health risks
Prolonged use of earplugs may cause earwax to build up and plug the outer ear, since it blocks the normal flow of earwax outwards. Earwax, also known by the Medical term cerumen, is a yellowish waxy substance secreted in the Ear canal of Humans and many other The outer ear is the external portion of the Ear, which consists of the pinna, Concha, and Auditory meatus. [2] Therefore, it is necessary to clean both the ear plugs and ears between use in cases of prolonged use, e. g. when sleeping with earplugs. Otherwise tinnitus, hearing loss, discharge, pain, and infection might arise. Tinnitus (tɪˈnaɪtəs or /ˈtɪnɪtəs/ from the Latin word for " Ringing " is the perception of sound within the human ear in the absence of corresponding [2] Earplugs are washed with water and mild soap, and rinsed thoroughly with clean water and dried by air or by using a clean cloth. Earwax removal, on the other hand, can be performed in several ways. Earwax, also known by the Medical term cerumen, is a yellowish waxy substance secreted in the Ear canal of Humans and many other Simple movement of the jaw helps the ears' natural cleaning process, so chewing gum and talking can both help. For songs called "Chewing Gum" see Chewing Gum (song Chewing gum is a type of Confectionery traditionally made of Chicle If this is insufficient, the most common method of cerumen removal by general practitioners is syringing with warm water (used by 95% of GPs[3]). A general practitioner, or GP is a medical practitioner who provides Primary care and specializes in Family medicine. A syringe is a simple piston Pump consisting of a plunger that fits tightly in a tube A curette method is more likely to be used by otolaryngologists when the ear canal is partially occluded and the material is not adhering to the skin of the ear canal. A curette is a Spoon -shaped surgical instrument for cleaning a diseased surface Otolaryngology is the branch of Medicine that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of Ear, Nose, Throat, and head and neck disorders Cotton swabs, on the other hand, might just push the earwax further into the ear canal. Cotton swabs ( British English: cotton buds) are used in First aid, Cosmetics application and a variety of other uses
Custom molds
Noise and decibel reduction earplugs can be molded to fit an individual's ear canal. The ear canal ( external auditory meatus, external acoustic meatus) is a tube running from the Outer ear to the Middle ear. This is associated with a higher cost, but can help to reduce the discomfort typically experienced after longer use, or if the level of protection or performance is inadequate.
Pressure and flight earplug molds are less common, as they are typically not used as long as other earplugs, and are therefore less in demand.
Non-human
Earplugs are available for horses used in sports such as mounted shooting. The horse ( Equus caballus) is a hoofed ( Ungulate) Mammal, one of eight living species of the family Equidae. [4]
References
- ^ The Silent World (New York:1953, Harper, pp. 5-6)
- ^ a b Columbia University - Ear plugs
- ^ Sharp, J. F. , Wilson, J. A. , Ross, L. , Barr-Hamilton, R. M. (1990). "Ear wax removal: A survey of current practice". Br. Med. J. 301 (6763): 1251-1253. PMID 2271824.
- ^ horse earplugs on a vendor website, accessed 2008-03-02.
External links
- Surfplugs for surfers & swimmers
- Soundguard Hearing protection
- Mack's Earplugs website
- Hearing education and awareness for rockers
- Don't lose the music campaign website
- Royal National Institute for Deaf people
- "the naked truth about NRR's"--scientific analysis of ear plug effectiveness
Dictionary
earplug
-noun
- A piece of protective clothing that is meant to be inserted in the ear canal to protect the wearer's hearing from loud noises or the intrusion of water
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