All ears are not the same; each of us have different grooves and shapes that make our ears unique. In order to get the best fit possible for your hearing aid, earplug, hunting and swimming protection and even headphones, a custom earplug is ideal.
Included in the price for each custom earmold is the office visits to take the impression and fit the finished product. Earplugs can be created in a variety of colors; glitter can even be added to the mix!
Reduce Damage to Your Hearing
Unfortunately, sometimes the things we love can cause damage to our hearing. This is the case when riding a motorcycle, hunting, shooting, attending concerts and swimming. Some of these activities can damage your hearing because of the continued exposure to loud noises.
Custom Earmolds Protect Your Hearing
A custom earmold can provide the correct level of ear protection, drastically reducing the loudness of sounds that enter the ear. Some of these activities leave us exposed to the elements, such as high winds from riding a motorcycle and the water from competitive swimming. These can all cause damage to the ear.
Earmolds can also be utilized to make a better fitting in-the-ear headphone. Instead of those cheaper models that constantly fall out of your ear and require you to raise the volume to an unsafe level in order to hear the music, custom earmolds for electronic devices can be the solution to these issues.
The headphones will fit securely and comfortably in your ear, never accidently falling out. A great fit also ensures all the music enters your ear, which means you can listen to your favorite tunes at a safe level.
Musician’s Earmolds
Exposure to loud music is one of the leading causes of noise-induced hearing loss. Musicians spend many hours practicing and performing and depend on good hearing in order to compose their music. Unfortunately, consistent exposure to loud music carries a high price. Damaging sounds can lead to a host of hearing disorders including long-term hearing loss, tinnitus and more. Musician’s earplugs can help prevent noise-induced hearing loss while allowing musicians to enjoy the music and reduce their risk of developing permanent hearing damage.
Unlike traditional earplugs that block out noise, resulting in music and speech that is muffled or distorted, musician’s earplugs are high-fidelity, meaning they reduce sound levels evenly while keeping the original quality of the music intact. This translates to music and speech that is clear and natural, and allows musicians to hear their own instruments and how well they blend in with the other band members.
Musician’s earplugs are made up of a diaphragm and earmold that work together to produce attenuation (reduction in sound) that is smooth and flat across the entire frequency range. Many feature interchangeable attenuators that provide multiple levels of sound reduction for different listening situations (e.g., private rehearsals vs. full-scale concerts). They can be used in place of loudspeaker monitoring systems, which typically crowd the stage and increase noise levels significantly. Despite their name, these earplugs aren’t solely for the use of musicians; they also benefit concertgoers, allowing them to enjoy live performances while protecting their hearing. Musician’s earplugs can be used in other noisy environments such as airshows and sporting events.
Hunter’s Earmolds
Guns are one of the biggest threats to your hearing. They can cause instant, permanent and irreversible damage to your ears. Understandable, given the fact that a gunshot produces sounds at 120 to 160 decibels – louder than a jet engine.
Many hunters, police officers, sharpshooters and military personnel avoid wearing basic earplugs because they block out both important, safe sounds and damaging sounds simultaneously. Military and hunter’s molds solve this problem by distinguishing between good and bad sounds using advanced digital and mechanical technologies.
Earmolds for hunters, soldiers and police officers can be customized for your ears or purchased in universal forms. Custom hunter’s molds offer the benefit of a tight, secure fit specific to your ears. Universal models are a less expensive alternative that still offers better protection than earmuffs, headphones or fingers.
How Do Hunter’s Earmolds Work?
Hunter’s molds use specialized features that eliminate loud sounds that may damage your hearing, while still letting important, subtle sounds enter your ears. These earplugs can be created using individual molds from your ears or bought as generic plugs. They use an acoustic filter to block out loud sounds while amplifying those at low decibel levels. This way, you can hear rustling twigs, quiet speech and other important but subtle noises while protecting yourself from permanent hearing loss.
Hunter’s molds also have a tiny valve opening that is designed to automatically close when hit with sound waves at damaging decibel levels. This valve means your hearing is protected even if you’re not the one shooting a firearm. This feature is highly useful for the police force, military members and people shooting at a range with other gunmen.
If your work or hobbies bring you around firearms often, it’s vital to protect your ears and prevent substantial damage to your hearing. At Hearing Services of Santa Barbara, hunter’s molds are one of our custom earmold specialties. Give us a call to find out about our available models today.
Swim Earmolds
Swim molds are specialized earplugs crafted from waterproof silicone that create an impenetrable seal, never allowing water past the outer ear. They are customized for your ears to ensure a tight, snug fit in the ear canal. Swimmer’s earmolds aren’t just for swimmers; they’re useful for a wide variety of water activities. Custom swim molds are used for activities such as:
- Boating.
- Jet skiing.
- Canoeing and kayaking.
- Rafting.
- Paddle boarding.
- Swimming.
- Bathing and showering.
Custom swim molds offer protection from several major ear-related health problems, including ear infections and surfer’s ear. Ear infections are a problem for patients of all ages, though they’re particularly prevalent in children.
Sleep Plugs
Sleep deprivation has several negative side effects, including memory problems, increased stress, chronic fatigue, irritability, weight gain and impaired problem solving. For many, the barrier to getting a good night’s sleep is noise disturbance. This can come from a variety of sources, such as city traffic, the snoring of a partner or the barking of a neighbor’s dog.
Sleep plugs can help drown out ambient noise, which allows you to get a good night’s sleep. They are ideal for blocking out obnoxious sounds that keep you from feeling rested, while allowing you to hear important sounds like the fire alarm. Custom molds provide superior comfort.
Call Hearing Services of Santa Barbara at (805) 967-4200 for more information or to schedule an appointment.
