Custom Hearing Protection
Custom Hearing Protection To Help Prevent
Damage To Your Ears
Though hearing loss is irreversible, it is preventable. Understanding what causes damage to your ears and how to protect them from that damage gives you a head start on preventing significant hearing challenges later on.
Besides age deterioration, the most common cause of hearing loss, especially in adults under 70-years-old, is frequent or ongoing exposure to loud noise, or noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).
Repeated exposure to sound levels above 85 decibels (the sound of an idling bulldozer) or a single extreme noise event like an explosion (210 dB+) can cause permanent, irreparable hearing loss.
We can help restore some of the damage done to your hearing, but our hearing instrument specialists as Provincial Hearing would rather help you prevent it and ensure that you and our friends and neighbours all over Nova Scotia enjoy a lifetime of good hearing.
To that end, we’re here to help educate you on how to protect your hearing as well as provide you with custom hearing protection.
How Much Noise Causes Damage To Your Hearing?
Sound is measured in decibels (dB) on a logarithmic scale. With 0 being complete silence, sounds 10 times louder than total silence measuring 10 dB, and sounds 100 times louder than silence are measuring 20 dB.
Sounds below 85 dB will not damage your hearing, but those over 85 decibels will cause damage without proper hearing protection. At 85 dB, you can be exposed for up to 8 hours without causing damage, but with each increase of 3 dB of sound intensity, damage occurs within half the exposure time.
NIHL is a serious problem because most people don’t understand how quickly and easily damage to your hearing occurs. Here are some numbers to help you understand what’s at risk when you take part in certain activities without ear protection.
- 88 dB (a passing diesel truck or train, food blender) damage occurs after 4 hours of unprotected exposure
- 91 dB (subway train) damage after only 2 hours
- 94 dB (lawn equipment, chainsaws, motorcycles, snowmobiles, and power tools) damage occurs in just 1 hour
- 110 dB (playing a trombone or trumpet, loud music, or games in headphones) damage from unprotected exposure occurs within 90 seconds
- 120 dB (siren on ambulance or police car, live concerts, and nightclubs) requires only 7 seconds of exposure
- 145 dB (discharging a firearm or fireworks) can cause instant permanent damage without protection damage without protection
Benefits Of Custom Hearing Protection
Custom hearing protection is the most effective way to protect your ears from NIHL. The custom-moulded hearing protection we provide allows for a more secure fit and ensures that your hearing protection stays in place during the activity you’re involved in.
With custom hearing protection, each specific type of hearing protection device provides additional benefits specifically related to their use, such as:
- Accurate frequency response with a full range of sounds but at a reduced volume.
- Vented to allow sound to pass both ways to prevent reverberation inside of your ears.
- Precision-engineered filters for specific, measurable protection, and more natural sound.
- The use of medical-grade silicone allows for extended wearing without discomfort.
- Replaceable sound filters allow you to select the level of sound protection you need for each situation.
Each ear is unique, so custom fitting not only provides better protection but wearing comfort also ensures that you’re more likely to use them.
A noise reduction rating, or NRR, which tells how many decibels of noise reduction the device provides, is given along with all hearing protection products. For example, to reduce 110 dB sound exposure to under 85 dB (which allows 8 hours of safe exposure), the NRR of the hearing protection product should be 25 dB.
Our Custom Hearing Protection Products
NIHL occurs in all situations, from concerts to recreational sports, from your work environment to your personal life. Provincial Hearing offers different styles of custom hearing solutions to accommodate the various activities you take part in, like:
Hearing Protection from SoundGear
SoundGear electronic hearing protection devices answer both needs in a single product — digitally enhancing environmental awareness while simultaneously protecting your hearing from loud noises like gun blasts and engines.
Made by Starkey — a premier provider of hearing solutions — SoundGear instruments feature advanced digital technology capable of enhancing sound eight times over traditional hearing protection products.
That same technology simultaneously detects loud impulse noises as they happen, instantly, and automatically suppressing them to protect your hearing.
SoundGearʼs Phantom Line
The world’s first custom, Bluetooth compatible, and rechargeable hearing aid and protection device. Features include:
- Pre-programmed to the most common hearing loss range (Normal to Moderate)
- Automatically protect your ears from loud sounds and gun blasts
- Hear conversations, games, and environmental sounds with ease
- Custom moulded to your ear for the most precise and personalized fit
- Stream calls, music, or other audio wirelessly from your phone
- One overnight charge ensures you are powered all day long
SoundGear is ideal for hunters, shooters, industrial and construction workers, even military personnel and police officers — and is available in three styles:
SoundGear-Phantom-Black-ITE
Electronic Custom Fit
For those who refuse to compromise when it comes to performance and personalization, SoundGear custom products – including Phantom – are custom moulded to your ear for all-day comfort and are the most advanced solution on the market.
SoundGear-Phantom-Orange-Plus-WBST2687-00-EE-XX
Electronic Instant Fit In-The-Canal
Ready to wear right out of the box, these small and lightweight devices rest discreetly inside your ear to deliver natural wind reduction and superior sound quality and are perfect for the hunter or shooter looking for an edge.
SoundGear-Phantom-Orange-WBST2687-00-EE-XX
Custom Non-Electronic
As the industry expert in custom hearing instruments, Starkey brings that same breakthrough manufacturing to every SoundGear earplug solution. The result is the best custom-fit hearing protection on the market.
To learn more about SoundGear or request a FREE demonstration, please contact us today.
Schedule a Custom Hearing Protection Appointment
Protecting your ears from noise-induced hearing loss is the best way to ensure that you can avoid ongoing hearing challenges brought on by work, recreational activities, and lifestyle choices.
We can help keep you hearing what you love with customized hearing protection.
Submit the form to make an appointment with us to learn how our comfortable, effective hearing protection can help safeguard your hearing while enhancing your auditory experience.
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