The Do's and Don'ts of Earplug Use




earplugs
Earplugs have long been promoted as a way to help avoid noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) and to protect the ears from noise trauma. Many people use Custom Ear Plugs during sleep either because of a loud snoring spouse or because of hypersensitivity to nighttime noises. These people are to by admired for their dedication to their ears--hooray for you! But proper earplug use and awareness of restrictions and care is also an important part of your hearing health.


Earplugs are great to help protect against loud noises and to limit exposure to work noise or annoying noises. No matter if you use foam earplugs, custom molded, or pre-molded Custom Ear Plugs these guidelines can help you understand the dos and don'ts of earplug use.

Do Clean or Discard Daily
If you need to wear earplugs every day at work or nightly to avoid noises, you want to make sure that you are either discarding foam ones daily or are cleaning custom or pre-molded Ear Plugs for Swimming regularly. Overused and uncleaned earplugs are susceptible to bacteria and can introduced dirt into the ear.


 In addition, earwax can cause molded and pre-molded earplugs to become rigid, putting strain on the ear. This can cause ear infection, severe pain, and even hearing loss. The opposite of what you are trying to do by using earplugs. The basic rule of thumb is to discard foam earplugs daily and to clean pre-molded or molded earplugs every day with a toothbrush and hydrogen peroxide and soap and water mixture. Leave the Ear Plugs for Swimming out to dry or wipe dry with a clean, dry cloth.

Don't Ignore Earwax
Earwax might seem an annoying and useless function of the ears, but it's actually quite useful. Earwax AKA cerumen is produced by glands in the ear and is part of the ear's natural process. 


Earwax protects the skin of the ears, lubricates, guards against bacteria, and helps clean the ears. Typically earwax slips out or your ears, along with all the impurities, without you even knowing it. But use of earplugs can stop up this natural process and can lead to a buildup of earwax.
Hearing can be compromised by built up earwax, so make sure to use Ear Wax Removal Best Practices or see a hearing health professional to have your ears professionally cleaned and cared for. You should already be seeing a hearing health professional annually, but below are a few telltale signs for when to see a professional to have earwax removed.
             ear pain
             sound distortion (your own voice sounds different)
             a feeling of stuffiness or fullness in the ear canal
             persistent itching
             an unpleasant odor
             ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
             discharge (an oozing substance that keeps appearing)
             persistent cough
             hearing loss

Do Insert Properly
Earplugs that are improperly inserted aren't doing you as much good as they could. It might seem a no-brainer to simply stuff the earplug into your ear, but that's not good or healthy. There is actually a proper way to insert foam earplugs. According to a pamphlet on ears put out by the CDC you need to follow three simple rules:
1.Roll the earplug
2.Pull to open the ear. This step is
especially important. You should pull up and away on the top of your ear with the opposite hand so the earplug can slide in easily.
3.Hold the earplug after inserting it.

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