You searched for "earplugs"

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Earplugs fit for purpose

The aim of occupational audiology is to prevent hearing loss caused by occupational sound exposure which can exacerbate the long-term effects of central presbyacusis as employees age. To provide the best noise protection over time, research suggests that best practice...

Earplug use in clubbers

Past studies show that there is a low frequency of use of earplugs at music events. In this research article produced by the National Acoustic Laboratories, Australia, a group of 51 regular attendees at music events were recruited and given...

At-home earplug testing – a first of its kind

As an audiologist, it can be difficult to confirm the proper fit of earplugs. Although we can use sound field testing to assess the attenuation of the earplugs, this is not equipment that every audiology clinic has. Unfortunately, without proper...

Hearing loss prevention in musicians - violating one rule of physics

Whilst enjoying music, we also need to be mindful of the potential effect of producing music for the musician. Dr Chasin discusses the development of earplugs for the industry with the added bonus of physics for party goers! Hearing protection,...

What Plug?

For decades, audiologists have encouraged people to wear hearing protection when they attend concerts. Traditionally, the most accessible options have been foam plugs, which have limited appeal due to their poor sound quality. Disposable foam plugs absorb high frequency sounds...

All present and correct

You have ear protection, but are you using it properly? What are the risks over time? The design of standard earplugs has changed a lot in a decade. Earplug attenuation did reduce over time but still remained safe, however the...

BTA Plug’em campaign – teaching young people how to enjoy live music safely

In today’s world of ever-increasing sound levels, the Plug’em campaign, run by the British Tinnitus Association (BTA), is highlighting the issue of tinnitus caused by loud music in people aged 16-25 years old. The purpose of the campaign is to...

Attitudes towards leisure noise

Noise is a very common reason for hearing loss. The question is whether young adults realise the danger of developing a noise related hearing loss. The aim of this study was to evaluate the attitude towards leisure noise and noise...

ENT emergencies

This Belgian paper reports the epidemiology of 1296 patients attending the emergency department with ENT problems over a five-year period. As expected the most common presentation was epistaxis, but interestingly vertigo seemed to be the second most common presentation to...

A new hearing health scheme for musicians

Joe Hastings, Health & Welfare Manager for Help Musicians UK, discusses the results of the charity’s 2015 survey of musicians’ hearing and plans for a new scheme which will give all professional musicians in the UK affordable access to specialist...

Music is noise

Marshall Chasin recaps what we know acoustically about music and noise, and discusses the potentially damaging levels of music, how temporary threshold shift (TTS) is not necessarily temporary and gives us some considerations for protective devices for musicians. Most of...

Acoustic shock: definitions and clinical aspects

Acoustic shock, a previously little-known and poorly understood clinical entity, came to the public’s attention in 2019 due to a high-profile legal case of a musician at the Royal Opera House. In this fascinating article, Andrew Parker and William Parker...