How Well Are Your Ears Protected?

Aug 09, 2016 in Hearing Protection

Man playing guitar with sunset backdrop

Are your ears protected properly?

Do you work in a noisy environment where heavy machinery is running for long hours? Or perhaps you enjoy listening to live music, or even music through headphones as you go about your day?

Whatever your daily activities, our world is getting noisier, and it’s adversely affecting our hearing. An estimated 700 million people worldwide are living with hearing loss. Tinnitus, or a ringing in the ears, is another common complaint.

Good hearing protection helps to make sure your hearing doesn’t become damaged and deteriorate, while still allowing you to enjoy louder activities like live gigs or motorsport.

Hearing Protection

Hearing loss is caused when the tiny hair cells in our ears become damaged due to prolonged exposure to loud noises. These hair cells transmit the sound signals to our brains, so when they are damaged our hearing deteriorates. These cells cannot be regenerated and hearing loss is irreversible.

Since prevention is always better than cure, protecting your ears is the first line of defence against noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).

Here are some things that you can do very easily on a daily basis:

  • Reduce the volume of your TV, radio or portable music device, especially if you’re listening to it through earphones.
  • Use noise-cancelling headphones or earplugs to protect your ears against noise. Foam earplugs are widely available, cheap (or even given away free at some venues) and can offer basic hearing protection if properly fitted.
  • Alternatively, invest in high fidelity earplugs such as Elacin ER20-S. These help reduce the sound to safer listening levels and are more comfortable to wear than foam earplugs.
  • Get custom-fit hearing protection that is comfortable for use over longer periods. There are specific earplugs if you engage in sports such as shooting, car racing or water sports.
  • If you’re a professional musician you need to take extra care as you are exposed to loud noises for longer periods. You can get bespoke hearing protection, which is custom-moulded. These specialised earplugs lower the volume to safe listening levels while maintaining clarity of music.

Hearing Tests

If you’re confused about which hearing protection could be best-suited to you, drop by your nearest Leightons branch. We have a complete range of hearing protection options. Whether you’re looking for simple earplugs or bespoke protection for musicians, we’ve got you covered.

If you have any concerns about your hearing, why not visit for a free hearing assessment? It is a comprehensive hearing test with lifestyle evaluation, so our experienced audiologists can help identify the course of action most suited to you and your lifestyle.

Whatever you love doing, we can help you find the best way to enjoy it and protect your hearing for years to come. Book an appointment online, or call us on 0800 40 20 20 and speak to one of our hearing care experts.