THE IMPORTANCE OF NOISE PROTECTION
Most people have heard their parents say 'turn that racket down' and probably thought they just didn't like your taste in music. It's possibly true, but it's also likely they were thinking about protecting your hearing. Noise induced hearing loss is very real, and is the second most common form of sensorineural hearing loss (damage to the fine hair cells of the inner ear) after natural ageing. In a report published in March 2023 in the Journal of Clinical Medicine in the USA, it is estimated that 20% of people of all ages, and 62% of people aged over 50 have some degree of hearing loss. Occupational, environmental and recreational noise exposure all play a part in this. If you wish to read the full report you can do so by clicking here.
Since the Industrial revolution the world has become ever increasingly noisy and has made communication more difficult as the noise not only drowns out the speech but can also damage our hearing. During the late 1700s to the early 1900s, workers in the cotton mills of northern England couldn't hear each other over the noise of the weaving looms and developed their own way of communicating via hand signals and lip reading. Unfortunately noise protection wasn't widely available at that time and It's hard to know exactly what degree of hearing loss they suffered because of the noise but it's possible they employed the same skills to communicate outside of the mills. Even the young children often employed in these mills were exposed to these harsh conditions, showing that age is of no consequence when it comes to noise induced hearing loss.
With the increase in noisy recreational activities such as rock concerts, discos, rave parties, live music gigs and festivals, sporting crowds, shooting (clay pigeon or game) etc plus the portability of sound via mobile devices and small headphones or earphones, except for those who experienced wartimes, our ears have never been bombarded to this extent before.
It's also not just about the volume your listening at, but also the length of time you are subjecting your ears to sound, even at lower volumes. If you work in noise, then play in noise, when do you anticipate your ears getting recovery time? There's a reason your ears are ringing when you leave a loud environment like a nightclub, it's a warning from your own body that your ears have been over exerted, increasing the risk of long term damage.
Tinnitus can be a very serious side effect of too much noise exposure. If you're lucky your tinnitus will be temporary, but if not then you could find yourself being one of the many people who suffer with constant tinnitus, which can be very intrusive or even debilitating in some cases.
Protecting your hearing against noise exposure will not only reduce your risk of developing tinnitus but can also reduce the risk of causing a hearing loss at a much earlier age.
We now have the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 which is the main legislation that covers noise in the workplace and sets out the responsibilities of both employers and employees when it comes to working in noise. If you do work in a noisy environment, even if you wear some form of noise protection, it is recommended that you have regular hearing assessments to ensure your hearing is not being affected by the noise. If you employ somebody to work in noise you should have their hearing checked before employment starts and during employment to prevent later claims for noise induced hearing loss. Certain jobs require that your hearing is at an adequate level to perform them safely, such as the military, police or fire service, train drivers, pilots etc, in fact even driving, you should be able to hear emergency vehicles long before you are able to see them. So regular ear health and hearing checks should be a part of everyone's routine, even if you don't think you have a problem.
Recreational Noise Exposure
Occupational Noise Exposure
The Act places a general duty to 'ensure so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all their employees'. Employers must comply with the Act. They must provide and maintain safety equipment and safe systems of work.
Photos from Unsplash by (left to right):
James Kirkup, Antoine J
Sander Trooijen, Lucas Eggers
Caley Vanular, Sebastian Pociecha
Credit: Daniel Hansen on Unsplash
What is the Health & Safety at Work Act 2012 (amendment)?
Serenity Choice Instant Fit or Custom Hearing Protection
In a world that's so full of noise, it makes sense to use hearing protection for the situations that can risk causing damage to our hearing. Whether that be work situations, recreational activities, or just to help with sensitivity to the sounds of everyday life such as traffic, sirens, alarms etc, the Serenity Choice instant fit or custom noise protection range gives you a very cost effective way of reducing the risks of developing noise induced hearing loss or permanent or distressing tinnitus.
Remember that it's not just the volume of the sound you're listening to, but also the length of time you're listening to it that leads to a greater possibility of damage to your hearing. Some short, loud sounds like a shotgun, or the bang of a firework can cause instant and permanent hearing loss.
Similarly if you listen to music at safe levels of volume for long periods of time, you are equally at risk of damaging your hearing due to listening fatigue, where your ears are overworked. This can cause minor levels of damage which aren't noticeable, but are cumulative and slowly progress the hearing loss with each exposure to the noise(s).
Once the fine hair cells of the inner ear are damaged they cannot currently be repaired, and unless the loss is treated (usually with hearing aids), then you will find hearing speech can become difficult as noise induced hearing loss tends to affect the 3-6kHz region which includes some of the softest sounds in English speech i.e. S, SH, F, TH. This can make hearing in noise much harder, making the situations you socialise or communicate in less enjoyable and your eventual withdrawal from them.
Whilst nothing can stop you ageing and developing age related hearing loss (presbycusis), wearing the correct type of hearing protection can reduce the risk of premature hearing loss due to overexposure to loud noise, or lengthy periods of moderate noise.
Serenity Choice Instant Fit Hearing Protection
Serenity Choice Music KM20
Whether you're a live music fan, a festival goer or a nightclubber the Serenity Choice Music KM20 will allow you to enjoy the music more safely, reducing the risk of hearing loss or tinnitus often related to exposure to loud music.
Serenity Choice Work KI25
If you work in noise, check with your employer as they may be responsible for supplying hearing protection if ambient noise levels are consistently =<80dB A. If your noise exposure is infrequent the Serenity Choice Work KI25 could be a good option.
Serenity Choice Sleep KI25
Disturbed sleep is now linked to a number of ill effects on our health. If you live on a road that stays busy overnight, are a shift worker who needs to sleep during the day, have noisy neighbours or have a partner who snores loudly then the Serenity Choice Sleep KI25 may help you get the important amount of sleep necessary to maintain better overall health.
Serenity Choice Comfort KR15
If you have hyperacusis or sensitivity to everyday sounds like traffic, sirens or even barking dogs, then the Serenity Choice Comfort KR15 may help you go about your day without being bothered by extraneous noise, leading to a more relaxing walk to the shops, or when walking the dog.
Serenity Choice Motorsport KI25
Whether it's high octane motorsport like formula one, rally driving, stock car racing or motor cross, or whether it's slightly less high octane but still noisy like kart racing, the Serenity Choice Motorsport KI25 can let you enjoy the action without driving your hearing into the ground.
Serenity Choice Shoot/Hunting KIM12
If you like to spend time at the rifle range, shooting clay pigeons or bagging a brace on the glorious 12th the Serenity Choice Shooting and Hunting KIM12 can reduce the bang for very little buck.
Serenity Choice Acoustic Leak Tester
Instant fit eartips will not suit all ears. Everyone's ears are different, even your own left and right ears, and if you struggle to keep earphone type earpieces in your ears you may potentially not have the required seal to protect your hearing.
If you want added peace of mind then for a small fee, rather than just post your Serenity Choice hearing protection to you, we can arrange to fit the filters in person. Using the acoustic leak tester we can check the seal of the various sizes of earpiece to ensure you get the best seal possible, providing better protection for your hearing.
The Serenity Choice instant fit noise protection range gives you a very cost effective way of trying noise protection.
Each pack contains a triple dome earpiece for each ear, in 3 different sizes, and a noise filter designed to reduce noise volume by an average number of decibels, depending on the situation.
IMPORTANT: Every ear is different and as a result instant fit hearing protection options may not always provide an acoustic seal that fully protects your hearing. If you want even better protection, or are someone who usually struggles to keep earpieces in your ears, then it may be better to consider the Serenity Choice + custom fit range of hearing protection instead.
For hygiene reasons, the Serenity Choice instant fit range of noise protection products are excluded from the Ear Health Matters Ltd refund policy once the seal of the package has been broken or removed. Please ensure you have ordered and received the correct product before opening the packaging or inserting the product in your ear as requests for refunds will not be accepted once the packaging seal is broken.
Serenity Choice + Custom Fit Hearing Protection
The Serenity Choice + custom range of hearing protection gives a good acoustic seal whilst also allowing the ear to breathe, making them comfortable to wear for longer.
Silicon Shell Options
Acrylic Shell Options
Advanced Options
Custom noise protection products must be paid for in full before the order can be sent to the manufacturer. If you change your mind you should contact us as soon as possible but no later than a maximum 48 hours from placing the order. We will try our best to halt production and refund your payment but for customisation reasons, the Serenity Choice + custom hearing protection range are excluded from the Ear Health Matters Ltd refund policy once the product has gone into production.
Advanced options may be available on some of the above but may be dependent on ear size (available space). These include:
removal cords - a safety break cord (lanyard), a small transparent cord or 5mm extended cord
shell coatings - soft silicon coat, metal detector
extended canal - an extended canal on the mould may provide a greater seal and more protection