Sudden or prolonged exposure to noise can cause damage to your hearing and is one of the leading causes of hearing loss and tinnitus. Hearing loss from prolonged noise exposure is often detected too late, meaning the hearing loss is usually irreversible.
Hearing protection is extremely important for anyone who is regularly in a high-noise environment, including target shooters, motorcyclists, airline pilots, musicians, construction workers and factory workers. The truth is that anyone subject to noise exposure may need to wear hearing protection to protect their long-term hearing.
The following noises are especially dangerous with repeat exposure: lawn mowers, truck engines, motorcycles, garbage trucks, chain saws, pneumatic drills, rock concerts, gun shots, and jet engines, to name a few.
Though store-bought earplugs offer some protection, custom earmolds and earplugs offer maximum protection and a comfortable fit that is designed specifically for your ears. They offer more security in knowing that your ears have the best possible protection against hearing loss. (See Earplugs/Earmolds section) If you are exposed to noise on a regular basis either at work or from hobbies you should have your hearing checked at regular intervals, often annually, to ensure that your hearing is not being affected.