Custom made earplugs:
How do you make a custom earplug?
How long does it take to make?
Is it a safe procedure?
Does it hurt?
Is it suitable for everyone?
Do you have to see me to make the earplugs?
Can you connect the plugs with a cord?
What do they come with?
How effective are they?
I was told that earplugs don’t block out snoring – is that true?
Will it help my tinnitus?
Audio earplugs:
How long does it take to make?
Is it safe to use Audio earplugs?
Hearing tests:
Can you do the hearing test anywhere?
Are you qualified to test my hearing?
My employer wants me to have a test – will they see the result?
I’m an employer, why should I get these tests done?
What equipment do you use?
How do you make a custom earplug?
To make a custom earplug I need to fill your ears with a self-curing silicone putty. To do this I first examine your ears both the outside and the inside – this is to look for any ‘contra-indications’ that mean I should not proceed. This is one of the most vital elements for taking an ear impression and it is very important that the condition of your ear is carefully examined – if it is not, then walk away. The conditions we look for include the obvious like excessive wax (as this can inhibit the application of the silicone and may be pushed further into ear canal potentially causing problems at a later date). Also active infections – taking an impression of an infected ear may contaminate equipment and spread the infection within the ear. Perhaps less obvious to the untrained eye, but still important for impression taking are conditions such as, inflammation, perforations, exostoses and injuries. Although these do not necessarily prevent impression taking they may require an adaptation of the techniques employed and uses of the earplug.
Next, a small sponge in gently inserted into the ear – this sets the depth of the impression and acts as a barrier to allow an accurate impression deep in the ear. After a few minutes the silicone will set into a soft impression. It is then removed and the ear is given a final check.
How long does it take to make?
Instant earplugs (the red/blue/beige floating versions) are made on the spot. The impression techniques will take about ten minutes. The earplug is then cut to size (it is always made slightly too big) and trimmed using special cutting techniques, then it is cleaned in a sterilizing solution. The whole process generally takes about 15 – 30 minutes (this involves a lot of ‘chatting’)!
Processed earplugs (these include the neon and fluorescent versions) are made in a similar way to the above except that once the impression has been taken it is then processed in a laboratory. This process includes cutting and shaping the impression – coating with casting wax and setting in a hard plaster to make a cast. The cast is sealed and then filled with the special earplug material and set to cure under pressure in a heated environment. Once set it is removed, shaped further and surface treated. The whole process time takes anything from 24 hours (for very urgent plugs) to two weeks (with large orders).
Is it a safe procedure?
Yes. When impressions are taken by qualified and experienced personnel it is a very safe procedure. The need for qualification and experience is to protect your safety – it is easy to overlook conditions of the ear or use an inappropriate technique for the untrained – there have been many historical events that have led to severe ear damage and lengthy operations. I have taken over 50,000 impressions and have over 25 years experience in both UK hospital and commercial settings. Your safety is guaranteed.
Does it hurt?
No. Absolutely not! Some people experience very slight ‘discomfort’ when the sponge is inserted, but pain? NO.
Is it suitable for everyone?
Yes. I can make earplugs for the very old and the very young. I have even taken probably the smallest human impressions in the world where both earplugs could fit on your thumbnails! The only barrier would be for those who have no external ear (pinna).
Do you have to see me to make the earplugs?
No. Believe it or not, you don’t! If you already have a pair of custom made earplugs or aural impressions I can process any of my earplugs from those – just send them to me and I will take a cast of them. It is not possible to guarantee the original earplugs will remain intact (some are made from weak/poorly mixed materials) but you will get superior new earplugs.
Can you connect the plugs with a cord?
Yes. You even have a choice of colours – red, blue, green, orange, purple! Not everyone enjoys the cords – for example some swimmers find them a distraction and bikers who don’t tuck them into their jackets will find them a little troublesome – but they are great for keeping the plugs together.
What do they come with?
They all come with care instruction, sterile wipes (just to get you into the good habit of sterile cleaning) and a New Zealand hand made felt lined pouch.
How effective are they?
They are extremely effective. But, let’s make one thing clear – earplugs (whatever make) can only block sound from entering the ear through the canal (which is obvious) but a lot of what we hear actually comes from vibration of our body. Low frequencies often carry enough sound energy to vibrate through to the bones where as high frequencies die off very quickly when they encounter another medium. It’s like having your head underwater – everything is low-tone, muffled, dull sounding. That is the same effect of an earplug. In extremely noisy situations it is often recommended that both earplugs and earmuffs are used – since the earmuffs can reduce some of the low tones by adding a larger barrier and absorbing some of the sound energy through the padding (often made of a silicone gel). The equivalent effect of my custom earplugs is a Class 5 protection.
So high tones are almost eliminated and low tones are just made a bit quieter. This, fortunately, means that you can still hold a conversation although your own voice will sound very weird!
I was told that earplugs don’t block out snoring – is that true?
Yes it is. For same reason as above – low tones still get through although they are reduced. But custom plugs do help people sleep with a snoring partner as they significantly reduce the low and high tones of a snore which is an immediate improvement and, they also reduce extraneous noise so most people often find it is naturally quieter for them and hence easier to sleep.
Will earplugs help my tinnitus?
Absolutely not. By blocking out external noises you will almost certainly find your tinnitus increase slightly. Many people suffer with tinnitus as a result of noise damage, so the use of earplugs will hopefully slow down any hearing deterioration and any related tinnitus. Here’s some good advice for you: Your tinnitus will not be helped by earplugs or eardrops. Make sure you seek medical advice for tinnitus, even if it’s very mild – tinnitus is a ‘symptom’ of a problem not the problem itself, just as ‘pain’ is a symptom of a problem, in many ways tinnitus is like pain you hear rather than feel – so see the doc if you haven’t done already.
Audio Earplugs:
How long does it take to make audio earplugs?
Audio earplugs are processed in the laboratory, so they can taken anything from 24 hours (for emergencies) to two weeks (if there are large numbers).
Is it safe to use Audio Earplugs?
Absolutely! But, there is always a warning. Whenever you use ‘sealed’ sound delivery – whether custom audio earplugs or any form of headphone/earplug you must keep the volume to a moderate level. Exposing your ears to prolonged high volume will cause irreparable damage. You may also notice tinnitus (ringing/whistle sounds in you ears) after wearing sound devices (or not wearing earplugs) which indicates you have already added some damage to your ears. Be aware that as you listen to moderate/loud sound levels the human ear adapts/habituates to the sound level so you may find yourself increasing the volume – don’t. Keep the volume to a level where you can comfortably hear the sound – if you feel a desire to increase the volume then stop, remove the sound and have a short break – when you put the sound back on you’ll soon notice just how loud it already is.
Contrary to popular belief, the signal to noise ratio improves when bike riding above 60kmh-1 so it is SAFER to wear earplugs as you will be able to hear warning sound (horns, sirens etc). Of course, with your favourite AC/DC tracks playing it is likely you won’t hear the warning signals. It is not illegal to be ‘auditory challenged’ but you do need to be more observant.
Hearing Tests:
Can you do the hearing test anywhere?
Yes. But there are a few obvious rules: There must be a quiet and enclosed area to perform the test. There must be mains power for the audiometer
My employer wants me to have a test – will they see the result?
No. Your employer can ask you but you are not obliged to have the test. They will only get results if you give your permission.
Are you qualified to test my hearing?
I have been performing audiometry for over 24 years. I was trained in the National Health Service in the UK and specialized in both paediatric and medico-legal assessments. In other words I worked with the most demanding audiology patients – those who were very young and those who occasionally tried to ‘fake it’! I have had my own private audiology practice in the UK and was often used in industry for consultation and training.
I’m an employer, why should I get these tests done?
Under the Health and Safety in Employment Act you are obliged to identify and control noise hazards – remember that occupational hearing loss is classed as “serious harm” which means you are liable for fines up to $100,000. Controlling the noise may be done by eliminating, isolating and reducing the noise – custom earplugs will reduce the hazard to acceptable limits depending on the noise exposure. Identifying the hazard requires both a sound survey to identify noise levels and individual exposure levels along with screening hearing tests. The hearing tests are of great value to both employer and employee. For the employer they will be looking after their employees’ best interests, complying with OSH, identifying possible areas of concern (as future monitoring continues) and possibly helping a case for ACC discounts. For the employee they will have a professional audiology assessment with full advice for protecting their hearing. With follow-up testing they will have a record of their hearing to ensure there is no abnormal deterioration. Call me to discuss what sort of hearing conservation programme would be the most suitable for you.
What equipment do you use?
I use an Amplivox 2160 diagnostic audiometer with TDH39 headphones. The two channel audiometer is capable of full air conduction, bone conduction, narrow band masking, speech, speech masking, ABLB and Stenger (although only air and bone conduction with masking is needed). I also use a fibre optic otoscope and clinical tuning forks both 512Hz and 2kHz.
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