What hides behind the ridiculous name of "ear plugs"?This is a very practical and useful invention, protecting our ears from loud sounds. Special inserts of flexible but dense material are inserted into the auricle, creating a barrier between the sensitive eardrum and high-frequency audio signals.
- Why and who needs earplugs
- Selection rules for earplugs
- Material
- Wax
- Foam
- Silicone
- Plastic
- Lifespan
- Protective effect
- Comfort and hygiene
- Rules of use of earplugs
Why and who needs earplugs
Earplugs are primarily needed for those, who can not tolerate very loud sounds or is in close proximity to the source of noise exposure. These simple adaptations effectively protect from "music of the big city".Initially, the earplugs were positioned as devices that improve the quality of sleep. To this day, the provision of recreation remains their main vocation, but now earplugs are actively used in enterprises.
Active users of earplugs are:
- people traveling on noisy transport( airplanes, helicopters, trains);
- people with hypersensitivity or nervous disorders;
- people prone to insomnia;
- pensioners;
- people in the immediate vicinity of the construction site;
- women in the period of bearing a child;
- people with musical( absolute) hearing;
- employees of enterprises that have exceeded the permissible level of sound and acoustic impact;
- military in the field exercise.
Rules for choosing the ear plug
First, pay attention to the stiffness of the material from which the earplugs are made. If the material badly takes shape and is hard enough to touch, such noise protection devices will quickly start to give you discomfort and possibly even provoke pain. The ideal choice will be soft and pliable ear plugs from bent materials that will not exert increased pressure on the ear canal.
Secondly, give preference to materials that do not cause allergies and do not clog sweat glands. Wax earplugs for sleep do not provoke allergic reactions even in people prone to rashes. Ideally, earplugs should be treated with a disinfectant solution and have an antimicrobial effect( due to impregnation or coating).
Third, pay attention to the plasticity of the devices for noise insulation. The "body" of the ear plug must completely fill the ear canal, so that there are no gaps through which the sound vibration can pass.
Material
to table of contents ^Wax
Natural ear plugs, hypoallergenic and absolutely safe, but they are disposable and can be felt during socks).
Foam
Foam ear plugs are not felt in the ear and provide high-quality noise insulation, but have a minimum useful life and can become a hotbed of bacteria in the event of microbes entering the pores of the material.
to contents ^Silicone
The material is pleasant to the touch and perfectly holds the shape, but can cause allergies and irritations, and also can "slide" inside the ear canal.
Plastic
It is not recommended to purchase plastic noise isolating plugs because they can cause itching and burning, and also the discomfort associated with the stiffness of the material.
Foam earplugs for sleeping are less popular because they are very easy to spoil, and it is not possible to use several times. Most often, a foam product is taken with you to an airplane or a train to provide a short sleep.
to contents ^Service life
The service life of soundproofing elements depends on the material from which they are made. Foam and natural earplugs are not recommended to be used more than one or two times, but their silicone colleague will serve you long.
That with the ear plugs it's time to say goodbye will tell you their appearance. Damaged, dirty or badly taking earplugs can be safely thrown out. If you see significant damage on the surface of the material, then the devices can no longer provide a sufficient level of silence.
But even reusable ear plugs that last for a long time retain the perfect appearance can not be operated for longer than a year, since you can bring dirt and germs into the ear cavity.
to contents ^Protective effect
Conditionally earplugs can be divided into two groups:
- household;
- manufacturing.
Household earplugs are designed to filter loud high-frequency sounds. Modern models can skip certain sound signals, such as an alarm signal and a child's cry, but at the same time reliably protect against snoring and sound of repair work. On average, the suppression of sounds is 20-40 dB.
Production earplugs are positioned as an element of safety engineering. It should be taken into account that if the earplugs are removed in close proximity to the source of noise for more than two hours, the useful properties of the device will be reduced to zero, since the hearing aid will be damaged.
to the table of contents ^Convenience and hygiene
To exclude the multiplication of bacteria, insert birushi only in clean ears. Treat the surface of silicone models with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. If the gags fell on the dirty floor, you must urgently disinfect them.
If you have problems with inserting the plugs, moisten the end of the ear plug in the water( in the case of silicone materials).When using earplugs in the form of a hollow mushroom, you can put the gag on the open clip( so that the soft material does not bend and fit into the ear passage).
to contents ^Rules for using earplugs
In order to insert gags into the ear canal, squeeze the earplugs slightly between the forefinger and the thumb, as if "priming" them. Then pull your ear slightly up and enter the stopper. After a while, the noise isolating element will automatically return to its original form, filling the ear cavity.
In order to avoid negative moments, observe the rules of the use of earplugs:
- store the ear plugs in a special box for hygiene;
- treat reusable gaps with disinfectant solution;
- do not use someone else's ear plugs and do not give anyone your personal gags;
- , change the noise isolating devices as necessary;
- if you feel uncomfortable with the use of ear plugs, they should be discarded in favor of other models.
Very important question for me, given hrpayuschego husband:) ) I can say that the best protection for sleep provides individual earplugs. They cost about three thousand rubles, but it's worth it.