How Earplugs Work: Best Practices For Use

Last Updated November 1, 2022

Arash G

By Arash G

GM House of Hearing Clinics

How Earplugs Work

Earplugs can be both a necessity and a luxury for which you might be eternally grateful. At times, you are in a noisy environment filled with any number of distractions preventing you from getting work done or even from just snatching a few minutes of quiet downtime. Earplugs can also even help you sleep at night. In these circumstances, earplugs can be a real-life saver.

However, there are also times when you absolutely need ear plugs like when you work in an environment with frequent noise that can cause permanent hearing damage. In such cases, choosing proper earplugs and using them properly is an absolute necessity. Read on to see just how earplugs work. Also, uncover a few of the best practices for earplug use to make sure you are getting the most out of them.

How Do Earplugs Work?

Earplugs work by covering the ear canal so that sound vibrations are blocked and unable to travel down the canal to the eardrum.

This is done, most commonly, with smaller earplugs inserted into the ear, which usually form a tight compression against your ear canal, expanding and blocking it.

These earplugs can be made of rubber material, so they can form a more or less tight fit in any ear. Alternatively, they can be custom-made to suit your individual ear shape. These are often larger and cover more of the external area of the ear.

Best Practices

  1. Clean Daily: One important aspect of earplug use is to ensure that you clean them every single day. If you use foam ones, discard these regularly. If you are using custom earplugs or pre-molded ones, clean them every day. This is important to avoid any buildup of bacteria, but it’s also significant because it helps prevent the introduction of dirt into your ear canal. This can lead to ear infections in particular, but it could even lead to hearing loss on its own. Finally, earwax can deform earplugs and, over time, make it so they no longer function as well as they are meant to.
  2. Insert Properly: If your earplugs have been custom made, they should fit snuggly, so just ensure that they are clean and pushed properly into the ear to form a seal where they are meant to. For foam earplugs and some moldable rubber ones, you should follow a strict process. Begin by rolling the earplug. This will help make it malleable to form properly in the ear as it creates a seal. Next, pull your ear open so the earplug goes in nicely. Hold the earplug still after inserting it, and release the ear back to its original shape. This is necessary to create the best and tightest seal possible.

If you are in need of quality, custom earplugs, House of Hearing Clinic is a well-established hearing care clinic, home to professionally trained audiologists. We have successfully treated more than 7000 patients. Book your appointment today here. You can also contact us here.

Read: Why you should be using ear plugs while swimming

Read: Difference between disposable and custom earplugs


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