What Are Earmolds?
Whether or not we notice them, earmolds are all around us. Newscasters, reporters, talk show hosts, musicians, film and broadcast crews, law enforcement agents, even hunters and farmers all use various types of earmolds. An earmold is a device used to protect hearing or to channel and amplify sound. The most common and familiar use of an earmold is for hearing aids.
An earmold is a custom made in-the-ear device that has a specific function, depending on the wearer’s needs. A small plug is made to fit exactly into the wearer’s ear canal. Since every person has a uniquely shaped ear, customization is an important factor so that the earmold can fit into the ear canal comfortably and securely.
What Are They Used For?
Earmolds have various styles and purposes but are mainly used as hearing protection or sound conduction.
- Hearing Protection: When an earmold is used to protect the user’s hearing, the mold seals the ear canal and prevents harmful levels of noise from going into the ear and causing damage. Protective earmolds that reduce sound tend to be larger and fill most of the lower external ear.
- Sound conduction: An earmold that helps amplify sound will also seal the ear canal and channel sound from a hearing aid, or other amplified device, directly into the ear. When customized, it allows the wearer to hear a signal without outside noise interfering. Because some earmolds for hearing aids don’t need to seal the ear completely, these earmolds will have a much greater variety of shapes and sizes. The size of the earmold for a hearing aid will vary based on the power level of the hearing aid.
Earmolds for Teens
Adolescence is full of new experiences and growth both socially and academically. Your teen may go to their first concert or start attending school sporting events. They may start taking trade school classes, like shop class, or start their first job doing outdoor maintenance for the neighborhood. They may listen to music in their headphones so loudly that you can hear it in the other room. These activities can all have an impact on their hearing.
Even a small amount of hearing impairment can affect comprehension rates of school material or cause social embarrassment and confusion if a teen cannot hear all of the conversation or participate. Parents, guardians and teachers should be aware of the risk teens face from excessive noise exposure. Talking with your teen about getting earmolds to help mitigate noise exposure or to help them hear will allow them to participate in all of the exciting challenges and opportunities in their young lives.
Why Is Hearing Protection So Important?
Many cases of hearing problems are entirely preventable with ear protection. With one in ten Americans suffering from hearing problems, it is more essential than ever to protect your hearing.
- Hearing is fragile. As you age, your hearing will begin to decline. While this is a normal part of life, if you damage your hearing when you are younger, normal aging may cause you to struggle to hear at all.
- If you wear hearing protection, you reduce the risk of Tinnitus.
- Damaged hearing cannot be fixed. Unfortunately, our ears don’t heal themselves, which means if you damage your hearing by not wearing protection, there’s no going back.
Earmolds can be a proactive way to take charge of your hearing health. If you feel as though you are at risk for damaging your hearing, schedule an appointment with one of our audiologists today.