Earplugs – The Shooter’s Best Friend

1. Earplugs –The Shooter’s Best Friend Every person who has ever handled a shotgun or rifle knows how loud shots near your ears can be, and how this can cause trauma to the ears, for example, that ringing sound or sensation known as tinnitus that simply will not go away, or worse, periods of temporary – or even permanent – deafness. These conditions are normally brought on by repeated exposure to such noise; however, cases have been reported of individuals suffering these fates after limited, and even only one, exposure. Therefore earplugs for the shooting range and similar circumstances have become popular to help curb the mentioned incidents. Today much more information is available about these issues, such as on social media, the internet, in the press, and on television. This is why there is a much greater awareness than ever before to take the necessary steps to protect your hearing if you know you are going to find yourself in circumstances where loud noise could pose a danger to your hearing ability. Shooters, hunters, instructors at the shooting range, and several other individuals whose ears are constantly, or often, exposed to loud noise may well benefit from the use of earplugs or earmuffs. Sound intensity is measured in dB or decibels. ‘Normal’ sound that is sound that does not damage our hearing, is experienced at normal dB levels. An example would be, say, normal conversation (no screaming or excited conversation) between adults, or anything at lower intensity, such as whispering. At the other end of the scale, there is an abnormally loud sound that may indeed cause damage to one’s hearing. If normal conversation takes place at around, say, 60 dB, then it makes sense to assume that sounds at, say, 90, or 100 dB and more may irritate the ears. The higher the dB, the stronger the likelihood that you may soon be at risk of suffering from one or more conditions such as tinnitus, or worse, NIHL (Noise-Induced Hearing Loss). Of course, this can be prevented by taking the necessary steps to ensure you protect your ears by, for example, wearing earplugs made to be worn at the shooting range and during similar situations. When at first shooters and hunters were made aware of the importance of protecting their ears during shooting exercises, they started buying fairly cheap, but practical, forms of protection, such as the disposable products you can acquire at your local shop or in the supermarket. The next level up was to consider earmuffs, those devices you place over your ears – often stabilized by wearing them over the head, with the ears covered by the muffs. Both these offered great protection but with some limitations. These limitations refer to the fact that all sound is blocked out. This is good for ear protection, but not for enjoying the whole shooting experience. Therefore manufacturers with good foresight came up with a new type of ear protection, one that protects your hearing and the ears’ sensitivity to noise, while still allowing sound through. Only loud sounds, those at very high dB levels, are not let through. This was achieved by advanced technical, i.e. digital, products which are worn in-ear and which are by far the most effective of all forms of hearing protection for the ears at the shooting range and elsewhere. They are custom-made by experienced manufacturers and ordered for a specific person’s use. They are not mass-produced and fit the ears’ contours perfectly. The user can wear them all day long without any sign of discomfort, stow them away when not in use, and insert them once more when it is time to go to the shooting range or where loud noise becomes a factor. Digitally enhanced hearing protection devices for shooters and other individuals are currently the most effective and popular protective devices for the ears.

2. About Us: Electronic Shooters Protection (ESP) has been in business for more than 20 years and provides the best in terms of electronic protection for ears. Products are custom-made to fit the individual’s ears to allow maximum protection while still hearing sound. You hear all natural sounds in the area and you can enjoy normal conversation, but our products will protect you from the harmful effects of loud and damaging sounds such as gunfire. Our digital products are state-of-the-art and among the best available on the market. For more information about ESP and our top range of products, please get in touch by visiting https://www.espamerica.com/.