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An earplug is a protective device that is meant to be inserted in the ear canal to protect the wearer's hearing from loud noises or the intrusion of water, foreign bodies, dust or excessive wind.
Protection from water
Some earplugs are primarily designed to keep water out of the ear canal, especially during swimming. These may be made of wax or silicone which is custom-fitted to the ear canal by the wearer.
Hearing protection
'Basic' type plugs
This kind of protection is often worn by industrial workers who work within hearing distance of loud machinery for long periods of time. Earplugs are rated with "Noise Reduction Ratings" or NRRs (Sound Reduction Ratings, or SNR, in the European Union), which provide a guide to the noise protection, in decibels, afforded by the device. Most earplugs are made of a soft foam material that is typically rolled into a tightly compressed cylinder (without creases) by the wearer's fingers and then inserted in the earcanal. Once released, the earplug expands until it seals the canal, blocking the sound vibrations that reach the eardrum. Other plugs simply push into the ear canal without being rolled first. Sometimes earplugs are connected with a cord to keep them together when not in use. Another common material base for earplugs is wax, which is rolled into a ball and carefully molded to fit over the external portion of the ear canal, providing a snug custom fit for the wearer.
Other devices that provide hearing protection include electronic devices worn around and/or in the ear, designed to cancel out the loud noise of a gunshot, while possibly amplifying quieter sounds to normal levels. While rich in features, these electronic devices carry a price over one hundred times their foam counterparts.
Since they reduce the sound volume, earplugs are often used to help prevent hearing loss and tinnitus (ringing of the ears), amongst other ailments.
Musicians or 'Hi-Fi' earplugs
Some earplugs are manufactured to provide a direct decibel drop without affecting the user's perception of bass and treble levels. These are commonly used by musicians and technicians both in the studio and in concert to over avoid exposure to high volume levels whilst providing a good balance over the frequency range. Musicians who perform music styles noted for their loud nature, especially rock music, often wear earplugs to prevent their own performances from deafening them. Musician's earplugs are designed to attenuate sounds evenly across the audio band thus enabling musicians to still hear upper harmonics, vocals, cymbals and other high frequencies etc clearly, but at a reduced volume level. This type of earplug usually gives an attenation of only about 20dB and are not intended for protection from very high noise levels (>105 dB). Earplugs for musicians are made by a number of firms.
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"Earplug"