Why is hearing protection important?
Hearing has no off switch. You can close your eyes, not your ears. Everything loud reaches the fine hair cells in the inner ear unfiltered. This page explains why noise takes its toll on hearing, which situations matter most and how hearing protection helps without shutting out the world.
How noise affects the ear
The inner ear contains around 15,000 hair cells that translate sound waves into nerve signals. They are built for normal levels. High levels overload them, and unlike skin or bone, human hair cells do not grow back. According to current hearing research, loud situations therefore use up a kind of reserve that does not refill over a lifetime. A muffled feeling or a whistling after a concert is a sign that the ear was overloaded.
It is not only about loudness but about loudness times duration. A short bang stresses the ear differently from eight hours of machinery noise, but both can leave traces. Which levels occur in daily life is shown on the page Noise sources and their loudness.
Four situations where hearing protection should be a given
Concerts, clubs and festivals reach 100 to 110 dB, and for hours. Filtered earplugs such as the Music+ lower the level by 18 dB and keep the music sounding natural because the filter attenuates all frequencies similarly. For work and workshops: from 85 dB(A) hearing protection at work is mandatory. Lawn mowers, circular saws and angle grinders are above that. The Work+ earmuffs with SNR 33 dB are built for this, also for DIY and garden work where no rule applies.
Fireworks and motorsport produce impulse noise above 120 dB. Here distance plus hearing protection counts, especially for children, who are closer to the ground and therefore closer to firecrackers. And sleep: noise at night is usually below the critical levels but it interrupts sleep. Earplugs for sleeping dampen snoring and street noise without swallowing the alarm clock.
Why children benefit in particular
Children's ears are not only smaller; the narrower ear canal amplifies certain high frequencies. Children perceive the same level as louder and can neither judge when it is too much nor leave the place. They rely on adults. Hearing protection for children therefore has to fit, otherwise it comes off after five minutes: the MINI+ for babies fit a head circumference of 38.5 to 49 cm, the Kiddies for children 52 to 60 cm. Both are tested to EN 352-1:2020.
Hearing protection does not mean silence
The most common objection to hearing protection is that you hear nothing anymore. That is true of foam plugs, which mainly remove the highs and make speech muffled. Modern earplugs with a membrane filter lower the level evenly; conversations stay intelligible and music keeps its character. A medium SNR around 23 dB is enough for concerts, daily life and sleep, a high SNR around 33 dB is meant for machinery. What the values mean is explained on What is SNR?.
When to see a doctor
Hearing protection is prevention, not treatment. If a whistling, rushing or muffled feeling after a loud event lasts longer than a day, or appears without an obvious cause, it belongs in the hands of an ENT practice. More on the page Tinnitus and hearing protection.
Frequently asked questions
Is standing further back at concerts enough?
Distance helps, but in halls and clubs the level is high everywhere. Filtered earplugs are the more reliable solution and barely change the sound.
Do babies really need hearing protection at a wedding?
Band, DJ and applause quickly reach 95 to 100 dB. For a baby that cannot walk away, the MINI+ are a simple solution. They weigh 112 g and sit softly.
Does hearing protection make the ear more sensitive?
According to current research there is no evidence for that. The ear does not get used to noise; it only perceives less once it is already damaged.
Which hearing protection is right for me?
Music+ for concerts, Sleep+ or Dream+ for sleep, Strong+ or Women+ for daily life, Work+ for machinery, Kiddies or Kids+ for children, MINI+ for babies. The size guide helps with the fit.