Earplugs are recommended for people who are disturbed by noise for various reasons. This may be the case with the so-called listening to certain frequencies of sounds, which makes it difficult to function daily without a headache, or when we work in a place where there is always a lot of noise. Some people choose earplugs when traveling or sleeping in order to be able to sleep peacefully and in silence. Earplugs can be useful in many situations.
A Brief History of Ear Plugs
Earplugs were invented at the beginning of the XNUMXth century by the Silesian chemist Maximilian Negwer. The first professional earplugs constructed by Maximilian Negwer entered the market in 1901. This chemist and pharmacist ran a pharmacy in Berlin, where he was involved in the production and distribution of pharmaceutical products. He was also very much interested in the issue of hearing protection and experimented on creating a product that would protect the hearing from excessive noise. He began trials with wax, grease, tallow and cotton until he was able to create earplugs with adequate cohesiveness, texture and softness to protect the hearing and be comfortable to wear.
The genesis of the uprising foam plugs is associated with a research project carried out in the 60s at the National Research Corporation. This American company was already known for introducing innovative products and patents at that time. Introduction is also their merit foam stoppersthat was discovered by accident while researching a damper foam that was supposed to be just a grout.
Which ear plugs to choose?
Earplugs they differ in terms of material, size, price, but also their intended use. You can find models that are used only onceor reusable stoppers. Above all earplugs They differ in fit, plasticity and material – that is, factors that affect the adjustment to the ear canal, comfort of use, effective attenuation of external sounds and price.
Wax earplugs are the most popularwhich are made of cellulose and viscose mixtures, impregnated with various types of natural wax. Another popular model is foam stoppersthat easily adapt to the shape of the ear, but also quickly return to their original shape. But that’s not all.
You can also buy rubber ear plugswhich cost from several to several dozen zlotys. It is possible to use them many times, so the investment is not expensive. You only need to clean them, for example, from earwax that transfers to plugs from the ear canal and are ready for re-use. They are popular too plastic earplugsthat react to heat and are therefore able to perfectly follow the shape of the ear canal. This model is only suitable for use a few times as it is not very durable due to its plasticity.
A popular home replacement method ear plugs is to put a piece of cotton wool in the ear, but it does not mute the noise as well as it does professional ear plugsintended for this purpose. Additionally, cotton wool can tear and stay in the ear canal.
A good option for people exposed to work at big noise is to buy protective earpieceswhich also dampen noise very well and are reusable equipment.