The issue of hearing protection for bob sleighing is a question to be answered with several different implications.

Although it may not seem like the noise from the sleigh would be an issue, over time this can lead to hearing loss and decreased ability to hear what is happening around you.

Different types of hearing protection include: custom earplugs fitted by a doctor, disposable earplugs that fit into each ear canal and then expand, or just wearing foam plugs that fit into each ear canal and then expand.

For specific problems such as hearing sensitivity due to colds or allergies, disposable earplugs are sufficient as long as they fit properly in order to provide sufficient protection for your ears.

Going to a bobsleighing event?

The cold is another effect when it comes to Bobsleighing. For the most part of the season, it is not very bad.  However, once you get into the late fall and winter, your ears can become blocked and almost stuck together due to the cold weather. This is a much more common problem than you would probably think.

There are many different noise levels that come about: wind blowing through the sleigh, snow blowing through it as well as runners and sleds hitting each other and runners sinking into ice and snow creating unpleasant sounding noises. If your ears are subjected to these sounds over time it can lead to hearing loss or tinnitus (ringing in your ears).

Are You Worried About Your Hearing?

The cold can also be a major factor to consider when it comes to the noise that is heard when sleds are running. If you are concerned about your hearing then it is important that you find out what type of protection you should be using. Hoods, earmuffs, binaural earplugs as well as custom molded foam plugs can all be found to help prevent hearing loss after hours of continuous noise.

It is important to take precautions for your hearing protection to be effective and comfortable as well as protecting you from the cold.

Who Is At Risk?

Everyone is at risk for some type of hearing loss, it is never too early or too late to take steps to protect your ears. However, some people are exposed more often than others.

Bob sleigh runners face the biggest risk of hearing loss due to excessive noise on a daily basis during training and competition. It is estimated that over time, wearing the same ear protection repeatedly can damage hair cells in the inner ear which becomes less efficient at conducting sound vibrations to the auditory nerve leading to hearing loss.

It is also important for you to know that the tight fitting of ear muffs onto young children's heads may cause injury or discomfort that can limit movement and possibly prevent their ability to hear properly.

How Much Damage Is It Possible To Do?

It is important to take precautions for your hearing protection to be effective and comfortable as well as protecting you from the cold. When it comes to protection for your ears, it does not matter what type of sound is being emitted, if they are harmful in any way then you should protect yourself by wearing hearing protection.

This is not just a Bobsleigh specific problem, but rather something that all people who are exposed to loud sounds are exposed to.

The damage that can be done over time with chronic exposure is significant. Hearing loss can cause problems in daily work and leisure activities.

Warning Signs

The warning signs are well known. If you are having trouble hearing, it is time to put on your hearing protection and take a break from the noise. Once someone has been exposed to loud sounds for a long period of time, it will be much harder for that person to return to the same level of hearing that he/she once had.

The damage can eventually include: "masking," which is a reduction in the loudness of sounds or frequencies; "tinnitus," or ringing in the ears; "sensitivity," which may make background noise sound louder; and "hyperacusis" or an inability to tolerate certain sounds without pain or discomfort.

• Noticing a ringing or other sounds in the ears when no one is speaking or making any noise.
• Having trouble understanding what people are saying in ordinary conversations.
• Avoiding social situations because of embarrassment over your hearing.
• Forgetting parts of conversations and not understanding even simple statements.
• Tending to ask people to repeat what they said when they speak with you.

How Much Is Impaired Hearing Worth?

If you are worried about your hearing, the best thing you can do is take action. The best way to prevent damage to your hearing is to use hearing protection. There are several types of hearing protection that are available, but for this purpose we will discuss earplugs because they are the most common.

There are different types of earplugs designed for different levels of noise reduction. It is important to know what type of noise you will be exposed to before deciding which type you should purchase. If it is a matter of protecting your ears from the cold, then foam earplugs or reusable ones should be fine as long as they fit properly in order to provide sufficient protection for your ears.

Getting The Right Ear Protectors When Bobsleighing Event

When you get the right ear protectors for bobsledding event you will definitely feel your head is protected from the horrible noises, music and other things.

Comfort

Comfort is one of the most important aspects of hearing protection for bob sleighing. Ear plugs that are comfortable fit into your ears to minimize any feeling that they are being stuck into your ears.

Disposable earplugs those that fit into your ear canal and then expand do not feel as comfortable as those that fit into each ear canal and then expand. In addition, disposable earplugs have a much lower sound reduction rating or NRR than those that fit into each ear canal and then expand.

Durability

Durability is another important aspect of ear protection for bob sleighing. The disposable earplugs are not great for durability because they are not designed to be durable. These earplugs only last about two to four hours when used for bob sleighing.

The longer lasting ones are those that fit into each ear canal and then expand. It is important that these plugs last longer, because you will probably have them in your ears all day for a day or more in order to protect your ears from noise levels produced by the various things around you during the day when you are participating in bob sleighing.

Portability

Portability is another important aspect of ear protection for bob sleighing. In order to be able to use your ear protection often, it needs to be portable. Disposable earplugs are very portable especially the pre-molded variety.

However, those that need to be fitted by a doctor or audiologist are not as portable as the disposable ones. However, it is important that you keep these types of ear plugs with you at all times in case your ears become blocked up from the cold weather or from a bad cold or allergy that you have throughout the day.

Fitting

Fitting of the earplugs is another important aspect of ear protection for bob sleighing. If you get earplugs that fit inside your ears, you will get the most out of your earplugs.

If you get something that fits into your ear canal and then expands, after a while it will lose some of its fitting ability and it may start to not fit tightly in your ears or it may even fall out. This is not good because these types of plugs do not give you very good protection if they do not fit tightly in your ears and fit into the exact same spot every time.

NRR Rating

NRR Rating is the last important aspect of ear protection for bob sleighing. The higher the NRR rating, the better your hearing protection will be.

If you wear earplugs that have a lower NRR rating than what they should have, then you will not be getting very much protection from loud noises and you will not be able to go very long in order to protect your ears from harmful noises that can lead to hearing loss and/or ringing in your ears.

Size

Size is another important aspect of ear protection for bob sleighing. If you buy something that does not fit properly you will not be able to get very much protection from your hearing protection.

The chances are that you will need to go to a doctor or audiologist in order to have earplugs made for your ears. These are usually custom made to fit into each ear canal and then expand and they do not fit into the ear canal until after they expand.

However, another alternative is getting more inexpensive earplugs that fit inside your ears and then expanding, but it is important that you keep these with you at all times in case your ears become more blocked up than usual due to the cold weather or from some other reason such as a bad cold or allergy during the day.

Cost

Cost is an important aspect of hearing protection for bob sleighing. You do not want to pay very much for your hearing protection if you will be wearing it all day and possibly having to replace them because they do not fit as well as they should or if they come off and get lost.

However, you do not want to buy cheap hearing protection because sometimes the cheap ones will not last long enough to protect your ears from harmful noises throughout the day and can lead to permanent damage and even tinnitus (ringing in the ears).

While the reusable ones can save you some money, depending on how often you need new ones, then the best option is the disposable type that costs a few dollars per pair.

Conclusion

Cold is worse that the sound when you Bobsleighing, because it can damage your ear drums faster, so you have to take care of your ears when the temperature is low. We advise you to use good quality ear protection, which has NRR of 26 dB, when sound level in the stadium is over 100 dB.

Bob sleighing events are special events for most people, but they are exciting sports event for some others. When you become interested in this kind of sport it is so exciting to attend the events with your friends and family members. Actually Bob sleighing attracts many tourists every year to see Bobsleighing events.

Please Note: Just because an ear defender is marked, for example, "Gunshot" - it will still cover other things, like "explosions"