title: Hearing protectors: a review of recent observations.
abstract: Hearing protectors are the most widely used means of protecting hearing from the harmful effects of noise. Economic considerations make it unlikely that noise can be reduced at the source to acceptable levels in the immediate future and isolation of workers in sound-attenuating enclosures or reduction of an individual's exposure time is not always practical. Personal hearing protective devices are affordable and readily available. Despite many years of use, a number of theoretical and practical questions remain about their utility.
mesh_terms: D004430:Ear Protective Devices; D004867:Equipment Design; D006316:Hearing Loss, High-Frequency / Q000503:physiopathology; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000503:physiopathology; D006320:Hearing Tests / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D011482:Protective Devices