I use 3-M ear muffs. While growing upon a farm, and continued working in construction, I never wore any hearing protection. Around 39 for the 11th time, I changed my trade to landscaping. Those mowers, blowers, trimmers and etc's made a lot more noise than farm machinery and backhoes.
I was now hiring some high school workers (those kids were the best crew I ever had worked with). Read up on hearing protection and realized the importance. I bought ear muffs for my entire crew. I spoke to the entire crew about the importance. I talked with each of their parents. By that time, I was beginning to hear strange noises most of the time and began to realize that maybe i should have been wearing hearing protection many years ago. I made it one of the rues, that "if you work with me, you will wear hearing protection."
Soon, the kids found out about earmuffs with radio transmitters. I was slow to pick up on that, but sooner or later, I realized and I extended the rule to include ".....NO RADIO"
Today, I hear crickets and katydids 24/7. I have just invested in hearing aids. I have not figured out how to quiet the crickets and katydids. But I can hear better. If I had worn hearing protection for the first 50 years of my working life, i might now be able to hear, at least, my dearly beloved when she talks to me. When she yells at me, I just remove the plugs.
Tinker