Exposure to loud noises can endanger one’s hearing

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While it’s not surprising to spot teens wearing headphones and earbuds, it’s also becoming a widespread trend among younger children around the world – and it endangers their hearing. 

According to a poll made in the US, two out of three parents of elementary – or middle-school-aged children use audio devices, and half of parents of children ages five to eight report using such devices. 

Among parents whose children use headphones and earbuds, half of them say that their kid/s spend at least an hour a day using audio devices, while one in six say a typical day for their child includes at least two hours of audio device use, according to the poll by the University of Michigan Health’s Mott Children’s Hospital.

The Survey

“Over recent years, we’ve mostly been concerned about teens overusing audio devices, but earbuds have become increasingly popular and prevalent among younger kids, exposing them to more intense noise on a regular basis,” said pediatrician Dr. Susan Woolford, who co-directed the survey.

Man lying in bed with pillow suffering from noise (credit: INGIMAGE)

“Noise exposure risks to young children have historically involved loud singular events like concerts or fireworks, but parents may underestimate the potential harm from excessive use of listening devices.”

According to the findings, children are most likely to use these devices at home, school, and in the car. About a fourth of parents also said their children occasionally use audio devices on planes, while fewer than ten percent said their children use them on the bus, outdoors, or in bed. Half of parents agree that headphones or earbuds help keep their child entertained.

The American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement last year on the need to reduce noise risks to children, with increasing evidence that children and teens may be more exposed through personal listening devices.

Effects of high-volume audio devices

Prolonged or extreme exposure to high volumes of noise can result in long-term health issues, including hearing loss or tinnitus (chronic ringing in the ears,) she warned. “Young children are more vulnerable to potential harm from noise exposure because their auditory systems are still developing. Their ear canals are also smaller than adults, intensifying perceived sound levels. Tiny hair cells inside the inner ear pick up sound waves to help you hear. When these get damaged or die, hearing loss is irreversible.”

Noise exposure among children can also affect their sleep, academic learning, language, stress levels, and even blood pressure, she added. Only half of parents claim that they’ve tried to limit their child’s audio device usage, citing strategies such as asking the child to take a break, having set hours for use, and using a timer.  

Parents whose child uses headphones for more than two hours a day are also less likely to set time or volume limits compared to parents who report less headphone use for their child.

Tips to reduce risk

Woolford offers four tips to reduce risks of noise exposure to children through headphones and earbuds:

Monitor volume levels; minimize the negative impact of audio device usage by monitoring and adjusting the child’s volume and time on devices. 

Follow the 60/60 rule – children should be limited to no more than 60 minutes of audio devices a day at no more than 60% of the maximum volume. The sound levels on listening devices that are less than 70 dBA (relative loudness of decibels heard) are very unlikely to cause noise-related damage.

“A good way to tell if an audio device is too loud is if a child wearing headphones can’t hear you when you’re an arm’s length away,” she said.

Parent strategies to protect kids’ hearing (credit: University of Michigan Health Mott Children’s Hospital)

Parents can also limit their child’s risk by setting specific hours for audio device use or using a timer to keep track. Use noise-cancelling or volume-limiting headphones

Parents should consider the risk of noise exposure when purchasing audio devices for their child by checking the information on device packages to identify products that limit the volume, but some products marketed as “kid-safe,” Woolford warned, don’t limit the volume to 70 decibels.

However, children should avoid using noise-cancelling listening devices in situations when perception of sounds is crucial for safety. “Noise-cancelling devices may help prevent children from increasing the volume to levels that are too high,” Woolford said. “But these devices shouldn’t be used when a child is engaged in activities where it’s important to hear their surroundings for their safety, such as walking or riding on a bike.”

Make kids take breaks from personal listening devices. Parents should help children set daily “device-free” time, Woolford says. This may involve putting away or locking the child’s audio devices when time limits are up.

They may also encourage kids to enjoy things like music on a low volume in their rooms instead of using earbuds to reduce noise intensity.

How to avoid hearing loss

Personal audio devices should also be avoided when children are sleeping or at bedtime, Woolford said. Be mindful of early signs of hearing loss. If parents feel their child may be at risk of hearing loss due to using audio devices, Woolford recommends checking with a pediatrician, an audiologist, or an ear-nose-and-throat specialist.

Hearing Hero (credit: PR)

“Early signs of hearing loss may include asking for repetition, hearing ringing noises often, speaking loudly to people nearby, delayed speech, or lack of reaction to loud noises,” Woolford concluded. “Healthcare providers may be of assistance to parents by offering a simple explanation about hearing loss to help the child understand the reasons for limiting their use of audio devices.”

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