How to Protect Your Child's Hearing
July 14, 2022
When was the last time you thought about hearing loss? You may hear fine, but according to the CDC, more than one in eight children between six to 19 years old already have damage from loud noise. Loud noises can be harmful to our hearing, and parents need to be proactive in protecting their children's hearing.
Parents can protect their children's hearing by monitoring the sound levels their children experience when listening to a tablet, TV, or other devices. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Telecommunication Union recommend that children should listen to devices at volumes no higher than 75 dBA for no more than 40 hours per week. For reference, a normal conversation is usually around 70 dBA, compared to 30 dBA for a whisper in a quiet library.
Despite best efforts, parents can only control so much of their children's environment and the duration of noise exposure. This makes it important for parents to talk to their children about how to care for their young ears. These small steps can help reduce this impact:
- Avoid loud noises whenever possible. If you need to raise your voice when speaking with someone who is an arm's length away, then it is likely to be too loud for a child's hearing.
- Teach children to respect their hearing. Children may be more likely to protect their hearing if they learn to respect and appreciate it. One way to do that is to have children identify their favorite sounds and share how they would feel if they couldn't hear those sounds.
- Know when a sound is dangerously loud. Stay informed with sound-level meter mobile apps. If a child is listening to media through earphones, use technology to implement password-protected volume limits on their devices.
- Set time limits with your children. Reducing the amount of time spent listening to a loud sound will reduce the risk of developing hearing damage.
- Make safe headphones or earphone choices. Personal listening devices can produce loud sound levels, buy earphones or headphones that allow for a healthier listening experience.
- Noise-isolating earphones reduce background noise and allow users to enjoy music or movies at lower volumes.
- Electronic noise-canceling headphones are high-tech devices that can help make listening more comfortable in noisy places.
- Output limiting earphones regulate the maximum sound level, making them good options for children who cannot self-regulate yet
- Choose age-appropriate hearing protection. Protective earmuffs for smaller heads or adjustable elastic headband style earmuffs specifically to cater to the need of children, babies, and toddlers.
Parents show significant awareness when it comes to their children's diet, medications, media, curriculum, sports, or games. The same diligence should be applied to their children's hearing by being aware of their surroundings and knowing when to turn down the volume or step away from dangerously loud sounds.