Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Kids — It's A Thing
The world is a loud and noisy place and exposure to this noise can hurt your child’s ears. Exposure to loud sounds can cause permanent hearing damage — in adults and in children. Plus, it’s more common than you think. Read on to learn more about noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and how to protect your child’s hearing from a speech pathologist and mom.
Hearing Trouble in Children
Children can have trouble hearing for a number of reasons such as otitis media (ear infection of the middle ear), otitis externa (swimmer’s ear), allergies, a foreign object that they (or a sibling) has shoved into their ear canal, illnesses, ear wax build up, genetic conditions and even noise-induced hearing loss.
Sometimes a child’s hearing will improve, such as when the ear infection clears or the ear wax/foreign object is removed. It is not always the case though. Depending on the reasoning behind the hearing loss, damage can be permanent.
Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
Many people don’t realize that children can experience hearing loss from exposure to loud noise but it is actually much more common than you think!
An estimated 12.5% of children and adolescents aged 6–19 years (approximately 5.2 million) and 17% of adults aged 20–69 years (approximately 26 million) have suffered permanent damage to their hearing from excessive exposure to noise. — The Center for Disease Control (CDC)
Acquired hearing loss from exposure to loud sounds may be temporary but can be permanent. Hearing loss can occur from one exposure to a very loud sound (think sitting directly next to fireworks as they explode) or from multiple exposures to moderately loud sounds (live concerts, music through headphones at maximum volume).
Hearing loss can result from a single loud sound (like firecrackers) near your ear. Or, more often, hearing loss can result over time from damage caused by repeated exposures to loud sounds. The louder the sound, the shorter the amount of time it takes for hearing loss to occur. The longer the exposure, the greater the risk for hearing loss (especially when hearing protection is not used or there is not enough time for the ears to rest between exposures). — CDC
I love this summary from the CDC that breaks it down pretty simply — exposure to loud sounds can cause damage. Basically, the louder the sound they more likely it is to cause some type of damage. The longer the amount of time you are exposed to the loud sound, the more likely that it will cause damage.
Symptoms of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
Symptoms of noise induced hearing loss can occur immediately, such as pain in the ears or the feeling that everything is sounding hushed or muted.
One of the most common symptoms is leaving a loud situation and having trouble hearing speech clearly, like in conversation, or tinnitus (ringing or roaring in the ears). These symptoms have been observed in both children and adults.
“When you walk out of a noisy situation and your ears feel stuffy or your hearing is muffled, or if you are hearing a ringing sound once you get away from the loud environment, you’re experiencing the damaging effects of noise,” said Dr. Lindsay Bondurant, director of the Pennsylvania Ear Institute (PEI).
How Loud Is Too Loud?
Sound is measured in a unit called decibels (dB). The louder a sound is, and the greater the decibel level, the more harmful the sound can be. Exposure to very loud sounds can cause hearing loss, permanent hearing loss, in a shorter amount of time. I thought this summary chart of approximate loudness levels could be helpful:
110 dB and higher damage can occur with 2 minutes of exposure
- 140 -160 dB — Fireworks Display
- 140 dB — Jet Engine Taking off
- 120 — Fire Truck Siren
100 dB can cause damage after 14 minutes of exposure
- 100–120 dB — Live Sporting Event
- 100 dB — Live Music Concert
- 100–110 dB — Headphones at max volume
85 dB at can cause damage after 8 hours
- 74–104 dB — Movie Theater
- 90–100 dB — Hair Dryers
- 80–100 dB — Lawn Mower
70 dB and below are generally considered safe
- 60–70 dB — Normal Conversation
- 40 dB — Quiet Library or Museum
- 30 dB — Whisper
- >30 dB — Petting a dog or cat
How to Prevent Hearing Loss
The world is a loud and exciting place, and many children (mine included) contribute to the loudness level. Noise-induced hearing loss in children does happen, but many times is preventable. Here are some tips to promote safe hearing:
- Avoid loud situations
Babies and children have more sensitive hearing than adults. If an adult feels that a situation is loud, it feels more loud to children. - Watch for signs
A child will often indicate that they are sensitive to sounds by putting their hands on their ears, physically removing themself from a sound and/or irritability.
Sometimes, children have difficulty putting their emotions into words and may have trouble explaining that the sounds are too loud. That is why it is important to watch for these signs. - Provide hearing protection
If you are going to a location that will be loud, plan to provide hearing protection. For young children, noise cancelling headphones, sometimes called ear muffs (over-the-ear), for hearing protection works great. For older children, they might prefer ear plugs. - Limit the volume on all electronic devices
Limit the volume on all devices they will be listening, especially through headphones. There are ways to limit the volume on phones and computers — exercise the parental controls so that children can’t make a device loud enough to cause hearing loss. - Make hearing protection a habit
Pack it in your diaper bag or backpack wherever you are going. That way, hearing protection is available to use. Model good behaviors with the children in your life — listen to music at a safe level.
Summary
The world is a loud, noisy, and exciting place. It is important to protect your hearing and the hearing of the child in your life. Exposure to loud sounds, even for a short period of time, can cause hearing loss. Avoid loud situations or ensure that hearing protection is available and used correctly.
Think of it like sunscreen — if you are out in the sun too long, you will get a sunburn without practicing sun safety. The same thing goes for hearing protection.
If at any point you are concerned about your child’s hearing, please contact their pediatrician. They will be able to do an assessment and provide great support and resources.
TLC Speech Therapy is a speech pathology private practice, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, that specializes in feeding, swallowing, and communication skills in infants, children, teens, and adults.
For more information check out our website at tlcspeechtherapy.com or contact us at hello@tlcspeechtherapy.com
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