Preventing Hearing Loss in Children

Just as you would pay attention to the things that your child eats and drinks, you will also probably want to keep a check of the things that they are exposed to on a regular basis. This includes the sounds that they are exposed to on a regular basis as well. Being exposed to sounds that are too loud can even cause hearing loss that is permanent.

The causes of hearing loss in children

There are children who are simply born with hearing loss. That type of hearing loss is known as congenital loss of hearing. Some of the other more common causes of loss of hearing include infections in the ear, being exposed to medications that are toxic for the ear, certain types of infectious diseases, and also exposure to loud noise repeatedly. It must be noted here that of all the above causes of hearing loss, repeated exposure to loud noises is responsible for most cases of permanent hearing damage in children.

About 1 out of every 6 teenagers display symptoms of hearing loss that can be traced back to hazards that can be best termed as recreational hazards and occupational hazards. Recreational hazards include things such as loud concerts, loud sports events, etc. Occupational hazards include things like power tools, lawn care, etc.

Symptoms that hearing has been damaged

Hearing damage that arises due to noise is a type of ailment that is invisible and you may not hear any specific complaints about this issue from children. They will be much more likely to say such things that point to the fact that they are not hearing well. They can also exhibit signs that are much more subtle.

They may experience a lot more fatigue during a school day that was busy or if they were in particularly noisy settings. Listening is also something that requires a bit of effort as well. Therefore, if you do not hear well, you will be expending a lot more energy in order to make sense out of your environment.

Children may also display behaviors that closely resemble symptoms of having problems with attention. Children who have problems with their hearing will, in a lot of cases, be much more easily distracted when there is a lot of noise in the background and they will also have problems with attention in these environments. The most startling thing is that sometimes, it can happen in environments that would not be deemed to be noisy.

Children who have problems with their hearing will also, in a lot of instances, describe a sort of ringing in their ears (tinnitus). This is probably because it relates to a sound that they are hearing in their imagination. They may, for example, say that they are hearing such sounds as hearing bees, whistles of trains, or that of the wind blowing. Younger children, who may not be able to tell that other people are not hearing things differently, may not report any issues at all.

You can also find that your child is particularly irritable and/or upset when they are in settings that can be described as being loud. This could include places such as restaurants that are noisy, a rowdy birthday party, etc. these are all symptoms that the child may be suffering from some sort of hearing loss.

The final symptom of hearing loss in children is that they will often complain about pain or feeling some sort of annoyance with their ears or their head. It is also important to realize that these symptoms are extremely common and the main takeaway should be to get your children tested asap if they exhibit any of the above-mentioned things. There should be no delay in this as a small disturbing ear pain can quite easily and quickly become a permanent hearing loss.

These symptoms may be common, but think of hearing loss from noise exposure like a sunburn after a day at the beach — they are far from normal or healthy and can lead to long-term problems.

Common tips and suggestions to prevent hearing damage

Below we will talk about some of the most frequently asked questions by parents and caregivers regarding hearing loss. We will also give you a few suggestions as to how to properly deal with these scenarios.

How to listen to music through earphones?

There isn’t a single answer to this question. This is because all the earphones and headphones have different levels of loudness at the same exact settings for volume. In general, however, most of these earphones have the ability to cause significant damage if you listen to music through at loud volumes for even just a couple of minutes. Below, we have listed some of the guidelines that should be followed for the purposes of safe listening.

Rule of 80/90: This is quite a simple rule. If you are listening at a volume setting of about 80 minutes, know that that can be safely done for a period of about 90 minutes only. If you are listening to music at even louder volumes, then make sure that the listening periods are also much shorter.

The Rule of Arm’s Length: This rule suggests that if you are unable to hear a person speaking to you from about an arm’s length away, then you will probably need to turn your music down as it is too loud and can damage your hearing.

How to tell if it is too loud?

The arm’s length rule also applies here as well. Try to speak to a person who is about an arm’s length away from you. If you find that you need to shout in order for the other person to understand you, then the setting or environment you are in is probably just too loud and is not safe for your ears