Noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) in children is a growing concern due to increased exposure to loud sounds from personal devices, concerts, noisy environments, and recreational activities. Unlike age related hearing loss, NIHL is entirely preventable but can have lifelong consequences.

Causes of NIHL in Children: Excessive exposure to some of these can result in hearing problems in children. For example, if baby is exposed to vacuum cleaner noise for more than 5-10 minutes it is not good. Either change your house cleaning schedule or move the baby to a quiet room. Parents should understand that babies and children are more vulnerable to loud noises. The reason for this is they perceive loud noises differently. The sound which adults consider as normal for ears could be loud for baby’s ears. Obviously, babies and toddlers cannot express themselves or do not know how to avoid loud noises until parent step in to help them.

• Loud music and headphones – Children use headphones or earbuds to listen. This is a common scene that we see. However, the extended use of headphones or earbuds at high volumes can cause hearing problems.
• Noisy environments – Exposure to loud events like concerts, sporting events, radio, home theater or movie theaters, airplane engine, traffic noise are few reasons for hearing impairment too.
• Toys and devices – These toys and instruments sometime exceed safe sound levels -Electronic toys, musical instruments, vacuum cleaner, and alarm systems.
• Recreational activities – Watching or participating closely to activities like shooting sports, motorbike riding, and fireworks can cause sudden damage.

Impact of NIHL:

• Permanent hearing damage – Once damaged, inner ear hair cells do not regenerate.
• Speech and language delays – Affects communication skills, especially in younger children.
• Learning difficulties – Hearing loss can make it harder to follow lessons in school.
• Social and emotional impact – Children with hearing loss may struggle with social interactions and confidence.

Preventive measures to keep children from losing hearing:

1. Use volume limits – Keep personal devices at 60% of maximum volume (or just three decibels) and limit use to one hour at a time.
2. Encourage quiet breaks – Give ears time to recover from loud sounds.
3. Use noise canceling headphones – Reduce the need for high volume in noisy places.
4. Monitor toys and devices – Choose toys with safe sound levels (below 85 dB).
5. Use hearing protection – Earplugs or earmuffs in noisy environments like concerts or fireworks displays.

When to see your pediatrician?  

Talk to your child’s pediatrician. Doctors will do initial test and recommend what need to be done to get back or improve child’s hearing. If a child frequently asks people to repeat themselves, complains of ringing in the ears called tinnitus, or has difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments, a hearing test is recommended.

References:

https://hearinghealthfoundation.org/

https://www.asha.org/

https://www.nytimes.com/ Image credit: Image by Mimzy from Pixabay (Free to use under Pixabay content license