{"id":5889,"date":"2019-10-25T12:58:52","date_gmt":"2019-10-25T16:58:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thehearinginstitute.org\/?p=5889"},"modified":"2021-04-23T12:09:28","modified_gmt":"2021-04-23T16:09:28","slug":"how-to-protect-your-kids-ears-from-noise-induced-hearing-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thehearinginstitute.org\/how-to-protect-your-kids-ears-from-noise-induced-hearing-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Protect Your Kids\u2019 Ears from Noise-Induced Hearing Loss"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hearing loss<\/a> is common across Kentucky, and it isn\u2019t confined to older adults; nearly 15 percent of children aged 6-19 years old have a hearing impairment of at least 16 decibels<\/strong> (dB) in one or both ears in Louisville. Bilateral hearing loss (affecting both ears) of 40 dB or greater affects 1.4 out of every 1,000 children. There are many causes of hearing loss; while some of these can\u2019t be prevented, the biggest factor\u2014noise exposure<\/a>\u2014is preventable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Damaging Effects of Noise on Children\u2019s Hearing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Noise exposure is responsible for about one-third of all cases of hearing loss<\/strong>. It affects people of all ages, but children are especially susceptible. Sounds measuring 85 decibels (dB), about equivalent to city traffic in Louisville, can be listened to safely for up to eight hours a day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you exceed that threshold, your safe listening time drops significantly. Listening to music is one of the biggest culprits of pediatric hearing loss<\/a>; the volume from smartphones and tablets can easily exceed 105 dB\u2014loud enough to cause permanent damage to delicate ears in as little as five minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How loud is too loud for children?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s face it, our kids don\u2019t always make smart choices; in the case of music, they simply don\u2019t know better than to keep the volume turned down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A good rule of thumb as a parent is this: if you can hear your child\u2019s music when you\u2019re standing about an arm\u2019s length away and they are wearing earbuds or headphones, it\u2019s too loud!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What are healthy listening habits?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s never too soon to start teaching your children safe listening habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let them know that they should set the volume to no more than 60 percent of maximum and take a few minutes\u2019 break once an hour<\/strong> or so to give their ears a rest. Despite these warnings, we can\u2019t always trust kids to listen…and it can be difficult to judge decibel levels on our own. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to help ensure safe listening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n