New Survey: Headphones putting young children’s hearing at risk
How loud is too loud when it comes to kids using headphones and earbuds? And how much time is too much when using them?
A new report finds young children’s hearing could be permanently damaged by these devices. A national poll on children’s health conducted by the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital shows that 2 out of 3 parents say their child between ages 5 and 12 regularly use the listening devices. Medical experts point to this trend as troubling when it comes to hearing dangers for kids between ages 5 and 8, whose ears are more vulnerable when exposed to extended periods of loud noise.
The poll shows half of parents whose children use listening devices estimate their kids use them for at least an hour a day. One in 6 parents say their children used them for at least two hours per day. Half of parents surveyed admit earbuds and headphones help keep kids entertained and that their children use them at school and at home. The poll found only half of parents said they limit children’s use of listening devices with breaks or setting certain hours for use.
Growing use of these devices has prompted the American Academy of Pediatrics to issue a statement on the need to reduce noise exposure for children, including the use of listening devices. Prolonged or extreme exposure to high noise volume can lead to hearing loss or tinnitus, which is constant ringing in the ears. Noise exposure among children also can affect their sleep, academic learning and even stress levels.
Noise and hearing loss
Noise-induced hearing loss occurs due to irreversible damage to the inner hair cells. Dr. Marcus Magister, a physician with Washington Ear, Nose & Throat and with Washington Health System, explains that there are tiny cells within a portion of the inner ear called the cochlea, which turn the mechanical vibrations of sounds into electrical impulses. Those impulses are sent to the brain so we can perceive sound.
“Once the inner hair cells associated with a certain frequency are damaged, they cannot regenerate,” Magiste said. “However, this is a constant area of continued research among hearing scientists.”
Noise can damage these inner hair cells in two ways: either by a short, extremely loud sound such as a gunshot or jet airplane or by prolonged exposure to more moderate sounds. Magister says the latter situation is where we see most noise-induced hearing loss in children as well as adults.
“As compared to adults, a child’s hearing is thought to be more susceptible to loud sounds for multiple reasons,” he says. “First, their outer and middle ears are still developing – since their ears are smaller, a given sound will be perceived louder when transmitted through a smaller space like the ear canal.”
Another reason children are generally more sensitive to louder sounds is that their hearing is better than adults. “For most people, the inner ear’s ability to hear is never better than it is in childhood before they have been exposed to a lifetime of acoustic trauma and other life events,” Magister said.
How loud is too loud?
A general rule of thumb for parents when it comes to how loud is too loud is easy: If your child cannot hear you at arm’s length while wearing headphones or earbuds, then it’s too loud. Many devices now offer the ability to set maximum volume, and exposure to sound at or below 70 decibels (dB) is very unlikely to cause hearing loss. For comparison, Magister says 70dB is equivalent to sound made by most washing machines or freeway traffic from a distance. Another important facet is duration of use.
“Generally limiting your child or teen to 60 minutes of use per day at no more than 60% of a device’s maximum volume is another safe rule of thumb,” Magister said.
The damage can start at a young age but not show up for many years. “Since the noise-induced hearing loss created by earbuds/headphones is from prolonged exposure to more moderate sounds, we typically do not see this at a young age,” he said. “This type of noise-induced injury is cumulative throughout one’s life and will manifest many years later.”
Magister said he has seen a significant increase in the number of young children and teens who are using earbuds/headphones and sees many children and teens wearing them for increasingly longer periods throughout the day.
“Most of my patients with hearing loss are adults, but I remind people hearing loss is generally a combination of three things: a person’s age, their genetic predisposition, and their cumulative noise exposure throughout their lives,” he said. “The only risk factor we have the ability to modify is the amount of noise to which we are exposed.”
Tips to protect hearing
– Monitor volume levels on the devices. If a child can’t hear you at arm’s length, it’s too loud.
– Limit use to 60 minutes per day at no more than 60% maximum volume.
– Check product information and choose devices that limit volume to 70 decibels.
– Set “device-free time” each day and put away headphones and earbuds during that time.
Early signs of hearing loss may include asking for repetition, hearing ringing noises, speaking loudly, delayed speech or lack of reaction to loud noises. If you are concerned about your child’s hearing, have it checked with your pediatrician or an audiologist.