Music Through Headphones Could Lead to Childhood Hearing Loss

Children get a lot of use out of their headphones. They can watch a movie on their electronic device sitting right next to you, while you watch a program that they’re not interested in. They can listen to their own music or play games during a car ride or long plane trip. But as with any device, you need to make sure they aren’t listening at a high volume for too long.

Hearing loss in children is a growing problem worldwide, with the ubiquity of portable electronic devices. The World Health Organization (WHO) is so concerned over hearing loss in young people that has issued a position paper and undertaken an awareness campaign over the danger of headphones. WHO warns that 1.1 billion young people world-wide are at risk for early hearing loss.

Headphones

There are increased reports of hearing loss in young children, even when they seem to be using their devices at a lower volume. Over time, physicians have learned pumping sound directly into an ear can be more damaging than first thought. This is especially true for children who often set the volume too high and wear their headphones for too long.

Older children who use headphones and ear buds at high volumes can be damaging their ears. And it’s not just music or movies at high volumes. Many video games also have loud soundtracks, and in addition to the sound from the video games, your children may also have other players yelling directly into their ears when a game gets particularly lively.

Headphone use study

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study linked hearing loss in adults to exposure to loud noise. As many as 40 million adults in the United States younger than 70 have lost hearing gin one or both ears due to prolonged exposure to noise. A more recent study showed hearing damage to young people who could not have been exposed to decibel damaging noise as a workplace issue.

This study, conducted in the Netherlands, reviewed hearing issues with 3,116 students, aged 9 to 11. The children reported using their headphones at least three or more days a week. Tests showed 14% of the study group had some high frequency hearing loss. Almost 2% showed a significant hearing issue. All told, about 40% of the study participants showed high-frequency hearing loss. Researchers said with hearing loss at this young age would likely experience increased loss if they attended events such as concerts and night clubs, where they would be exposed to repeated loud noise.

How much is too much and how loud is too loud?

One song played at a high volume will not likely damage a child’s hearing, but prolonged listening at high levels will. For younger children, the ear canals are smaller, so a volume that may be loud for an adult ear is amplified and much louder in small ear drums. When your child starts listening to music, TV shows and movies through headphones, consider getting noise-cancelling headphones that block out external noise and have the option to set the volume at a certain decibel level.

The sound should not be over 85 decibels, but even that’s too loud for headphones. There are phone apps that let you test sound for decibel readings. Remember, decibel increases are not linear. Eighty decibels are twice as loud as 70, and 90 decibels are four times louder. Exposure to 100 decibels, about the sound of a lawn mower, is safe for no more than 15 minutes – then you start having hearing damage issues. Noise at 108 decibels is only safe for about three minutes.

In general, it is useful to follow the 60-60 rule as recommended by hearing specialists: 60% volume for no more than 60 minutes at a time. Make sure that your children are giving their ears a break!

Safe hearing suggestions

Many devices allow parental controls to set the volume. Remind your children to take listening breaks after an hour when using headphones. Check online for headphone ratings and choose ones that allow you to set the volume limits.

Noise-induced hearing loss can occur to anyone, at any age. It is important that your children understand the permanence of hearing loss and that they keep safe-listening tips in mind. Additionally, it is important that children understand the signs of hearing loss. Too often, hearing is ignored because it is an invisible sense and we only pay attention when a sound is so loud that it is painful to our ears.

Get a hearing evaluation

If your child is an avid headphone user, it’s a good idea to add a hearing test to their health regimen. Establishing a baseline early means you will stay on top of their hearing health. If you suspect your child may have hearing issues, consider visiting us at Orange County Physicians’ Hearing Services. We offer a full range of pediatric hearing services. Call today for a consultation.