While most people believe that hearing loss is an unfortunate side effect of getting older, the reality is that hearing loss can affect anyone – even children.
When you see “noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL),” chances are you imagine a sudden blast of noise that will damage your hearing on impact. NIHL is less sudden for most causes; it occurs gradually, due to the cumulative effects of excessive noise exposure over time.
How long does your child spend with their headphones on each day? Or is your child a concert fan, going out to loud live events and coming back with ringing ears?
There’s nothing scarier than thinking our children’s health is at risk. But how do you protect their hearing without seeming like an uncool parent?
Volume + Duration = Damage
We measure sound in decibels (dB). Anything over 85 dB can damage your hearing; for reference, 85 dB is around the noise level of a blender. 120 dB is the sound level of a rock concert and just 20 dB below the maximum volume that the Apple AirPods Max can reach.
Children will sit glued to the TV or their personal devices for hours on end, watching shows and playing games with their headphones in. Without realizing it, they could be causing a lot of damage if the volume isn’t monitored.
Noise-induced hearing loss has skyrocketed in recent years to become the second-most common cause of hearing loss after age-related hearing loss. We don’t realize how much our hearing affects our lives until it isn’t working as well as it used to. By taking care of your kid’s hearing health, you can make sure they won’t struggle with worse hearing loss challenges later in life.
As annoying as playing the boring parent card is, when your kid’s health is at stake, you must pay attention. Make sure that your child’s hearing is safeguarded by monitoring the volume on their personal devices and encouraging them to wear hearing protection at loud live events; when their hearing health benefits as a result of your “nagging,” they’ll thank you for it!
Concerned about Your Child’s Hearing?
As fellow parents, we understand there’s nothing more important than the health, growth, and development of your child.
If you think your child is struggling with their hearing, we’re happy to help with our pediatric audiology services.
We work alongside your child’s needs, making sure the appointment is stress-free and as comfortable as possible, allowing us to get a proper reading of their hearing.
Our team is here to help you and your child with any and all hearing health concerns. Simply request a callback to talk with a member of our team about pediatric audiology care, or call us at (830) 360-2000 to book an appointment.
