If you’re like me, you rolled your eyes when you were a teenager, and your parents told you to turn the music down in your earbuds. Now, in my late 20s, the ringing in my ears is a constant reminder that my parents were right. Dr. Mary Chatelain, an audiologist at Pinnacle Hearing in Little Rock, recently went on AFMC TV (it's worth the watch) to discuss the importance of monitoring the noise level of earbuds, noise machines, and other listening devices, especially in babies, teenagers, and children. Doing so will protect them in the long run and save them from hearing loss.
Loud noise is all around us.
Portable speakers, hearing devices, noise machines, AirPods. Children today are surrounded by noise every day, making it more important than ever to ensure they’re not damaging their ears. “Recent studies even talk about sleep machines causing hearing loss in babies because their volume levels are not being regulated,” Dr. Chatelain says.
A sleep machine is basically a white noise machine, emitting an equal volume of sound at any frequency. “If not regulated properly, sleep machines are exposing babies to noises at volumes that their ears are not yet designed for,” Dr. Chatelain explains.
Prevent the damage sleep machines may cause with these precautions:
- Do not keep the sleep machine in the crib with your baby. Keep it at least seven feet away to protect your child’s hearing.
- Keep the noise at a low volume.
- Set a maximum time limit to play the sleep machine. It should not be on all night, just until the baby falls asleep.
What is the optimal volume to keep children's ears safe?
“Children and teenagers have smaller ear canals, which makes noise louder and leaves them more susceptible to hearing loss,” Dr. Chatelain says. “Most headphones and AirPods output volume between 70 decibels (dB) to 110 dB. However, any noise above 70 dB can cause hearing damage for an extended period of time.”
Sudden, loud sounds, like the pop of a firecracker, are over 120 dB, which can cause immediate harm and permanent hearing loss.
All of this is not to say that parents must take their AirPods or headphones away from their kids. “We just need to regulate the noise levels more,” Dr. Chatelain says. “They shouldn’t have their headphones in all day. Ideally, their headphone should be around 60-70% of the highest volume. It doesn’t need to be up all the way.”
“If my daughter is sitting beside me and I can hear her music through her headphones, that’s too loud. If she cannot hear me when I speak to her at a normal volume, that’s too loud,” Dr. Chatelain says.
Be aware of the warning signs for hearing loss.
- Talking louder than their normal tone.
- Speech or language delays and pronouncing words incorrectly.
- Struggling in school or suffering lower grades due to not being able to hear the teacher.
- Ear pain after prolonged exposure to loud noise.
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus) after the event.
- Muffled hearing after the event.
Over-the-counter hearing aids have been approved by the FDA.
While they have been sold on the Internet and over the phone, the FDA has now approved hearing aids to be sold over the counter at pharmacies, such as CVS and Walgreens. While these hearing aids are not for those with severe hearing loss, they are a great tool for individuals who have minor hearing loss.
Dr. Chatelain says that while these over-the-counter hearing aids have been beneficial for patients, providers are not involved in their selection. “Providers can answer your questions, help you put in the hearing aid correctly, and even help you find out the right hearing aid for you.”
Audiologists can do more advanced screenings than a basic hearing test. “At Pinnacle Hearing, we can put them in a booth and do full audiological testing to determine whether they truly need a hearing aid or if there may have been an issue with the hearing test they received initially,” Dr. Chatelain says.
It usually takes around seven years for an individual to realize that they need to book an appointment with an audiologist. Dr. Chatelain says that over-the-counter hearing aids help lessen that amount of time. “When people realize they can’t hear well with the over-the-counter hearing aids, or they don’t fit as well, or they don’t know how to put them in correctly, that usually prompts them to come and see us.
As technology advances, it’s imperative that we regulate our exposure to loud noises and take steps to ensure that we’re protecting our hearing as much as possible. Being aware of the warning signs and proactively keeping the volume at a reasonable level will help you prevent hearing loss and lead to better long-term results.
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