Children and Hearing Protection: A Parent’s Guide to Safety

If you are a parent, you want to be able to protect all aspects of your children’s health. This includes their hearing. While hearing loss is associated with older people, individuals of any age can experience it. A common cause of hearing loss is noise exposure, which can cause damage to their ears and hearing loss can happen over time. The best way to prevent hearing loss is to develop good practices and wearing hearing protection.

Visit an Audiologist

If you are concerned about potential hearing loss for your child, it’s a good idea to see an audiologist as soon as possible. They can give your child a hearing test, which allows them to determine whether there is any hearing loss and, if so, how severe it is. This will help an audiologist determine the right treatment for your child.

Hearing loss happens gradually, so even if your child is not experiencing hearing loss, you can protect their hearing by having them wear hearing protection or taking steps for lessen loud noises around them. Your audiologist can explain the types of hearing protection like earplugs, earmuffs or noise-canceling headphones. They can also give you tips on how to protect your child’s hearing like limiting the volume of shows or music they listen too.

Educate Your Child on Noise Exposure and Hearing Loss

Educate your children about the dangers of overly loud noises early. Constant loud noises through headphones or in the home can speed up hearing loss. If your child has a hobby or another activity that exposes them to loud noises, it’s beneficial to invest in hearing protection early. For example, if they do a lot in a theater setting, with instruments or at stadiums, hearing protection might be a great way to preserve their hearing.

Specialized Hearing Protection

Hearing protection comes in different styles, depending on personal preference and the circumstances. Any kind of hearing protection should create a seal either in or around the ear. This seal muffles sounds going into the ear canal, as well as protecting it from debris or infections from water. Earplugs are a common form of ear protection that is suitable for a lot of circumstances. They block the ear canal itself. Waterproof earplugs can also be helpful if your child is a swimmer, as they prevent water from getting trapped in the ears.

Earmuffs sit over the head and around the ears. They can sometimes block higher levels of sounds than earplugs. This form of hearing protection might be more comfortable for your child as these go over the ear, not in the canal. The seal around the ear can also be interfered with if someone has long hair or glasses. Noise-canceling headphones can block out external sounds if at a stadium or a concert with your child.

If you want to learn more about hearing protection for your child or want to have their hearing checked contact an audiologist. They will be able to assess their hearing and determine the right treatment for them.