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Turn Down the Noise! 3 Tips to Protect Your Child’s Hearing

by |  September 27th, 2016
  

It’s a loud world we live in.

From video games to surround-sound at home, from music through our ear buds to live music (which is constant in our great city), from construction to traffic (also constant but not great). Noise is everywhere.

Collectively, all these loud noises can damage our hearing.

The idea of hearing loss most likely brings up an image of a grandparent. But our actions as adults, teenagers or even younger impact how well we hear (or don’t hear) later on.

Here’s a statistic for you. About 5 million kids have noise-induced hearing loss or hearing damage as a result of a loud sound. Most of this loss is entirely preventable.

What’s tricky about noise-induced hearing loss is that it can happen gradually and often has no symptoms. A person cannot feel it happening. Yet, once there is damage, it’s too late…hearing doesn’t come back.

With ACL Music Festival, F1 and other loud events around the corner, here are three tips to preserve your child’s hearing.

  • Teach your kids that noise today impacts their hearing later. Noise-induced hearing loss doesn’t occur overnight. What they do now may either keep them from needing hearing aids at all or needing them earlier than expected.
  • When using earphones, turn it down. Ear buds have impacted hearing in a big and negative way. We carry our smartphones everywhere, so some kids use earphones every day and all day. Here’s an un-scientific way to judge if it’s too loud: if you cannot hear someone next to you calling your name in a normal voice with ear phones on, the volume is too high.girl with ear protectors
  • At concerts (or if “jamming” with friends), wear hearing protectors. For babies and kids, this is a no-brainer. Ear muffs are best…and usually little kids think they’re cool. For older kids, if they think wearing ear plugs is uncool…ask them how uncool it would be to ask “what did you say?” every 10 minutes because they’ve damaged their hearing.

Has your child mentioned ringing in his ear? Are his ear buds constantly on overdrive and overload? Talk to your pediatrician.

Check out healthychildren.org for more information about safe hearing practice.


|, , 411 Pediatrics Parenting Toddlers

About

Dr. Ari Brown is a pediatrician and a mom. Dr. Brown is Board Certified and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She has been in private practice for over 20 years. Her passion to advocate for children and educate families extends beyond the office setting. She is the co-author the bestselling "411" parenting book series including Expecting 411: Clear Answers and Smart Advice for your Pregnancy, Baby 411, and Toddler 411. Dr. Brown has received several professional awards including the Ralph Feigin, MD Award for Professional Excellence, the prestigious Profiles in Power Award by the Austin Business Journal for her service to the community, Austin's Favorite Pediatrician by Austin Family Magazine, and Texas Monthly Magazine's Super Doctor.

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