Kids and hearing loss: Turn it down or turn it off

Did you know that about 13 out of every 100 school-age kids have some degree of hearing loss? Although there are many different causes of hearing loss, the increased popularity of MP3 players and iPods^® has been recognized as a major contributor to noise-induced hearing loss.

Portable music players have made ear buds really popular, but they actually can be more damaging to your hearing. Not only are ear buds placed directly into the ear, they also can increase the sound signal by as much as six to nine decibels. That’s the difference between the sound made by a vacuum cleaner and the sound of a motorcycle engine.

Ear buds don’t block unwanted sound, so kids increase the volume to hear the music. Today’s portable music players also have a longer battery life and a capacity to hold and play lots of music. This encourages kids to listen longer, which also increases the risk for potential hearing loss.

Hearing damage
The inner ear contains thousands of tiny hair cells. Sound causes these hair cells to vibrate, which sends a signal to the brain so a child can understand what he or she hears. Noise-induced hearing loss happens when these tiny hair cells are damaged. Ear buds can contribute to hearing loss because they are very close to the inner ear.

Compare the hair cells in the ear to blades of grass and loud music to people stepping on the grass. If one person walks across the grass, the grass gets bent but quickly springs back up. If 50 people walk across the grass over and over, it doesn’t have time to recover and eventually becomes permanently damaged.

Noise-induced hearing loss is permanent, but it can be prevented if the volume is lowered. The American Speech-Language Hearing Association encourages everyone to enjoy MP3 players and iPods safely by taking these three basic steps:

• Lower the volume.
• Limit the time spent listening.
• Wear earphones that go around the ear to better isolate what you want to hear and block background noise. This will reduce the need to increase the volume.

How loud is too loud?
If you can hear the music coming from your child’s iPod or MP3 player, the volume is too loud, and he or she is at risk for permanent hearing loss. To make sure your child is using these devices safely, remember the 60 percent and 60 minute rule. Hearing specialists recommend listening to portable music players with ear buds at 60 percent of their maximum volume for no more than 60 minutes a day.

Otolaryngology services are available at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Clinics-New Berlin. To make an appointment, call Central Scheduling at (414) 607-5280 or request an appointment online.

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