Parents, Beware! Are Screens and Headphones Silently Stealing Your Child’s Hearing?

Kids are glued to screens and blasting headphones more than ever—but at what cost? Excessive gadget use could lead to hearing loss. Here’s what parents need to know and do to protect their child’s ears.

WORDS LIM TECK CHOON

FEATURED EXPERT DR PRIATHARISINY VELAYUTHAM Consultant Paediatric Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) Specialist Sunway Medical Centre

PARENTS, THERE ARE 2 TYPES OF HEARING LOSS

Conducive Hearing Loss

• Often caused by physical obstruction or damage to the structures in the outer ear.
• Common causes include fluid buildup and wax accumulation in the outer ear.
• Is generally treatable.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

• Affects the nerve cells of the ear
• Commonly a result of exposure of loud noises
• Can be permanent, irreversible, and affects both ears.
• This is the type of hearing loss we’re concerned about in this article.

Traditionally, prolonged exposure to industrial noise was the primary cause of hearing loss.

Times are changing, however.

Dr Priatharisiny Velayutham tells us: “With the proliferation of personal devices like smartphones and headphones, noise-induced hearing loss has become increasingly common among children and young adults. Worse, this type of hearing loss is permanent and irreversible.”

COMMON SIGNS THAT A CHILD MAY HAVE HEARING PROBLEMS

• Limited or stagnated vocabulary growth.
• Speech and language delays.
• Problems in articulating words or understanding what other people are saying.
• Frequently listens to the TV and other electronic devices at a high volume.
• Struggles to follow instructions or falls behind academically in school.

CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR CHILD’S HEARING?

Dr Priatharisiny advises parents to bring their child to an audiologist—a hearing healthcare specialist—or a paediatrician for a hearing test.

TIPS FOR PARENTS TO PROTECT THEIR KIDS’ HEARING

Limit the Child’s Exposure to Loud Noises

• “It’s essential to take breaks between sessions,” says Dr Priatharisiny.
• “Consider using earplugs or noise protection gear for children in noisy environments like concerts,” she adds.

Watch the Use of the Headphone!

• More than 80 minutes on the headphone use puts one at 4.7 times higher risk of hearing loss.
• Dr Priatharisiny advises setting a timer so that the child’s use of the headphone is limited to 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Limit the Use of Personal Devices

• Consider using personal device time as a treat for kids upon completion of homework and other tasks, instead of letting it be a part of the child’s daily routine.

Go Back to Basics

• Encourage children to enjoy activities such as reading.
• Reading also has the additional benefit of improving a child’s working memory and reading span.

Get Their Hearing Tested

• Consult a paediatrician or audiologist on regular hearing tests for one’s child.
• “Waiting too long to address hearing loss can lead to irreversible damage. In fact, many individuals have already lost up to 50% of their hearing by the time they seek help or see a specialist,” says Dr Priatharisiny.