Are noisy toys giving your kids symptoms of hearing loss or tinnitus?
According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), many children play with toys that do not meet noise-related safety standards, often exceeding 90 decibels, a noise level equivalent to that of a lawnmower.
But while adults normally wear earplugs or other ear protection while using a leaf blower or working in a job shop, such is not the case with a toddler playing with his fire truck, complete with realistic sirens, horns, bells and whistles. And because their ear canals are shorter than adults’, children require even stricter safety standards where noise decibels are concerned. When you factor in the amount of time children spend playing with toys intimately at close range, you begin to understand why choosing the right toy for your child is vital for avoiding major inner ear damage.
Gear Up to Prevent Hearing Loss: Five Things you Should Buy Now
They’re not just annoying for parents
When held close to the ear, loud toys can project noise decibels equal to that of a jet plane during takeoff, as much as 120 decibels; not only noise of this level often painful, it can also cause major hearing-related disorders such as child deafness, hearing loss and tinnitus symptoms. A Fox News report listed specific popular name-brand toys which may create ear damage, such as the Tickle Me Elmo doll, VTech V.Smile Baby, various Disney musical toys and Little People or Tonka trucks.
Toys which are best avoided include:
- Cap guns
- Talking dolls or stuffed animals
- toy cars or trucks with sirens, horns or whistles
- walkie-talkies
- Toy telephones
- electronic musical instruments
- Toys which are crank-operated
- Video games
But what if well-meaning grandparents give your child a toy with loud buttons, music or voice-activated controls? You can always take out the battery; there isn’t a single parent jury who would convict you for lying to your child about the toy not working anymore, the batteries being dead or just not really knowing how to get it to work. Sometimes an electronic toy will have a volume control or on/off switch, but don’t count on it. If your child complains, ask him to just use his imagination, which is what it’s all about, anyways. If he persists, see if a bit of duct tape applied over the toy speaker helps to reduce the volume.
How is hearing loss in children diagnosed?
Parents are advised to have their child’s hearing checked regularly by an ASHA-certified audiologist. Hearing screenings can be conducted as early as infancy. A hearing test will determine if your child has a hearing-related disorder and determine what type of treatment is necessary in the areas of communication, academic and social success.
Also read:
When Children Suffer Tinnitus and Hearing Loss
Sources:
