How to protect your child’s ears from Tinnitus? Children’s Hospital expert Audiologist explains
This week (Monday 3 – Sunday 9 February) is Tinnitus Awareness Week. Tinnitus is the name for hearing noises that do not come from an outside source.
Jayne Howarth, Senior Audiologist at our Children's Hospital, is part of our specialist Audiology team, which supports children and young people who may be struggling with their hearing, have problems in terms of processing sound or have tinnitus.
Our team of Audiologists offer a comprehensive, family-friendly, diagnostic and habilitative hearing assessment service from birth to 16 years of age.
Jayne explained: “Tinnitus is not unusual at any age, and it is not always a sign that there is anything wrong, but sometimes tinnitus can be a symptom of other disorders, so we always suggest asking your GP to refer for a hearing assessment if your child complains of tinnitus.”
Research suggests that up to 36 per cent of children might experience tinnitus in the UK.
Jayne said: “Children often don’t mention tinnitus if it is not bothering them. Young children may say they can hear a noise when no one else can hear it or might link it to a sound they understand, such as saying they can hear bees, birds or the wind, for example.
“If you feel your child may be experiencing bothersome tinnitus, the first step is to ask for a hearing assessment referral from your family GP.”
Symptoms for children include appearing anxious and frustrated, quiet avoidance as well as difficulty sleeping with no subtle background noise like a radio or TV. Some children with Tinnitus do not like sounds that are too loud. Children with hearing loss are more likely to experience Tinnitus.
Audiologists can support patients who are experiencing troublesome tinnitus.
Jayne explained: “We can check your hearing to see if there is an obvious cause for the tinnitus, and may refer you to the Ear, Nose and Throat department for further investigation or treatment to give advice if the tinnitus noise is causing annoyance or distress.
“We can also talk through the challenges you may be experiencing because of the tinnitus and help you develop strategies to manage the annoyance.”
Jayne spoke to us about her top tips for protecting your child or young person’s ears from tinnitus:
Top tips for protecting your child’s hearing
- If you use headphones for gaming or listening to music, keep them at a sensible volume (<=70%). Take regular breaks from the sound.
- If you’re attending a loud concert, use musician’s earplugs to reduce the noise levels – they allow sound through so you can still enjoy the music but at a lower level.
- If you have a noisy hobby, like playing in a band or an orchestra, musician’s earplugs can help protect your ears from high levels of noise too.
- Look after your general health and well-being – stress and illness can temporarily make tinnitus seem more noticeable.
- If you have a hearing loss and experience tinnitus, seek advice from an audiologist.