It’s almost time for your teens to go back to school. For parents, that means buying school supplies, checking their classes and bus schedules and probably a lot more. One non-academic way you can set your teen up for success, not only in school but also for the rest of their lives, is to teach them about hearing safety.
Why Does Hearing Safety Matter?
The CDC estimates that 12.5% of kids aged six to 19 have permanent hearing damage from excessive exposure to noise.1 A few sources of noise exposure that could damage your child’s hearing include:
- Headphones and personal audio devices
- Whistles during sports games
- Pep rallies
- Band practice
- Concerts
Depending on your child’s interests and classes, they may encounter one or more of the above noise sources. Teaching them how to protect their hearing without sacrificing things like band practice or football will significantly benefit your teen in the long run.
Hearing Protection Tips
Walk your teen through whichever of the following hearing protection tips is most relevant to their life:
- Lower the volume of their music. Teens love to blast music through their headphones. Unfortunately, music through headphones can reach volumes as high as 110 dBA. Noise at those levels can cause almost immediate hearing damage.2 Ask your teen to set decibel limits on their phone of no more than 80 dB to prevent hearing damage.
- Wear earplugs. Earplugs are an essential hearing-protection tool. Ask your teen to wear earplugs during concerts and band practice. They can choose musician-specific earplugs to protect their hearing without sacrificing their ability to play their instrument or listen to music.
- Stand away from noise. If your teen’s coach is blowing a whistle, or the band is playing during a pep rally, make sure your teen knows to stand at least ten feet away from the noise, further as the noise gets louder.
By taking the above steps to protect this vital sense, your teen can enjoy clear hearing through high school and beyond. If they notice signs of hearing loss or tinnitus, or it’s been a few years since their last checkup, contact North Alabama ENT Associates to schedule a hearing test with one of our specialists.
Sources:
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, November). Teen newsletter: Noise-induced hearing loss. David J. Sencer CDC Museum. https://www.cdc.gov/museum/education/newsletter/2022/nov/index.html
2 National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. (2025, April 16). Noise-induced hearing loss. National Institutes of Health. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/noise-induced-hearing-loss