Noisy Toys Can Damage Your Hearing

Mary Anderson,
Speech-Language Pathologist

Parents may think that noise is a problem they do not need to worry about until their child reaches the teenage years. Not so. Some toys are so loud that they can cause hearing damage in children. Certain toy sirens and squeaky rubber toys can emit sounds of 90 decibels (dB). These sounds can be as loud as a lawnmower and dangerous to a child's hearing. Workers would have to wear ear protection for similarly noisy sounds on the job.

The danger with noisy toys is greater than the 90 dB level implies. When held directly to the ear, as children often do, a noisy toy actually exposes the ear to as much as 120dB of sound, a damaging dose – the equivalent of a jet plane taking off. Noise at this level is painful and can result in permanent hearing loss.

Toys that pose a noise danger include cap guns, talking dolls, vehicles with horns and sirens, walkie-talkies, musical instruments, and toys with cranks. Parents who have normal hearing need to inspect toys for noise danger just as they would for small pieces that can be easily swallowed.

May is Better Hearing and Speech Month, and according to Mary Anderson, Speech-Language Pathologist at Cloud County Health Center, the focus this year has been on encouraging people to “Turn Down the Volume.”  She said, “We Baby Boomers are starting to notice hearing loss which started in our teens.  We listened to loud music back then, just as our kids do today.  But, we did not use the internal ear buds used today, which make the sound much louder and much more damaging.”

If you are concerned about your child's hearing, be certain to have their hearing tested by an ASHA-certified audiologist. For a list of audiologists in your area or ASHA's brochures on noise, hearing and hearing health, consumers may call 800-638-8255 or go to the ASHA website www.asha.org.