Protect hearing from loud noises and toys

Loud sounds can cause hearing damage in children and teens. Certain toys make loud noises.

Loud toys can be even more harmful if your child holds them up to their ear or hears them often. The noise can cause pain and hearing loss.

The risk of harm can be more if your child takes medications that affect hearing, such as some chemotherapy drugs and IV antibiotics.

Loud items and situations include:

• Instruments or toys that make music
• Talking dolls
• Toy guns that make noise
• Vehicles with horns and sirens
• Firecrackers
• Listening to loud music a lot over time, even with ear buds, headphones, car speakers.
• Listening to loud noises from equipment like lawn mowers, power tools, snowmobiles, leaf blowers
• Loud noises at events like concerts and sports events

Ways to protect your child's hearing

You can reduce harm from loud noises by:

• Avoiding events with loud noises
• Moving your child away from loud sounds
• Turning down the volume
• Having your child wear protective equipment such as ear plugs or headphones

Check toys for noise level

Before you buy a new toy or item that makes noise, check to see if it makes a loud sound. Do not buy it if it seems too loud to you.

If you already have some loud toys at home, consider removing batteries from battery-powered toys.

You can learn more about preventing hearing loss from loud noises at noisyplanet.nidcd.nih.gov.