Medical Moment: Festivals Too Loud For Children?

21 Jun Medical Moment: Festivals Too Loud For Children?

Telluride Inside… and Out is proud to feature the Telluride Medical Center’s MEDICAL MOMENT, a weekly column that answers common medical questions in pop culture. Have a question for the doctors? Click here to send.

Eric Johnson answers this week’s question:

“ARE FESTIVALS TOO LOUD FOR CHILDREN?”

The festival is too loud for almost all of us, unless you’re all the way in the back! So, it’s especially loud for children, and downright dangerous for infants, who are the highest risk for hearing damage due to loud noise.

Eric C. Johnson, MS, CFNP-BC

The developing ear is exceptionally sensitive to noise. The infant’s skull is thinner and their ear canals are shorter, leading to greater risk for damage. Prolonged exposure to noise levels greater than 80 decibels can cause damage to structures of the inner ear leading to permanent hearing loss in the infant and young children. (A normal conversation is about 60 decibels.)

Even with the use of hearing protective devices exposure to festival noise should be limited by distance from the speakers and time in the festival. Appropriate hearing protection includes infant sized ear plugs or noise reducing headphones. Cotton balls, tissue or other substances will not provide adequate protection.

This festival season, be sure to limit time at the festival and use appropriate ear protection for your children and yourself.

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