How to protect your ears and hearing at every age

Check your child

The vast majority of babies born in Ireland have no hearing problems. However, one or two babies in every 1,000 will be diagnosed with a permanent hearing loss in one or both ears. Identifying a problem early improves long-term outcomes for children and their development. That's why we screen babies less than one month old.

Some hearing milestones we expect at different development ages include:
0-3 months: Startles at loud sounds
4-6 months: Notices toys that make sound
7-12 months: Turns and looks in direction of sound
1-2 years: Listens to simple stories, songs, and rhymes
3-4 years: Hears you when you call from another room

If you have concerns, talk to your public health nurse or GP about a referral to an audiologist. Do not to wait to see if they "grow out of the problem". Reasons for referral include if your child:
Does not always respond to sounds.
Does not say many words, or their speech is unclear.
Does not follow directions.
Says, "Huh?" or "What?" a lot.
Does not answer when you call for them.

More information is available on the HSE Mychild website.

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Have your child’s hearing checked, at any age, if they have the TV, radio, or headphones turned up too loud. This also applies to adults.

Minimise the risk

To minimise the risk of hearing loss:
Ensure your child has their childhood vaccines; mumps, measles, rubella etc are associated with hearing loss.

Keep your child away from high noise levels, including very loud toys, and use hearing protection in loud environments such as concerts.

Avoid exposure to cigarette smoke, which can increase the frequency and severity of ear infections.

About three out of four children have at least one middle ear infection by the time they are three years of age. Young children and babies with an infection may rub or pull their ear. Many middle ear infections get better within a few days. A warm or cold flannel on the ear can help relieve pain and discomfort. However, always seek medical advice if: your child is younger than one year; is older than one year and has earache accompanied by a fever, or stiff neck, or swollen and red skin behind the ear; has acute earache that causes crying, and pain relievers are not working; or has pus or blood coming out of ear, an indication that the eardrum has ruptured.

Pain inside the ear, a high temperature, a feeling of pressure or fullness inside the ear, and difficulty hearing, are common symptoms of ear infection in adults.

If you have a sudden loss of hearing, particularly in one ear, contact your GP for immediate medical attention.

To minimise the risk of infection of the outer ear canal, dry ears thoroughly after swimming or showering. Tilting your head and pulling your earlobe in different directions helps drain water. Use a bathing cap, ear plug, or custom-fitted moulds when swimming.

Never put objects in your ear canal, including cotton-tip swabs, pencils, or fingers. Seek medical help if you or your child has something stuck in their ear.

Tinnitus is the perception of noise, such as buzzing, humming or whistling, in the ear or head. It is often worse at quiet times, such as when you are trying to sleep. If the condition is causing distress talk to your GP.

Cumulative exposure to noise can lead to hearing loss, but this can be minimised by limiting the amount of noise we are exposed to over our lives. Noise is loud enough to damage your hearing if: you have to raise your voice to talk, you can’t hear what people nearby are saying, it hurts your ears, or you have ringing in your ears or muffled hearing afterwards.

Listening to loud music through earphones and headphones is one of the biggest risks to hearing. Turning the volume down a little can make a big difference. Don’t listen to music at more than 60 per cent of the maximum volume. Use noise-cancelling earphones or headphones – don’t just turn the volume up to cover up outside noise.

During loud events and activities keep your distance from loudspeakers, and consider wearing disposable earplugs or reusable ear muffs that reduce the volume of music to a safe level but don’t muffle it, eg musicians’ ear moulds.

Some degree of hearing loss is an inevitable part of ageing. Typically, higher frequencies are affected initially, leading to a muffling as the “treble” sounds are lost. The degree of hearing loss varies from individual to individual, but may be exacerbated by other factors, including medical conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.

Listen for telltale signs

Signs of hearing loss include:
Having difficulty following conversations.
Asking people to repeat what they have said.
Feelings of ear fullness or pressure, ear noises, and dizziness.
Trouble hearing consonants.

Having your hearing tested as soon as you notice an issue, and getting hearing aids if needed, makes it much easier to adjust to the sound of aids.

If you have hearing loss, move closer to what you are trying to hear. Explain you have difficulties before conversations start. Ask people to face you when they talk, and not to hide their lips with hands. If you have a better-hearing ear, turn it towards the speaker.

Avoid conversations in noisy environments, eg the kitchen with the kettle on. Where possible remove or reduce background noise. Turn off the TV or the radio when you are not actively listening. Position yourself with a noise source behind you. Avoid sitting near the kitchen in a restaurant, or a band playing music.

Large rooms with high ceilings and hard floors are often difficult listening environments as sounds bounce off surfaces. Soft furnishings that absorb sound, such as carpet and rugs, reduce reverberation and make listening and understanding easier.

The HSE Community audiology service offers hearing aids free of charge to all children under 18 and adults with a medical card. Other adults may be entitled to a grant from the Department of Social Protection’s Treatment Benefit Scheme to use with a hearing aid audiologist.

Hearing loss can be quite traumatic, especially if the hearing loss is of sudden origin. Chime, the National Charity for Deafness and Hearing Loss, provides a helpline and support for patients and their families with hearing loss or tinnitus (1800 256 257).

Bronagh O’Donnell and Ciaran Clifford are both assistant national clinical leads for audiology with the HSE