Buying Kids' Headphones

                     

               You won’t find them for sale in most stores.  Sales staff at your local retail outlet won’t know what you are talking about.  Still, there really are some safer alternatives when it comes to kids’ headphones and sound products. Consider this; one in five kids will have some degree of noise induced hearing loss by the time they are teens.  MP3 players, loud videogames, and other noisy entertainments are all culprits.

What features should you look for when buying kids’ headphones?

·        Don’t let appearances fool you.  Just because a product is being marketed to kids doesn’t mean it is safe for kids.  One national chain with several Denver retail outlets targets teen and preteen girls exclusively.  They sell headphones that don’t stint on the rhinestones but lack safety features.  One of the most popular brands of teen headphones boasts model names like Crusher and Slayer and that’s what they do to young ears without the proper education.

·        At the very least, headphones should be noise cancelling.  One reason kids turn the volume up is to drown out environmental noise around them. If you must buy over the counter headsets, “ear can” style headphones that fit over the ear are preferable to earbuds. 

·        Even better are decibel-limiting headphones.  They have a maximum volume of 85 decibels, the upper limit of safe listening.  Above 85 decibels, permanent hearing loss is possible.  The higher the decibels, the less the exposure time needed for permanent hearing loss to occur.  Etymotic, a leader in safe technology, makes the ETY Kids brand.  Kidzsafe by SMS Audio is another good brand.  Vic Firth, has long been a crusader for hearing conservation.  The company’s founder did a lot of research to create a headphone that would be safe for his own child to use.  Kidphones by Vic Firth are decibel limiting and also sound pressure reducing.

·        “Bone phones” are another alternative. Delicate ear structures conduct sound, of course, but hard, study bone also does a great job.  Luckily, the best bone in your body, your skull, is handy! These high tech headphones bypass the ear canal entirely without affecting sound quality.  iHeadbones is compatible with all devices that have an audio jack.  If  you order online use the event code “DOUGLAS” for free shipping.

Ordering information:

iHeadbones--order online http://iheadbones.com/products.html(use code DOUGLAS for free shipping)  phone: 888-866-0807

Vic Firth—order online http://www.vicfirth.com/products/headphones.php phone: 617-364-6869

Etymotic—order online http://www.etymotic.com phone: 1-888-etymotic

SMS Audio http://www.smsaccessgranted.com phone: 561-278-2323

Whistle While You Work? Maybe Not

               Every day Americans head off to work to clock in at some very risky occupations.  Firefighting, storm chasing, smoke jumping, refereeing peewee soccer, and mowing the lawn are a few.  A recent study found that coaches and referees who use whistles are more likely to suffer from symptoms of noise-induced hearing loss than people in the general population. Regular exposure, even briefly, to sounds above 85 decibels can lead to permanent hearing loss. Nearly half of the referees who participated in the survey reported ringing in their ears after a game, which is a symptom of damage to sensitive inner ear cells that can lead to irreversible damage. “During fast paced games or rival matches my ears would hurt from the whistle,” says one Highlands Ranch coach. That’s a warning that the sound is too loud and potentially harmful.

               Your kids were right all along. Chores are bad for their health.  Many teens find themselves on lawnmower detail at home or take lawn jobs during the summer to earn extra money.  A lawnmower emits 90 decibels of noise.  That’s not bad compared to a jet engine which emits 150 decibels.  Still, prolonged and repeated exposure can cause permanent hearing loss. Power tools, video games, motorcycles, snowmobiles, and MP3 players are other common household items that pack a wallop.  “It really doesn’t take much to accumulate a decibel load,” says composer and music producer Janis Page.   “Add traffic, planes, sirens, and other environmental sounds to the offending noise source and it really adds up.”  If you want to measure the noise around you yourself, there is a free app for android and iPhones called SPL Meter.

               “Most parents don’t realize the decibels their kids are exposed to each day,” says Tobey Stein of the Douglas County Parenting Coalition, “And hearing protection is a topic many people don’t know much about. I used to think I was the cool mom because I took my kid to hear his favorite rock bands with the amps cranked up.”  While researching the topic of hearing protection, she went to her local electronics store to check out headphones for kids and teens.  “The salesmen there could talk about sound balance and other features of their products but when I asked them about safety, they looked at me like I had just landed from outer space,” Stein recalls.
   

               Fortunately, hearing loss is very preventable.  “The very best headphones are the ones that aren’t anywhere near your ears,” says Stein. Still, some sound products for kids and teens are much safer than others. “Don’t be fooled,” says Claudette Anderson of Prescriptions For Success, “Just because an MP3 player has fuzzy bunnies on it, that doesn’t mean it’s safe for kids.” Technology has made hearing protection cool. There are some good high fidelity music earplugs on the market for very little money. They dial down the decibels at concerts or clubs without distorting the sound.  “Girls will think the guy with the ear gear is with the band so it has added advantages,” laughs Stein.