Summer is loud. Between fireworks shows, outdoor concerts, pool parties, and hours of screen time with headphones on, the season that kids love most is also one of the toughest on their ears. The good news? Almost all of it is preventable with a little planning. Here’s what parents should know about protecting their child’s hearing this summer – and when it’s worth having a professional take a listen.

Why Kids’ Ears Are More Vulnerable Than Adults’

Children aren’t just smaller versions of adults when it comes to hearing risk – their ear canals are narrower, which means the same sound pressure wave generates a more intense sound at the eardrum than it would for an adult standing in the same spot. That’s part of why researchers recommend lower recreational noise limits for children than for adults, and why sudden, high-intensity noise – like a firework blast – poses a bigger risk to a child’s hearing than an adult’s. It’s also why noise-induced hearing loss is so common: the CDC estimates that roughly 12.5% of children and adolescents already have some degree of it, and unlike most other types of hearing loss, it’s completely preventable – and completely permanent once it happens.

Fireworks: Summer’s Loudest Hazard

Nothing says summer in Quincy like Freedom Fest at Clat Adams Park, where the Fourth of July celebration wraps up with a fireworks finale over the river. It’s a beloved local tradition – and also one of the most intense noise exposures your child’s ears will face all year.

A single firework shell bursting overhead produces somewhere between 140 and 170 decibels of peak sound pressure. For comparison, a 2018 review commissioned by the World Health Organization’s Make Listening Safe initiative found that impulse noise above roughly 100 decibels is loud enough to warrant double hearing protection – earplugs and earmuffs worn together – for children. A close firework burst can exceed that threshold by 40 to 70 decibels. Because children’s ear canals amplify sound pressure more than adult ears do, that gap matters even more for them.

A few ways to keep the show fun without the risk:

• Keep your distance. The louder and closer the display, the greater the risk. Many pediatric hospitals recommend watching from several hundred feet away when possible, rather than standing at the edge of the launch area.
• Bring hearing protection. For impulse noise this loud, double protection – earplugs worn underneath earmuffs – offers the most reduction. Over-ear earmuffs designed for kids (including infants) are a good option on their own if earplugs aren’t practical, and can still meaningfully reduce the sound pressure reaching your child’s ears.
• Watch for warning signs afterward. Ringing or buzzing in the ears, muffled hearing, or sudden sensitivity to normal sounds after a fireworks show are signs of temporary – or possibly lasting – damage, and worth a follow-up.

Concerts, Car Races, and Other Loud Summer Outings

Fireworks aren’t the only summer noise hazard. Outdoor concerts and sporting events can range from about 94 to 110 decibels, and sitting close to speakers or on the track side of a race can push exposure even higher. As a rule of thumb, sounds at or above 85 decibels can cause hearing damage with long or repeated exposure – and every 3-decibel increase cuts the “safe” exposure time roughly in half. If you have to raise your voice to be heard by someone standing next to you, the environment is probably loud enough to warrant hearing protection for your child.

Headphones and Earbuds: The Everyday Risk

Long car rides, lazy afternoons, and summer break screen time often mean more headphone use than the rest of the year – and most devices are capable of producing 94 to 110 decibels at maximum volume, well into the damaging range with sustained use.

A simple guideline that audiologists and pediatricians often recommend is the 60/60 rule: no more than 60% of the device’s maximum volume, for no more than 60 minutes at a time, followed by a break. A few other tips:

• Choose over-ear headphones over earbuds when possible – earbuds sit closer to the eardrum and tend to get turned up louder in noisy environments.
• Look into volume-limiting headphones made for kids, which cap output at a safer maximum level regardless of the device they’re plugged into.
• Many smartphones let parents set and lock a maximum volume limit – worth checking before a long road trip.

Don’t Forget Swimmer’s Ear

Not every summer hearing concern is about loud noise. Swimmer’s ear (otitis externa) is a bacterial infection of the outer ear canal that’s most common in exactly the age group that spends the most time in the pool: according to the CDC, children ages 5 to 9 have the highest rate of swimmer’s ear diagnoses of any age group, and cases peak in June, July, and August. It happens when water gets trapped in the ear canal, washing away the protective wax and creating a moist environment where bacteria multiply.

The CDC recommends a few simple habits to help prevent it:

• Use earplugs, a bathing cap, or custom-fitted swim molds while swimming
• After swimming, tilt the head to each side to let water drain from the ear canal
• Dry ears gently with a towel, and pull the earlobe in different directions to help remaining water drain
• If water still feels trapped, a hair dryer on the lowest heat and speed setting, held several inches from the ear, can help
• Avoid cotton swabs and other objects in the ear canal – they can push wax deeper or injure the canal, increasing infection risk

Watch for pain when the outer ear is tugged, itching, redness, or drainage – these are the classic signs of swimmer’s ear, and it’s worth a call to your child’s doctor if they show up.

Signs Your Child May Be Struggling to Hear

Hearing changes in kids aren’t always obvious, especially in children too young to describe what they’re experiencing. A few things worth paying attention to, particularly after a loud summer event:

• Turning the TV or tablet volume up louder than usual
• Frequently saying “huh?” or asking people to repeat themselves
• Not responding when called from another room
• Complaints of ringing, buzzing, or ear pain after a concert, fireworks show, or pool day
• Seeming to favor one ear, or struggling to follow conversations in noisy rooms

Any of these are worth a conversation with your child’s pediatrician, and a hearing evaluation can rule out – or catch early – any concerns.

When to Schedule a Hearing Check

Most summer noise exposure won’t cause permanent damage, especially with a few precautions in place. But if your child has had a particularly loud summer, has shown any of the warning signs above, or if hearing concerns have been on your mind for a while, a professional hearing evaluation is a straightforward way to get answers. At Quincy Audiology, we perform comprehensive hearing evaluations to identify any concerns early – before they affect how your child communicates, learns, and connects with the people around them.

Summer should be full of the sounds kids love most – splashing in the pool, cheering at a ballgame, oohing and aahing at fireworks. With a little protection and awareness, it can stay that way for years to come.

Have questions about your child’s hearing, or want to schedule an evaluation? Contact Quincy Audiology or call (217) 223-0204.