Is My Child Using Headphones Too Loudly? A Parent’s Guide to Safe Listening Headphones have become part of everyday childhood. Children use them for tablets, music, gaming, schoolwork, online videos, audiobooks, long car journeys, flights, and quiet time at home. For parents, this raises an important question: could my child’s headphones be too loud? The concern is sensible. Exposure to loud sounds can affect hearing, especially when repeated over time. The risk is not just about one loud moment. It is also about how loud the sound is, how long the child listens, how often they listen, and whether they are trying to drown out background noise. Mr Gaurav Kumar, Consultant ENT Surgeon , assesses children with ear, hearing, and paediatric ENT concerns from London, East London, Brentwood, Romford, Ilford, Redbridge, Chelmsford, and the wider Essex area. This guide explains why safe listening matters, how parents can reduce risk, and when a child may need a hearing test or ENT review....
Why Does My Child Have Earache but No Ear Infection? A Parent’s Guide Earache is one of the most common reasons parents seek medical advice for children. It can be distressing, especially when your child is crying, not sleeping, refusing food or repeatedly pulling at one ear. Many parents naturally assume that earache means an ear infection. Sometimes it does. But not always. A child can have significant ear pain even when the eardrum looks normal, and there is no obvious middle-ear infection. This is because the ear shares nerve pathways with nearby areas including the throat, tonsils, teeth, jaw joint and neck. Pain from these areas can be “referred” to the ear. Mr Gaurav Kumar, Consultant ENT Surgeon, assesses children with ear, hearing and paediatric ENT concerns from London, East London, Brentwood, Romford, Ilford, Redbridge, Chelmsford and wider Essex. This guide explains why earache can happen without an obvious ear infection, what parents should watch for, and when ENT as...