Sound Sensitivity in Children

Patient Information Leaflet 

Introduction 

This leaflet explains a little about sound sensitivity and what you can do to help your child.

What is sensitivity to sound?

The world is a loud place for little ears, and it is not unusual for children to be sensitive to sounds. It can affect people of all ages, including adults, but is most common in young children under the age of six.

While it is true that noise sensitivity is common in children with certain medical conditions, the average child may also shy away from or become uncomfortable when confronted with loud noises.

Babies may cry or fuss and toddlers may cover their ears with their hands to avoid the sound.

Interestingly, children with sound sensitivity have normal and not super-normal hearing.

Typically, as children grow and mature, so does their tolerance for sound.

What causes sound sensitivity in children?

A lot of young children go through a phase where they find loud, sudden sounds scary, particularly if they don’t fully understand why the sound has happened. Sound sensitivity in children usually improves as the child learns to understand what the noise is, where it comes from and that it is not anything dangerous.

Types of common sounds children find distressing and loudness level:

Glue ear and sound sensitivity

Children who have had glue ear are often sensitive to sound once glue ear has cleared. Glue ear may cause hearing to be reduced for prolonged periods of time. When it clears spontaneously, the world seems a louder place. It takes time to get used to the loudness of everyday noises again.

More information on glue ear can be found by visiting www.ndcs.org.uk

What can you do to help?

Most children find their sensitivity to sound gets better over time. To help with this it is important that parents, carers, and teachers are consistent in the way that they respond to the child’s sound sensitivity. Parents are urged to keep track of any specific sounds their child is sensitive to and share with all caregivers.

Reassurance

Reassure your child when they hear a sound that they find upsetting. Explain what the sound is, where it comes from and why it is loud. If you know the sound is coming, prepare your child by telling them before it happens. Their reaction to a sound may be reduced if they have some control, for example if your child is upset by the vacuum cleaner, encourage them to turn it on and off. Although it is important to recognise that your child finds some sounds uncomfortable, it may not be helpful to focus on it.

In can be tempting to remove your child from the distressing situation or to use ear defenders. We do not recommend the use of ear defenders or ear plugs; this can cause a child to become even more sensitive to sounds in the long term. Avoid silence.

Relaxation and breathing

Breathing techniques can help to relieve anxiety and give your child something else to focus on other than the sound. There are lots of free apps and suggestions for relaxation techniques for children online.

Behavioural desensitisation

This method can be used when your child’s response to distressing sounds is causing them to avoid important occasions. Behavioural desensitisation can help break down the association between the noise and the fear. It can be done by the family, without the need for professional support. It involves your child repeatedly listening to the distressing sound under controlled conditions, i.e., you could record the sound onto your mobile phone or computer and then play the sound at a low volume. Over the next few days or weeks, gradually increase the volume until you are playing the sound at a level that usually causes distress. By that time, your child should be used to the sound and not get upset by it.

If you have any questions, or if there is anything you do not understand, please contact the Russells Hall Hospital switchboard number on 01384 456111 and ask for the relevant department who issued this leaflet. If you have any feedback on this patient information leaflet please email dgft.patient.information@nhs.net

This leaflet can be made available in large print, audio version and in other languages, please call 0800 073 0510.

Originator: Karen Tromans. Review date: 01 August 2025. Next review due 01 August 2028 Version: 1. DGH ref.: DGH/PIL/02183