3 Y/o Sensitive Ears

My son was was the same way at that age, but seems to have grown out of it mostly. He still feels uncomfortable in overly stimulating, loud environments, but has gotten much, much better. And he hates public toilets, especially the self-flushing ones, which is a problem b/c the school he's going to in the fall has them. He was also very afraid of stairs and recently has developed a phobia of bugs (not very convenient for summer in Maine). These are all sensory issues. You could certainly have it checked out, but I didn't and, like I said, he's gotten much better on his own.
Goodluck!

I suggest you have your son's ears checked by an audiologist. Sometimes sensitive ears when it is loud may mean some form of a hearing loss. The noise may make it difficult for him to hear you and everyone else in the family making loud places stressful. My daughter has a hearing loss and she has difficulty in large groups and loud places due to the noise factor.

Good luck, Karen

Hi M.,

my friend's son has this issue. He was very hyper kid, unable to concentrate on anything, who acted out a lot (ages 5-6). Then he was diagnosed with sensory integration disorder (I think that's what it was) and he now, at age 9, has been wearing noise-cancellation headphones while concentrating on things at school or stimulating environments (like a restaurant). He is now very mellow and well-behaved.

I think the main thing is to take this seriously and get him tested with a specialist, so that if necessary you can get early treatment. You don't want this to interfere with his ability to learn or socialize.

THis could be a food allergy that causes the brain to swell and will give him headaches and sensitivity to light and sound. You can research this on line by typing in "brain swelling due to food allergies' this will give you foods and behaviors related to this. Some food are artificial coloring in cereals, caffine, and chocolate and many others.

this happened to my cousin when he was a baby. my aunt took him to the ear, nose, and throat specialist who put tubes in his ears to relieve pressure and the problem was solved.

Both my daughter ages 8 and 4 are sensitive to sound. Wouldn't hurt to mention to the doctor. My girls both cover their ears in public bathrooms before the flush of the toilet(they are a little louder than regular toilets). And both take a few minutes to adjust to the sound at the movies and will still cover their ears during some parts but just to buffer the loudness. My youngest does also complain about cying babies or kids when we do errands. So I have no answers for you but I know how you feel. Also him not wanting to go some places that have "too many people" may be anxiety. My 8 year old has generalized anxiety disorder. She doesn't like to be around large groups.

My daughter is 2 1/2 and we have the same problem, so I am interested in the responses you get. She even complains about things like the water running in the bathtub being too loud. She did have tubes for chronic ear infections so I don't know if it is related at all, but if you get any helpful responses I'd be interested in hearing them!

Hi M.,

Are there any other sensitivities you might have noticed? Immediately it sounded to me like it could be sensory related. There are many Web sites and books out there, one book is The Out of Sync Child. A Web site you can look at is http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/index.html. Some of it may or may not ring true for you.

Everybody has sensory issues to some point. For example, certain sounds are unbearable -- a typical one is nails on the chalkboard or high-pitched loud squeals. When somebody says they like a food but can't tolerate the texture, that is a sensory sensitivity.

I've done some research because my 3-year-old overstuffs her mouth to the point that she gags, for example, or always has a finger in her mouth. She loves fruits but only strained, even still at age 3, because the skins and seeds make her gag.

I haven't had any testing done, though I know funding and help are available if a diagnosis is achieved. I have just tried to research and use methods to help her, like brushing her teeth before meals to stimulate the mouth and give sensory input (you will read a lot about "input" in researching this). I haven't sought testing because I'm not sure I've seen proof that her issues are not just a part of her age. Many kids outgrow their sensitivities. But if it's interfering with daily life and happiness of the child, I might bring it up to the pediatrician.

I know very little about this topic - but you may want to look into "sensory integration disorders" (sometimes called "sids" - but not the kind for babies in a crib!) Good luck!

Hi M. It sounds to me like a sensory thing He probably is really sensitive to loud noises and gets overwhelmed. My son has sensory issues and he gets overloaded in high sensory situations IE...crowded places and loud noises. I was told wht he hears sounds like having a speaker at a concert right next to your ear. Feel free to email me at ____@____.com if you need any more info S. H.

I have to tell all you moms that it does get better with age. I think there bodies adjust to the sounds out there, my 20 year old son has acute hearing sensitivities, we have to be very carefull about whats going on around him and if its too loud he shoves his fingers in his ears.
I would definetly mention this at your next visit to your pedia doctor/or call the for a referral to a ear specialist/you could also call your local childrens hospital where you would find what you are looking for
We did this and they had more advanced machinery at the hospital then in a doctors office

good luck to all of you

Hi Michelle,
My son is also 3 years old and does the same exact thing. Anything from the radio, motorcycles, carnival rides...everything he covers his ears and says its too loud and it scares him. When I took him for his 3 year check up I told the doctor and he said he probably just has super sensitive hearing. He tried to do the hearing test but it was tickeling Brendan so much he couldn't finish...he told me not to worry and next time we'll check it. The doc didn't seem too concerned, I suppose it is better that they have sensitive hearing oppose to the other way around. I hope this helps somewhat.

Hi M.,

I've been meaning to respond for awhile now. I've known many children over the years who have been noise sensitive- usually they are very alert and aware young children,and nothing is wrong with them health wise. You might want to have his hearing checked by your pediatrician just in case. Otherwise, what has helped other children that I've known with this issue is as follows : Always alert your son before using any loud machine at home (like a blender or garbage disposal). Likewise, let him know if you plan to be out somewhere where you know it could be crowded or noisy,and talk with him about ways to "take a break" if things become too intense for him - like covering his ears, or even leaving early if it's an option for you.Try a white noise or ocean machine in his room at nap and/or bed time, or even during playtime if outside noises like sirens or construction bother him.Another strategy that has helped many children I've known is to wear ear muffs (safer and easier to manage for young children than ear plugs) when they are in noisy environments. It might look a little funny in the middle of summer, but it works! Good luck with this! A lot of times kids grow out of this sensitivity as they get older,but not always.A great resource for parents with sensitive kids is the book The Highly Sensitive Child. Hope this helps. L. S.

He might have some sensory issues that you should keep track of. He sounds like he's hypersensitive to sound. It's something you should keep an eye on because if it starts to interfere with his daily activities such as school or socialization, you may want to have him evaluated by an Occupational Therapist. Other sensory areas to be aware of - does he crave or dislike swinging, playing rough. Does he dislike certain clothing or tags in his clothes, fingerpainting, sand, etc?

That being said it is possible to be sensitive to noises and learn to adapt without intervention. I am on OT and work with many different types of kids. My own child covers her ears in a noisy environment and used to have meltdowns in large groups and at birthday parties because of the over stimulation. She just needed to get away for a few minutes and have some quiet time in order to be able to participate. It did have a lot to do with too much going on at once and not being able to focus on one particular thing well. But now at the age of 5 she is much better and now mostly enjoys birthday parties.

my son is sound sensitive as well. we founf out during swim lessons that he can't handle the echo in an indoor pool area. For us it is not a big deal we just avoid echoy areas and load areas.

some people and kids are just a lot more sensitive to noise. I know I am. I feel like I am the only one complaining about how loud everything is and it is hard for me to concentrate on movies and hearing people's voices when things are so loud. I think you may need to see if there is anything he can wear when you are out at a restaurant or watching tv that will protect his ears and make things a little quieter. I know that it would make him feel better, as long as people don't make him feel weird for wearing ear plugs or something. Talk to your pediatrician or to a hearing specialist for more information. Good luck.

could be sensory intergration disorder. What that means is that the kids have trouble "taking in" loud or too much noise . It can be background noise or just loud noises. I would cll the ped , my son was diagnosed with this when he was about 3 1/2. It has gotten 90% better over the years. Goodluck