About bone conduction headphones

Children have small anatomy and after a cough cold or ear infection can suffer with fluid build up behind the ear drum affecting the transfer of sound. Different hearing aids are sometimes used to suppost children with glue ear, they can be hearing aids that use air conduction or bone conduction technology. Bone conduction technology is sometimes preferred because it aims to route sounds round the middle ear which is where the glue ear usually sits and may be causing difficulties.

Affordable headphones which can support listening to either devices or a speaker (if paired to a microphone) are widely available to buy. During the Covid pandemic in 2020, children were unable to access hearing services or grommet operations. Bone conduction headphones, including an accessory microphone and app were sent by post to families who did not have access to hearing services, and this was set up as a research study. The research suggested some children benefitted from short term listening support through bone conduction headphones. The piHut headset has features such as an extendable headband for different headsizes (supporting use from 4 years old) and a substantial contact point to provide sound as a vibration. There is also a small LED light which adults seem to find useful to check if the headset/headphones are on. The headsets are also easily muted by the person wearing them. The headset sold on the piHut also comes with a microphone in the ‘accessory box’ which can be useful for listening over background noise.

Whilst some families find this type of headphones useful in the short term, they are NOT hearing aids. If a child needs further listening or hearing support, speak to your healthcare professional about hearing aids or a grommet operation (also known as a ‘typmpanostomy tube’ operation) or further strategies and advice. The NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) guidelines for glue ear have a decision support tool, that families may find useful https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/decision-support-tool-making-a-decision-about-glue-ear-if-your-child-has-hearing-loss/

NICE guidance suggest that some families might benefit from an auto-inflation balloon such as the Otovent balloon to help clear some of the middle ear fluid during an episode of glue ear.