The hearing ability of a child helps develop his/her language skills and speech. As a parent, knowing that your child is diagnosed with hearing loss brings in a lot of concern and anxiety. But to be assured, there are many treatments available to combat the condition.
Hearing loss in children can occur after birth or later in childhood. Hearing loss is confirmed in the children when they cannot hear sounds below a particular volume in one or both the ears. The minimum threshold of the sound is 15 to 20 decibels. It is a combination of loss of volume and frequency. Hearing loss in children can be temporary or permanent and ranges from slight, mild, moderate, severe, and, lastly, profound hearing loss ( complete deafness).
SYMPTOMS
Usually, after the childbirth, hospitals perform hearing tests to check the proper functioning of the ears. However, there is a chance that even if the child has passed the tests, he/she might exhibit hearing loss as they get older. The signs to notice in children and infants to identify the condition are:
- Newborns do not startle to loud noises or respond to the voices with a smile
- Infants don't see toys that make noises
- They don't make babbling noises or use sound to get attention
- They don't react to their name, or can't speak simple words
- Children often prefer TV volume to be louder
- Complain of ear pain
CAUSES
Hearing loss can be caused due to factors like:
- OTITIS MEDIA – It is a type of middle ear infection that occurs due to the incomplete formation of tubes that connect the middle ear to the nose. It leads to the build-up of fluid in the area and infection.
- BIRTH COMPLICATIONS- problems during birth like infection, low oxygen, premature birth, and medications used during pregnancy by the mother.
- GENETIC PROBLEM – There is a possibility that each parent carries a recessive gene that is passed on to the child, which results in congenital hearing loss.
TREATMENT
The treatments depend on the cause of the condition and the extent of hearing loss. The different options include:
- MEDICATION – These are the first line of treatment where antibiotics are prescribed for any kind of infection present in the ears.
- EAR TUBES – These are put into the child's ear to drain the fluids and prevent infection.
- HEARING AID – These devices help children hear clearly.
- COCHLEAR IMPLANTS – These are the devices that are placed inside the inner ear surgically that stimulate the auditory nerve. These are suggested for children who can't benefit from hearing aids.
Dr Shailesh Pandey is a well-known ENT Surgeon in Mumbai, having more than 15 years of experience in Ear, Nose, Throat, Neck & Skull base surgery. To get in touch with him, visit his clinic which is located at Andheri West, Mumbai.
AUM ENT Clinic
For Appointment Call: 022 40032116
Nice blog! The ear is a prominent facial feature that provides us the ability to hear. Some people might have an underdeveloped/malformed outer ear or completely absent pinna which makes the ear look smaller in size (a condition called microtia/ anotia because of a birth defect or an injury). Others may have large-sized ears, abnormally shaped ears, or ears that stick out too far from the head. In such cases, the best ear surgeon in India Dr. Parag Telang at The Microtia Trust recommends the patients to undergo an ear reconstruction by microtia/anotia surgery using rib cartilage graft or Otoplasty (ear surgery) which aims to improve the size, shape, and projection of the ears. To know more about the procedure and cost of ear surgery in Mumbai, India, the USA, and England, consult with Dr. Parag Telang at The Microtia Trust.
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