Kid's Corner

Good hearing makes life easier. You can hear what's going on around you (Whoa! It sounds like a truck's about to come around that corner!). You also can hear what other people are saying and hear what you're saying. That's important because then you know your words are coming out clearly, so others can understand you.

One of the best people to see for a hearing problem is an audiologist (say: oh-dee-ah-luh-jist). An audiologist is a specialist who's been trained to understand how hearing works and how to help kids who don't hear normally.

A kid who's having trouble hearing could have a problem as simple as too much wax in the ears. This can be removed by a doctor and help the kid hear normally again. But hearing problems also can be more complicated -- a little like solving a mystery. Why? Because the ear has several different parts, it's mostly hidden inside your head, and it connects to your brain. To make hearing happen, your ears need your brain and your brain needs your ears.

An audiologist can help figure out what the problem is with a kid's hearing. He or she might send a report to the kid's doctor, so they can work together on solving the problem. Kids with hearing problems may visit an audiologist regularly to see how the treatments are working and to make sure their hearing hasn't changed.

Hearing loss at any age is an emotional issue. It robs you of a sense that adds so much to the richness of life. In children, the loss is especially heartbreaking. It impacts not only the sound experience of a life yet to be lived to the fullest, but also creates a barrier to a child's number one job, learning. Fortunately, many causes of hearing loss are treatable, and it is often possible to return the sounds of childhood to a young life. We invite you to learn more....

Categories of Hearing Loss

As with adults, hearing loss in children is measured in degrees. The loss can range from mild, one that causes difficulty hearing hushed tones such as a whisper, to moderately severe, where the child can still hear loud speech, to a total loss resulting in deafness.

Hearing loss in children typically falls into two main categories. A conductive loss is the most common and is associated with conditions in the external or middle ear that block the transmission of sound. These conditions can include ear infection, fluid in the ear, impacted ear wax, a perforated ear drum, a foreign object in the canal or birth defects that alter the canal. Many of these conditions are treatable through minor procedures or surgery.

Sensorineural loss is the second type. "Nerve deafness" is an inner ear or central auditory pathway to the brain issue. Most often, this type of loss is caused by congenital infections, the use of ototoxic drugs (antibiotics), premature birth with a very low birth weight and some of the resulting treatments or a number of other medical conditions. Although there is no cure for this type of loss in most cases, children can often be helped with hearing aids.

Symptoms

Signs to look for possible hearing issues in children of different ages are:

Newborn / infant:

Not startling at loud noises
Not showing normal speech development

Toddler and older:

Sitting close to the television with the sound turned up to a loud volume
Having difficulty in school
Not responding to someone that is talking without being face to face
Stating the he is having difficulty hearing

We have a Pediatric Audiology Specialist on staff. If you believe your child does not hear well you should consult with your physician or an AudigyCertified™ professional at the earliest possible date. Timely testing, diagnosis and treatment provide the best course of action to ensuring the highest quality lifetime Sound Experience for your child.