SAY WHAT!!??...... Selective deafness or poor hearing?
Ever wondered if your child (or anyone for that matter)
may not be hearing well when you tell them to do their homework
for the tenth time and you still don’t get a response?
And yet when you say “ice cream” the hearing ability
improves remarkably! So how do we know if our child really
does have a hearing problem? To be able to hear well is important
to your child’s development. If there are any problems
in hearing, you need to find them early so your child can
get the attention that they need.
Signs of a child with true hearing loss.
- Lack of response to sounds or speech, or saying “What?”
is the most common sign of hearing loss, the child often does
not seem to notice that you have spoken to them at all.
- Delayed language development, using the wrong word, or unclear
speech.
- Behavior problems - the relationship between child and parents
may be affected because the child may understand only when
a parent speaks in a loud, angry voice.
- Educational difficulty - if the child does not hear the
teacher well she may be easily distracted and considered either
a ‘behavior problem’ or a withdrawn student.
For most children, hearing loss is only temporary. Some causes
are:
Middle ear infections with fluid (Otitis media with effusion,
middle ear fluid, glue ear)
This is the most common cause of hearing loss in children,
affecting at least 10% of all children. Usually middle ear
fluid may be present for a few weeks following an acute ear
infection and then clear up without the need for any action,
however sometimes it can cause obvious hearing difficulty
that may last for many months or even years if action is not
taken. Antibiotics may be tried at first, but if the fluid
continues to cause obvious hearing loss for more than three
months, the doctor may advise that the fluid be removed (usually
during day surgery in a hospital). Tubes (grommets) may be
put into in the eardrums to let the air in and prevent the
return of fluid.
Wax blocking the ear canals
In most people, wax gradually works its way out of the ear
naturally; it does not usually build up and block the ear
canal. Sometimes wax may completely block the ear canal and
cause some temporary hearing loss. You can soften wax by dropping
2-3 drops of olive oil into the shell of the ear, and then
tilting it into the ear canal (this will warm the oil naturally
before it enters the ear canal. Cold solutions should never
be put directly into the ear canal).Once the wax is soft it
may work its way to the outer ear, however if it does not,
it may need to be removed by your family doctor. Do not poke
cotton buds into the ears as this tends to push wax deeper
into the canal. To keep ears clean, it is only necessary to
clean the outer shell of the ear with a soapy finger or wash
cloth.
When hearing loss is permanent
This is much less common; about 1 - 2 children in every 1,000
have significant permanent hearing loss. Permanent hearing
loss in children is usually present from birth and may be
caused by a very difficult or premature birth, or due to viral
infections (such as Rubella) during the pregnancy. Less often
it appears later due to meningitis or other causes. Permanent
hearing loss is usually due to damage to the sound-sensitive
nerve endings in the inner ear. Medicines cannot improve the
hearing nerves, nor can ear grommets (tubes). If the child
cannot understand quiet conversation, he will not learn about
talking like other children unless sounds and voices are made
louder for him. This means that carefully chosen hearing aids
will probably help his speech and education.
HOW IS CHILDREN’S HEARING TESTED?
Different methods are used at different ages.
Birth to 4 months: from birth a baby can be watched for response
to sudden loud noises. In developed countries technology is
now available to assess quite accurately a child’s ability
to hear right from birth. These programs use the detection
of otoacoustic emissions to screen babies for hearing defects.
(Otoacoustic emissions are sound energy produced by the nerve
endings of the inner ear in response to incoming sound. This
sound energy can then be detected in the ear canal which shows
that the child has heard the sound.)
4 months to 3 years: the child starts to turn slowly to quiet
voices and other interesting sounds; by 7 months the baby
may be turning quickly to very quiet sound. The child will
soon be able to show just how well he hears the low-pitched,
middle and high-pitched sounds that are important for understanding
speech.
From 3 years: the child may accept headphones, which allow
each ear to be tested separately with a pure-tone audiometer
test. A child’s growing concentration allows hearing
measurements to be made with greater accuracy and detail at
this age.
If you are concerned about your child’s hearing, please
contact me at Community Health Care (info@chcbali.com, or
08123-660000), for an audiometer assessment on your child.
“Kim Patra is a qualified Registered Nurse and Midwife
that has been living and working in Bali for almost twenty
years. She now runs her own private practice and medical referral
service from her Kuta office. Kim is happy to discuss any
health concerns with you and she may be contacted via e-mail
at info@chcbali.com or Hp. 081 2366 0000”.
