Research shows that most children born with hearing loss are born to parents whose hearing is just fine. You may find out about your child’s hearing loss when they’re born, but it’s also possible that you won’t find out until later on, as they get older.
There are many different causes of hearing loss in younger children. The treatment varies according to the child’s age and exactly what the diagnosis is when you take your child to a pediatric audiologist. If you feel that your younger child is experiencing hearing loss symptoms, you can go online and do a MediFind condition search to see if the symptoms are due to hearing loss from otoacoustic emission or maybe an inner ear infection that needs to be treated.
Whether it’s a rare or a common condition, MediFind helps you figure out the problem from the symptoms you enter. Even with the MediFind results, it’s best to contact a reputable pediatric audiologist if you feel your child is having problems here. Below, you can find some of the symptoms you should be on the lookout for as well.
Possible Behavior Problems
Often, parents think that their young ones are simply not listening or developing behavior problems and suffer from ADHD.
Advice for parenting a child with behavior challenges is completely different from dealing with a child suffering from hearing loss, whether it’s a toddler or older children.
If you feel that your child has symptoms of a hearing disorder, it’s best to make an appointment with an audiologist for pediatric audiology testing. The audiologist can do a complete exam, test for an auditory brainstem response, and see if your child has a rare disease or something easily treatable. As with any other medical condition, it’s always best to get a second opinion if you’re told that your toddler or other young children have a hearing loss problem.
Causes of Hearing Loss
There are a few causes of hearing loss in toddlers and younger children to talk about. Many children suffer hearing loss at birth when they are just a newborn. Other causes include middle ear infections that don’t have a fever or any pain and therefore go unnoticed, and illnesses such as chickenpox, measles, the flu, and meningitis that strike in childhood and can have lasting consequences.
Often there is a treatment option such as a cochlear implant, something that your pediatric audiologist will discuss when you schedule an appointment for your child to be tested. There are also clinical trials that your audiologist might be able to set you up with after you use MediFind to search for symptoms and a cause.
Symptoms to look out for.
There is a list of symptoms to watch out for when you think your toddler or young child might be suffering from hearing problems. It’s not a good idea to enforce a child’s punishment for bad behavior if you don’t know the cause. Look for these symptoms instead. There is no reaction to loud noises, your child doesn’t respond to your voice, and your toddler makes only simple sounds that tend to taper off can all be symptoms of problems with their ears. Toddlers often tug on their ears if they’re hurting or can’t hear you also.
These are just a few of your child’s symptoms and causes, possibly having problems with their ears. If you feel that they do, it’s best to make an appointment with your primary care provider right away. He can give you a referral to a specialist if it is needed.
