Signs your child may have a hearing loss
Hearing loss affects people of all ages. In fact, for every 1000 children born, Two to three will be deaf or have some form of hearing impairment according to the National Institutes of Health. Children may suffer hearing loss as the result of congenital factors, because of a middle ear infection called otitis media, or it may be acquired as the result of injury, loud noises, specific medicines, and diseases such as measles and chickenpox. Whatever the cause, testing hearing early is key, because the sooner any hearing problems are detected, the better the child’s chances of attaining their full educational and developmental potential.
Luckily, the most common signs of hearing loss in children are well documented for parents and caregivers to look for. When your child is still a baby, such signs include a failure to be startled by loud noises, a failure to turn the head to face you when you call his or her name, being able to hear some sounds and not others, and not turning toward the source of a sound after the age of 6 months.
Children with otitis media may also pull or rub at their ears, become listless or inattentive, have fevers, complain of ear pain, often do not understand instructions, and may ask for the TV to be played louder. Other warning signs are if your child uses the words “huh?” or “what?” many times a day, has difficulty locating the source of sounds, or watches people’s faces carefully as they are speaking. Even mild hearing loss is serious, because as the children grow it can lead to delays in language and speech development, learning difficulties in school, and emotional or behavioral problems.
This is the reason that many states have instituted mandatory early hearing screenings, using tests that are completely painless, and that can be conducted even on babies. Children are never too young to have their hearing tested, because the sooner hearing problems are identified, the sooner they can be corrected. If your child has never had a hearing test, or you have observed any of the warning signs listed above, give us a call at (702) 605-9133 to schedule a hearing test.
