It’s important to be on top of your children’s hearing because when children have problems hearing, they will have problems socializing. Children learn to communicate by imitating the sounds they hear. If they have a hearing problem that is left undetected and untreated, they will be at a disadvantage as they can miss a lot of the speech and language that goes on around them. Hearing loss can be in varying degrees and can affect one in every 50 children under the age of 18. The good news is that there aren’t a lot of problems that can’t be fixed with modern technology. The best way to go about is to discover the problem early. To maximize your child’s hearing, they can be fitted with hearing aids and be helped with an early start on special education programs. Doing this will give your child the best start possible in the development of speech and language.
Hearing problems in children can occur for many reasons. Prenatal conditions like gestational diabetes or preeclampsia can affect hearing. Genetics can play a role. If hearing problems run in your family or your partner’s family, your child is at increased risk. Children born prematurely may have an inner ear that wasn’t given enough time to develop. Ear infections are common in children but if your child gets too many, it can cause damage. If your child has had a head injury it could have been enough to cause damage. Viral infections that affect the brain can cause problems with hearing. These include the flu and chickenpox and loud noises can hurt your child’s ears. These noises don’t need to be prolonged to be hurtful either, a super loud short burst of noise can cause hearing loss.
If your child says they can’t hear you, it might be more than just the fact they don’t want to do what you say. If they are looking at you very closely when you speak to them they may be relying on visual cues to figure out what you’re saying. Does your child hear fine one minute and then won’t respond other times? Do they need the volume on the TV louder than other people in the room? Is your child asking, “what?” more often? Are they talking louder than normal? Do they listen when you whisper? Is your child leaning into you when you ask questions? Does it seem like your child isn’t paying attention to you? Are they talking more loudly? Does your child say they can only hear you with one ear or do they have a “good” ear? Are your child’s grades suffering and does the teacher notice a change in the way they respond?
If “I can’t hear you” is becoming a habit, your child really might not be able to hear you. If you suspect your child is having problems with their hearing, don’t wait, trust your parental instincts and talk to your child’s pediatrician. We can determine the steps that need to be taken to help your child get the best start possible when it comes to their hearing. ENT Specialists has all the resources you need. Contact us today!
