The good work of analyzers is very important not only for children, but for all people. Hearing helps to recognize speech and adapt in society, to develop as a person and personality. That is why, noting that something was wrong, parents need to contact specialists in a timely manner for advice and treatment. In most cases, hearing problems can be solved, thus ensuring a normal life for your child, because hearing loss negatively affects the development of a person in childhood and his activities in adulthood.
The children's body is quite fragile. It happens that even the most common cold can cause hearing loss. Very often, parents go to the doctor and claim that the child began to hear poorly after an illness. Is it worth it to sound the alarm? What preventive measures should be taken to keep perception intact? What kind of specialists should I contact if the child becomes hard of hearing?
Causes
Sharp hearing loss is a common problem that pediatric doctors face. Most often, parents notice a deterioration in the work of their child’s auditory analyzer after a cold or during the course of the disease. Why did the child become hard of hearing after a runny nose or other illness? There can be many reasons for hearing loss .
- Sulfur cork is a common cause of impaired recognition of speech sounds and the environment. The fact is that this formation closes the ear canal in the auricle. Each person, not only a child, encounters a similar phenomenon at least once in a lifetime. This is because the ear sticks are not able to completely remove sulfur from the ear cavity, and after a while a cork forms. Only a physician can eliminate it with the help of special tools.
- Otitis is the most common disease that causes hearing loss in a child, especially in preschool age. Very often, this disease is a complication of the common cold.
- The presence of a foreign body in the auditory canal can also cause hearing loss.
- Injury to the inner ear can result from a directed blow to the area of the organ of hearing or a traumatic brain injury. As a result of injury, the ability to recognize sounds is impaired.
- Respiratory diseases - rhinitis, chronic runny nose, adenoids.
- Complications after diphtheria, influenza, measles, scarlet fever, encephalitis.
All of the above factors can cause hearing loss in a child. In addition, a decrease in the performance of the analyzer may accompany kidney pathology.
Hearing impairment can also be detected in newborns. He manages to be diagnosed in the walls of the hospital a few days after the baby is born. To do this, conduct audio screening. This type of the considered pathological condition can develop in the baby if the mother suffered from infectious diseases during pregnancy. The most dangerous are influenza, toxoplasmosis, rubella, herpes. As a rule, congenital hearing loss occurs in severe form. The cause of this disease in a baby may be taking antibiotics during pregnancy.
What symptoms should alert parents?
Parents should be careful about the health of their children, be vigilant. It happens that a child ceases to listen to parents, fulfill requests, respond to sounds and words. It is worth worrying if the baby is constantly asking again, complaining of pain or tinnitus. In such situations, you should immediately contact a child specialist in a medical institution. Parents should also be warned that the child suddenly switched to louder intonations during a conversation, constantly trying to increase the sound of the TV or tape recorder. The listed symptoms are easier to notice in older children, who can explain in words what is bothering them.
Kids can not explain the cause of concern, so it is more difficult for parents to independently confirm their concerns. If the child is very small, mom and dad should be alerted, if the baby stopped responding to the sound, stopped making sounds.
It is very necessary to observe the child after the end of the course of antibiotics. Parents should understand that taking these drugs can cause poor perception. That is why it is advisable to obtain information in advance on what to do if the child becomes hard of hearing after a cold.
What to do
So, the child began to hear hard. What to do if parents suspect hearing loss? You should immediately contact a specialist in a medical institution. Timely diagnosis of pathology increases the likelihood of a complete restoration of the ability to hear. You can’t delay. Since lost time can lead to serious consequences, up to a complete loss of hearing.
Diagnostics
To diagnose hearing impairment in a child, the doctor uses objective and subjective methods of examination. The doctor is limited to a visual examination using special tools if the baby is very small. In this case, the specialist can diagnose transudate sweating and narrowing of the auditory opening. Examination of older children includes additional manipulations, such as conducting standard tests designed to establish the patency of the Eustachian tube.
To confirm or refute the diagnosis, the doctor may prescribe additional studies: audiometry or impedanometry, rhinopharyngoscopy and pharyngoscopy. Can be taken material from the nasal cavity, pharynx. Computed tomography of the paranasal sinuses may be required.
Types of Hearing Impairment
All hearing impairment is divided into two large groups:
- Sensorineural pathology, which is based on sound dysfunction. Develops in the inner ear. The occurrence of a disorder is facilitated by birth trauma, vascular diseases, as well as an increase in intracranial pressure.
- Conductive pathology is a group that includes the most common disorders. This option is easier to treat.
Both groups of violations require medical supervision and qualified specialist assistance.
Conducted hearing loss
Conducted hearing impairment is often triggered by an inflammatory process in the middle ear cavity. The cause of decreased sound perception is often chronic otitis media. Hearing loss caused by the formation of sulfur plugs in the ear cavity also belongs to this type of hearing impairment.
Ways to solve the problem
Treatment is prescribed by a doctor, taking into account the cause of the pathology and the characteristics of the child's body. Most often, when hearing impairment is not associated with a pathology of the nervous system, a specialist prescribes a comprehensive treatment, which involves taking and reflexology courses. The latter activate the speech zones of the brain. The doctor prescribes vascular agents, nootropics, B vitamins, diuretic herbs.
In the event that complex treatment has failed, the specialist is engaged in the selection of a hearing aid for the child. Regular classes with a speech therapist and a visit to a psychologist will help the child to ensure full communication with peers, as well as adapt well in society. These are important steps in overcoming hearing impairment.
Prevention of hearing loss in children
Prevention of hearing loss in children is due care and timely treatment of infectious, bacterial and viral diseases. It is very important for parents to start treatment of the child on time. Letting the disease drift means to put your child at risk of serious complications, one of which is the deterioration of auditory perception.
With a runny nose, you need to drip vasoconstrictor drugs and properly remove mucus from the nose.
Conclusion
Hearing impairment is a common reason for visiting an pediatric pediatrician or an otolaryngologist. Hearing loss can be congenital or appear during the life of the child. Pathology can be a consequence of a previous illness or a consequence of head and ear injury.
Timely contacting a specialist will help to cope with the pathology completely or overcome the problem with minimal losses for the child. If it is impossible to return the hearing, you will need regular classes with a speech therapist and consultations with a psychologist. These are necessary conditions for the child to accept his new condition and be able to communicate normally with his peers.
It is worth noting that complete hearing loss in children is extremely rare. Most often, thanks to effective complex treatment, it is possible to restore auditory perception.