Symptoms of Hearing Loss in Children - A guide to Hearing Loss

Hearing problems in children often occur during their first years of life. Most of these are temporary forms of hearing loss but a percentage of babies are born profoundly deaf or lose their hearing at an early age.

If you suspect hearing loss in your child then what should you be looking out for?

To start with, if your baby or child has a cold or infection then this can very easily lead to an ear infection. Young children are especially prone to ear infections which are characterised by a build up of fluid within the ear leading to a blockage. This blockage then prevents the child from hearing normally.

If you want to know more about then visit our ear infections section.

Childhood illnesses such as measles or mumps can also result in hearing loss. Meningitis is another possibility.

Another possibility is that of an object in the ear. Babies and young children are at that age in which they are naturally curious about things and this can include inserting objects into their nose, mouth or ears. Most objects re-appear on their own but if it becomes firmly lodged within the ear then it can cause an infection as well as impaired hearing.

Other signs of hearing loss in your child include:

  • Talking too loudly
  • Prone to daydreaming or lacks concentration
  • Stumbles over words
  • Doesn’t seem to react when spoken to
  • Listens to the television/radio at high volume
  • Appears to be cranky, frustrated or hyper-active
  • Asks you to repeat certain words

These are indicators of hearing loss: further investigation, such as a hearing test is required to make an exact diagnosis.

These signs may indicate another medical or developmental problem but if you do notice some or all of these signs then this needs to be checked out.

If you are concerned about this then make an appointment with your GP. He/she can arrange for your child to undergo a hearing test which will detect a hearing problem.

This is especially important if there is a history of hearing loss within your family. Some types of hearing loss are genetic which means that the gene for deafness could have been passed down to your child.

In regard to genetics, if your child has Crouzon’s syndrome or Down’s syndrome then hearing loss is one of many symptoms of that disorder.

Hearing loss can also be linked to developmental conditions such as autism, Asperger’s syndrome or learning difficulties. If your child has been diagnosed with any of these then you may notice that they are hyper-sensitive to certain sounds or conversely, don’t appear to hear specific sets of sounds.

In most cases, hearing loss is short term and usually returns to normal once the reason for the loss is treated. But in other situations it can lead to permanent hearing loss and requires medical intervention.

Hearing Loss in Children : A guide to Hearing Loss

Hearing Loss

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