Treatment for Children with Hearing Loss
July 16, 2018Hearing loss is generally associated with the elderly population, which is why children are often overlooked when it comes to hearing damage. In reality, approximately 3 children out of 1000 have either some type of loss of hearing or are born with complete deafness.
Children may also lose their hearing over time due to unsafe exposure to excessively loud noise such as listening to headphones at dangerous volumes. Others may lose their hearing due to viral or bacterial infections of other health problems. All said and done, hearing loss is a problem that can affect any child at any point in their lifetime, which is why it is best to be prepared about treating hearing loss in children.
In case your child has hearing loss, your audiologist will be able to provide you with various options for treating the hearing damage. These treatment methods can help not only in restoring your child’s hearing but also in rehabilitating them to prevent any damage to communication and social skills due to hearing loss. Generally speaking, the most common type of treatment for hearing loss in children is the use of hearing aids. For complete deafness, cochlear implants may be suggested. To boost their communication skills your child may need speech therapy as well as language therapy.
During the childhood years your child begins to develop skills that will carry them through the rest of their life. Hearing loss can hinder the development of important skills such as verbal communication, language development, and cognitive skills. Hearing loss can hinder their academic performance as well as their social skills as they may become more withdrawn and feel isolated in school due to their hearing loss.
Even basic things such as recognizing their very own voice can become a challenge due to hearing loss. Due to the various problems that arise as a direct result of hearing loss, it is best to seek treatment in a timely and comprehensive manner.
Due to the complexity of hearing aids, most children are recommended to wear hearing aids that are fitted behind the ear (BTE). This is because the BTE hearing aids are safer to use for children, easy to replace when your child outgrows them, and are comfortable and less complicated to use by children.
In order to be fitted for BTEs, your child will need to have a mold created of their outer ears. This is done by having an impression taken so that the hearing aids can be customized to fit your child’s ear contours perfectly. The molds are generally translucent in color but are also available in a different range of colors in case your child is interested in keeping things colorful. BTE’s are snugly fitted so that your child will not be able to hurt themselves or accidentally dislodge the hearing aids.
Once your child’s hearing aids are created, your audiologist will ask you to bring your child in for an introductory fitting session so that necessary adjustments can be made to the hearing aid settings based on your child’s unique hearing needs. There are many effective treatment options for your child, so do not delay seeking treatment in case you suspect that your child has hearing loss.