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Hearing loss is one of the most common non life-threatening medical problems
that people experience. Hearing loss is not unique to elderly people as it also
can affect children.
Hearing loss in children: an overview
Hearing loss in children is of great concern because of the major impact that
hearing has on the child's ability to acquire speech and language. A child with
severe to profound hearing loss is faced with the possibility of not being able
to interact in the hearing community. Intensive medical intervention for the
profoundly deaf child can help to allow the development of aural communication.
It is very important that a child's hearing problem be identified when he or
she is very young. If the parents feel that their child may potentially have a
hearing loss, it is very important for a doctor to perform an evaluation of the
child's hearing.
Causes of hearing loss in children
The most common acquired hearing loss in children results from fluid in the
middle ear, usually as a result of infection. Approximately 20% of all children
will experience the problem of fluid in the middle ear. Many children respond to
medical treatment, but surgical treatment--such as the insertion of temporary
ventilating tubes-- may be necessary to help treat the condition.
Treating hearing loss in children
Some children with minor hearing losses may have difficulty with acquiring
speech and language as well as difficulty in the educational process. Therefore,
a child might need assistance with hearing aids even though the hearing loss
seems to be relatively minor. A significant unilateral (in one ear) hearing loss
in a child may have a negative impact on his or her educational process and must
be evaluated carefully.
One treatment for severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss in children
is a cochlear implant. A cochlear implant will not restore normal hearing.
However, the use of a cochlear implant enables a child's auditory system to be
quite compliant in the first years of life. A cochlear implant can enable
children with hearing loss to develop good language skills and become a part of
the hearing community.
Medicine today may be able to prevent profound hearing losses. Physicians and
parents must make sure that all children have proper immunizations for viral and
infectious illnesses. Viral and infectious illnesses are the most common source
of profound sensorineural hearing loss in a child.
Hearing loss in adults: Overview
Hearing loss in adults is usually acquired. There is rarely an adult over age 75
who does not experience some hearing loss. We know that adults are living to be
considerably older than their parents; therefore the problem of acquired hearing
loss due to aging of the inner ear will become prevalent in the future.
Causes of hearing loss in adults
Medical conditions, medications, and environmental exposure are among the
causes of hearing loss in adults.
- Medical conditions—There
are a number of medical conditions that may cause hearing loss in adults.
Hearing loss that develops from prior inflammation may be corrected by
surgery. A somewhat rare medical condition that causes hearing loss is
otosclerosis. This hereditary condition is characterized by bony changes in
the ear that causes fixation of the third bone of hearing. This is a form of
hearing loss that can be corrected with surgery.
- Medication—A
patient may acquire an illness that requires high doses of certain
antibiotics that may have a toxic effect on the ears. Fortunately,
ototoxicity is not a prevalent problem. Medical professionals are aware of
ototoxicity and are able to control the dosage of medication to prevent
negative effects on the ears.
- Environmental exposure—Many
of the acquired hearing losses in adults are due to some environmental
exposure. The most common of these is the human auditory system's exposure
to loud noise. People vary greatly as to how their ears respond to loud
noise. Therefore, it is important to carefully protect your ears from loud
noise throughout your lifetime. Good ear protection is critical, especially
for people who work in heavy industry. The everyday environmental noise of
the lawn mower and chain saw can also have a negative effect on the human
auditory system, so it is important to protect your ears.
Treating hearing loss in adults
There is no medical or surgical treatment for the aging process of the inner
ear. Therefore, aural rehabilitation is necessary. There have been great
advances in hearing aids over the last several years. Hearing aids that are
completely in the ear canal and that are not visible from the outside have
beneficial acoustic principles. These hearing aids take on the resonance
characteristics of the ear canal itself.
Hearing aids are now using forms of digital processing to improve the quality
of sound reproduction. Hearing aids are also programmable, so health care
providers can match the hearing aid function to the patient's hearing loss. The
function of programmable hearing aids also can be changed, depending on the
listening circumstances. Hearing aids will never recover normal hearing. With
appropriate fitting and rehabilitation, however, most patients can become
successful hearing aid users. The technique of speech reading (looking directly
at the person speaking) will add visual clues to the communication process.
Conclusion
The future of hearing loss in adults and children is being researched at the
level of the genetic information for the auditory mechanism. Prevention of
acquired hearing losses due to noise and medications will allow patients to hear
well into their senior years.
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