$Unique_ID{PAR00052}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Medical Advice:  Deafness}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{
Editors of Consumer Guide
Chasnoff, Ira J}
$Subject{Deafness ignores sounds sound does not speak babble babbles
learning problems hear hearing test rubella German measles canal earwax
swimmer's ear Eardrum middle ear blocked eustachian tube Inner ear
infections Eighth cranial nerve viral infection infections mumps meningitis}
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Normal Ear and Hearing*0005201.tif}

Your Child:  A Medical Guide


Deafness


     Quick Reference

     SYMPTOMS
     - Three-month-old infant ignores sounds or does not turn head toward
       sound.
     - One-year-old does not speak a few words or babble.
     - Two-year-old does not speak two-word or three-word sentences.
     - Five-year-old does not speak so that strangers can understand.
     - Child has learning problems in school.
     - Child simply does not seem to hear well.

     HOME CARE
     - Home care depends on the cause and type of hearing loss.  See your
       doctor to determine cause and treatment.
     - If the child has an earache, call your doctor.

     PRECAUTIONS
     - Every child should be given a professional hearing test before starting
       kindergarten.
     - A deaf child should start special training as soon as possible.
     - Do not put any object (including cotton swabs) into your child's ear
       canal for any reason.
     - Every woman of child-bearing age should consult her doctor about
       rubella (German measles) immunization.  Rubella in a pregnant woman can
       cause deafness in her unborn child.


     Deafness is a partial or complete loss of the sense of hearing.  A
hearing loss may be slight or severe and may occur in one ear or in both ears.
A child may be born with a hearing loss, or it may develop at any age.
     Normal hearing involves the following chain of events:  Sound waves pass
down the ear canal and cause the eardrum to vibrate.  Vibrations of the
eardrum in turn move the three tiny bones in the middle ear.  This motion of
the bones transmits the vibrations across the middle ear to the inner ear.  In
the inner ear, the vibrations are changed to electrical impulses, which are
carried to the brain through the eighth cranial nerve.  The brain interprets
these electrical impulses as sound.
     If any of the structures involved in this process malfunctions or is
damaged or diseased, deafness can result.  The following problems may lead to
hearing difficulties:
     Ear canal problems that may cause hearing loss include a buildup of
earwax, a foreign object in the canal, or swimmer's ear.
     Eardrum and middle ear problems may be caused by an inflammation of the
middle ear or a blocked eustachian tube (the tube that connects the middle ear
and the upper part of the throat).
     Inner ear problems may be caused by injuries or infections.
     Eighth cranial nerve problems have several possible causes.  A child may
be born with a nerve that has not developed properly or that was damaged
before birth.  (For example, if a pregnant woman contracts rubella, the virus
may infect the eighth cranial nerve in the unborn child.)  After birth, this
nerve can be damaged by an injury, a viral infection (such as mumps or
measles), or a bacterial infection (such as meningitis).  This nerve can also
be affected by certain medications.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

     Signs of a hearing loss usually can be seen in a child's behavior.
Suspect a hearing loss if any of the following situations occur:  an infant
over three months old ignores sounds or does not turn the head toward sound; a
baby over one year old does not speak at least a few words; a child over two
years old does not speak in at least two-word or three-word sentences; a child
over five years old does not speak so that a stranger can understand; a child
of any age has learning problems in school; or a child simply does not seem to
hear well at home.  Any of these symptoms may be caused by a hearing loss, but
they also may have other causes.  Every child should be given a professional
hearing test before starting kindergarten.

HOME CARE

     Home care for a hearing problem depends on the cause, as well as on the
degree of the hearing loss.  If you think that your child may have a hearing
problem, see your doctor.  A doctor can more accurately determine if there is
a problem and prescribe the best treatment.

PRECAUTIONS

  -  Every woman of child-bearing age should consult her doctor about rubella
     (German measles) immunization.
  -  Do not put any object (including cotton swabs) into your child's ear
     canal for any reason.  You may force earwax to become packed into the
     canal, or you may damage the eardrum.

MEDICAL TREATMENT

     Your doctor will examine the ear to determine the cause of the hearing
loss.  Specialists have equipment to test hearing in children of any age past
early infancy.  If there is any doubt about the cause or treatment of the
hearing loss, your doctor may refer you to a center that specializes in speech
and hearing disorders.  A deaf child should start special education as soon as
the condition is discovered, even if the child is as young as one or two years
old.

RELATED TOPICS:  Common cold; Draining ear; Earaches; Immunizations; Rubella;
Speech problems and stuttering; Swimmer's ear