What Causes Hearing Loss in Children?

Your child’s audiologist specializes in helping those who experience ear and hearing health conditions, including hearing loss. However, as well as diagnosing any issues and offering the best routes of treatment for hearing loss, they also aim to prevent issues where possible. As such, it’s important for parents who are concerned to know the different causes of hearing loss in children. Here, we’re going to look at some of the most prevalent causes and what you should know about them.

Otitis media

A common issue for children, otitis media is when the middle ear becomes inflamed, often due to the buildup of fluid that may be infected. Otitis media is a highly varied condition, differing in length, severity and symptoms from child to child.

Otitis media is the most common cause of hearing loss in children, and almost always causes fluctuating hearing loss. In fact, roughly three-quarters of all children experience a case of otitis media by the time they turn three. This is due to the fact that the part that connects the middle ear and back of the threat, the eustachian tube, is smaller and more likely to get blocked by infections and other issues, which then goes on to affect how effectively vibrations can travel from the eardrum to the middle ear.

In the majority of cases, otitis media is temporary. However, if a child experiences the condition regularly, it may cause damage to parts of the ear such as the eardrum and bones over time. This can eventually cause a degree of permanent hearing loss. Symptoms that parents should keep an eye out for include inattentiveness, listlessness, unexplained irritability and if they seem bothered by their ears and want to scratch or touch them regularly.

Congenital causes

In the case that a child has congenital hearing loss, this means that the hearing loss has been present since birth. This includes most cases of hereditary hearing loss, which accounts for over half of all congenital cases or other issues. Hereditary hearing loss can include autosomal dominant hearing loss, in which case a parent passes on a dominant gene for hearing loss and autosomal recessive hearing loss or X-linked hearing loss, in which parents who may not experience hearing loss themselves pass on a recessive gene that means their child will experience it.

However, congenital hearing loss is not always inherited. There is a range of conditions that can lead to a child having hearing loss from birth, such as prenatal infections and illnesses. The severity of hearing loss in these cases can range from mild to profound. This may be caused by infections like rubella, toxemia during pregnancy, maternal diabetes and prematurity, amongst other things.

Illness and injury

There is a wide range of other causes that can see a child losing their hearing, temporarily or permanently. Many of these issues can lead to hearing loss at any point in a person’s life, so they are not exclusive to children.

The causes of acquired hearing loss, as it is known, can include diseases such as meningitis, measles, encephalitis, influenza, mumps and chickenpox. Other physical causes can include head and ear injuries, as well as exposure to noises that are over the safe hearing level of 70 dBA. For reference, this is the average volume of a vacuum cleaner in the same room as a child. The longer the exposure to unsafe levels of noise, as well as the higher the decibel count of the noise, the greater the risk of causing both permanent and temporary hearing loss.

Hearing loss can also be caused by some pain relievers, like NSAIDs, and pain relievers. Ototoxic drugs are known to potentially cause damage to the auditory nerves and other parts of the ear.

Does your child have hearing loss?

If you are concerned about any potential hearing loss, consider the following symptoms. In babies, it may present as them not reacting or startling to loud sounds or sounds from specific directions. They may hear some sounds, but other others, and may not speak any single words by age one. Signs in older children include delayed or unclear speech, difficulty hearing or following directions, or turning the TV volume up too high.

Be prepared with an audiologist on your side

If you suspect that your child might be experiencing hearing loss, or at risk of it, then you should get in touch with your audiologist as soon as possible. The teach at EarTech Audiology is here to help with thorough hearing and ear health examinations, helpful advice and treatment strategies. To learn more about our services or to make an appointment, call us today at 803-749-6017 if you’re in Irmo, or (866) 464-1008 to reach our Orangeburg and Santee offices.