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Conductive Hearing Loss and/or Otitis Media

in Young Children

Your child's hearing test results show reduced eardrum movement and/or decreased hearing. The most common cause of such problems in young children is otitis media -- an inflammation of the middle ear. This suggests the presence of a significant medical problem which is almost always correctable with proper medical treatment.

Causes of Otitis Media

The middle ear conducts sound from the eardrum to the nerves of the inner ear. It is an air pocket behind the eardrum which contains three small bones. Air gets into the middle ear pocket through a tube which opens in the back of the throat, called the Eustachian tube. The Eustachian tube opens when we swallow or yawn: it is also the opening of this tube that people hear when their ears "pop" when going up in the mountains or in an airplane. That popping sound is the Eustachian tube opening to adjust the air pressure in the middle ear to equal the air outside.

Anything that can cause swelling or congestion in the nose or throat can block the Eustachian tube and keep it from doing its job of supplying air to the middle ear. This is the reason that colds, allergies, or sore throats may cause a person's ears to feel plugged. If the Eustachian tube remains blocked for a long time and the air supply to the middle ear is cut off, the middle ear space gradually fills with fluid.

Reduced air supply and fluid block sound transmission at the eardrum. The resulting hearing loss may be minimal or significantly handicapping, and may fluctuate over time. Moreover, such hearing loss can occur without obvious signs of infection such as fever or pain: the child may seem perfectly healthy.

Consequences of Middle Ear Problems in Young Children

More than hearing is affected when a young child has middle ear problems. Speech and language growth can be delayed, and behavior problems can develop.

Because the hearing loss caused by otitis media can fluctuate from day to day or situation to situation, the child will appear to respond inconsistently. Such a child may be described as "hearing what he wants to hear", when actually he only listens when he can hear well.

A child's classroom behavior is also affected when he cannot easily hear the teacher. When a child cannot hear what is going on in the classroom, he becomes bored. Bored children do not sit quietly, however -- they find something to do: they move around or talk to their "neighbors". They may come to be incorrectly described as "behavior problems" or "hyperactive". In addition, when a child cannot hear what is being said, or hears only part of what is being said, misunderstandings and mistakes result. Children who experience failure as a result tend to get discouraged with school and learning.

Since children learn to talk by imitating what they hear around them, even minimal hearing problems from otitis media can interfere with language growth. Pronunciation of words may be poor, vocabulary growth may be slowed, or ability to put words together into sentences may be affected. Although some people believe that as soon as hearing becomes normal the child will immediately begin to speak correctly, today we have significant evidence that delayed language is not so easily overcome. Language stimulation or speech therapy are often important in promoting good communication development.

What To Do When your Child Has an Ear Infection

It is essential to see a doctor as soon as a middle ear problem or hearing difficulty is suspected: untreated otitis media can cause a variety of problems. For persistent otitis media, seeing an ear specialist may be desirable. Audiologic testing following any indicated medical treatment is also important to insure that hearing does return to normal.

However, while the middle ear problem is being medically treated, there are many things parents and teachers cand o to help a child hear, more easily.

Hints to Help the Child with a Conductive Hearing Loss

1. Get your child's attention before speaking to him

2. Don't talk to your child from another room, or while his back is turned

3. If your child doesn't respond, or misunderstands what you have said, rephrase

your question rather than just repeating it

4. Your child should sit near whoever is talking - where he can easily see and hear

5. Encourage your child to ask for repetition when something has not been fully understood

6. Background noise, such as TV or radio, make listening more difficult: turn them off when talking to your child

7. Stimulate your child's mind and 1naguage growth by spending extra time reading books or playing together

Hints To Help the Child Having Difficulty Hearing in School

1. Seat the child near the teacher, where he can easily see and hear

2. Keep background noise in the classroom to a minimum

3. Avoid visual distractions while speaking

4. Make sure you have the child's attention before giving instructions

5. Stand in one place, don't move around while speaking

6. If the child misinterprets, rephrase the question rather than just repeating

7. Encourage the child to ask for repetition when something has not been understood

8. Don't turn your back on the student when talking

9. Encourage questions

By following these suggestions and obtaining proper medical treatment, you can significantly improve your child's opportunities to learn and communicate through his hearing, even when middle ear problems are present