Hearing problems in children can be congenital or acquired as a result of previous medical conditions. Recently, the number of newborns suffering from this pathology has been increasing. According to various estimates, for every thousand newborn children, there are 1-2 cases of congenital pathology of the organ of hearing. At the same time, the number of children suffering from complete hearing loss is progressively increasing. The cause of such a pathology can be both disturbances in the sound-conducting system and in the sound-perceiving organ. Diagnosis of this condition is an important step towards returning hearing to the patient.
Congenital pathology
Congenital hearing impairment in children is not only a pathology of the ear. Such children begin to speak much later and worse, lag behind in their development. This makes it difficult to communicate with peers and, subsequently, leads to problems in the social sphere. The reasons for the development of such a pathology are the following factors:
- hereditary predisposition;
- diseases of a viral nature transferred by a woman during pregnancy, such as mumps, chickenpox, cytomegalovirus and herpes infection, rubella;
- the use of ototoxic drugs during pregnancy;
- woman's use of alcohol, drugs;
- exposure to poisons, radiation; severe pregnancy, accompanied by the development of asphyxia in the child, intracranial birth trauma;
- use of obstetric forceps during childbirth.
Identification of congenital pathology
Pathology should be identified as soon as possible. The earlier it is diagnosed, the more chances of success, of obtaining significant results.
With the use of modern equipment, the study of hearing acuity is possible from the third day after birth. However, this method has not become widespread due to its high cost. The widespread use of this examination is possible only in clinics in Europe and the United States.
It is possible to suspect a hearing impairment in a child starting from the age of three months by carefully observing the child's behavior.
Children without hearing problems behave as follows:
- wake up in the presence of loud sounds (slamming the door, sharp loud music, screaming, doorbell ringing);
- while awake, they react to harsh sounds by moving their head;
- from the age of three months they begin to make sounds, at the same time, in the absence of hearing, the child is silent.
The combination of these signs forces parents to seek help from an ENT doctor to find out the cause of the hearing impairment. However, for the most part, these anomalies are established only at the age of 3-6 years, when the child enters the children's team, and preparation for school begins.
Prevention of hearing impairment in children caused by congenital pathology consists in a thorough examination of pregnant women, optimization of the course of the prenatal period and the delivery itself. Detection of pathology at an earlier stage allows you to more successfully teach the child the skills of perceiving sounds, adapt in a social environment, and teach to speak. This is hard and painstaking work.
In most cases, prosthetics is the only treatment for patients with congenital hearing loss.
Hearing loss after otitis media
The causes of hearing impairment in children can be acquired. The most common of them is the transferred purulent otitis media. The transformation of catarrhal inflammation into purulent inflammation occurs under the influence of infectious bacterial pathogens. The main treatment for such patients is antibiotic therapy. It is the correct treatment of patients with purulent otitis media that is the prevention of hearing impairment in children.
In the case of the development of purulent inflammation, regular monitoring by an otolaryngologist is important. Based on the course of the disease, the condition of the tympanic membrane, treatment tactics may vary. Only strict adherence to the recommendations of a specialist can help normalize the situation in a short time, prevent the development of severe consequences.
With a certain objective picture, the use of certain ear drops containing alcohol and anti-inflammatory drugs is contraindicated. The presence of certain antibiotics in the composition of drugs is also unacceptable. All these points are taken into account by the ENT doctor when prescribing treatment. A very important requirement for effective treatment is strict adherence to the duration of antibiotic intake for at least 7 days. This rule applies even if the patient's condition improved on the second or third day.
Failure to comply with this condition will lead to the development of stable microflora, reduce the effectiveness of antibacterial treatment, that is, it will contribute to the transition of the disease into a chronic form. It is this course that is dangerous for its complications. Prolonged exposure to pathogenic microorganisms on the structures of the middle ear leads to the fact that the bones of the tympanic cavity undergo purulent fusion. When the inner ear is involved in the process, the course of the disease is characterized not only by a problem with hearing, but also by the development of complications that are life-threatening.
Otitis media is a complication of ARVI, childhood infections and other diseases, accompanied by swelling of the nasopharynx and impaired patency of the auditory tube. Therefore, timely and correct treatment of these conditions prevents the development of otitis media and hearing problems. In this regard, it is necessary to carry out activities aimed at increasing the immunity of children.
The reason for the development of otitis media in children is quite often enlarged adenoids.
They compress the external auditory canal from the outside and contribute to the development of conditions for otitis media. Timely sanitation or surgical removal of them is also the prevention of chronic otitis media, and, therefore, reduces the likelihood of developing hearing pathology. All children with a tendency to a chronic course of the process are subject to examination by a specialist in order to resolve the issue of further tactics in relation to the adenoids.
A prolonged course of purulent otitis media, incorrect use of antibiotics, and the use of ototoxic drugs are prerequisites for the development of a decrease and even complete hearing loss in a child.
