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Do you have questions about pediatric hearing loss and treatment? Here at South Shore Hearing Center we have the answers. Below are some questions that are commonly asked by patients and some helpful answers. If we did not answer your question, please Contact Us via the email form on your left or give us a call at 781 337 6860, we will be glad to help!

• What typically happens during a preschool hearing evaluation?
  
• Can you tell me about infant hearing screenings?
  
• My kids love swimming, but often complain their ears are clogged or hurt. I am worried about the water pressure affecting their hearing. What do you suggest?
  
• I keep hearing news stories about “new implantable” hearing aids. What is the story and are they as good as they sound?

What typically happens during a preschool hearing evaluation
Parents will be asked questions regarding speech and language development, recognition of and response to familiar sounds (such as a telephone ringing, knock at the door, or music), and whether the child startles in response to loud sounds (such as a dog barking. balloon popping, or a door slamming). The answers to these and other questions, as well as any volunteered information, will assist in obtaining useful background data. Then an audiological evaluation will be performed. Testing is relatively quick and fun for most children.

Can you tell me about infant hearing screenings?
This involves testing the hearing of babies (please bring your child sleepy - if your child is sleeping it makes it a lot easier!) The testing takes between 10 and 40 minutes depending on how restless your child is and what type of results are obtained.

My kids love swimming, but often complain their ears are clogged or hurt. I am worried about the water pressure affecting their hearing. What do you suggest?
Don’t worry. In the vast majority of cases, water will not hurt your child’s hearing. However, some children who have had frequent ear infections have tubes placed in their ears or perforations in their eardrums. To prevent water from getting into the area of the ear behind the eardrum (the middle ear), ear plugs that are especially designed for swimming should be worn.

Swim plugs that are custom-made by an audiologist are usually more effective – but they do require an impression to be made and one to two weeks of processing. The wait is worth it, since some plugs – especially those made with a putty-like substance, often fall out or they are difficult to seal in small ears.

I keep hearing news stories about “new implantable” hearing aids. What is the story and are they as good as they sound?
Recently there has been a great deal in the news media about “implantable” hearing devices. There are several different types on the market and the FDA will likely approve more in the not-too-distant future. Although they are a tremendous help to some, as with any of the new hearing devices, no one is going to “fix” the ear and therefore, like any hearing aid, cannot restore hearing to naturally normal levels. Just like other devices, there are positives and negatives. It requires surgery with the usual possible risks as well as added costs. However, for some there are significant benefits and for those who are appropriate they can be a major improvement over traditional hearing aids.

To determine if these devices may be appropriate for you, a thorough evaluation needs to be performed by a licensed audiologist. If the audiologist finds your type of hearing loss is appropriate for an implantable device, you will then need an examination by an otolaryngologist to determine if you are a surgical candidate. Never rush to make these decisions and always get complete and accurate information.