Hearing Loss in Children

When children struggle to hear, one of the first things effected is their ability to learn. More specifically, many parents notice that their progress with speech is effected the most and this is known as ‘speech delay’. The commonest reason for hearing loss in children is glue ear. This condition is caused by a problem with a child’s ability to ‘equalise’ their middle ear, just like all of us do when we go up and down in an airplane or up and down a mountain. If there is a problem with equalising then the middle ear can fill with thick fluid called glue. This is a similar sensation to having water in your ear after swimming but is a more constant muffled hearing loss.

Occasionally children have reduced hearing for other reasons. It is important for a child’s hearing to be checked if causing problems with speech and learning. This is to establish the cause and discuss what options are available. Specialised children’s hearing tests can be arranged from the clinic.