Hearing aids are the most common and effective treatment option for most types of hearing loss that are not medically treatable. Hearing aids are extremely useful for both children and adults alike. Since children’s language and social skills have not fully developed, delivering the highest quality sound to a child’s ear is top priority.
Pediatric Hearing Loss
Providing a child with hearing loss immediate treatment is vital to his or her development of social, behavioral, and academic abilities. Treatment options will be based on type, severity, and frequency of your child’s hearing loss. An ENT physician and audiologist will offer treatment recommendations after learning about your child’s medical history and completing a hearing assessment.
Hearing Aid Styles
There are several styles of hearing aids available for adults, but children under the age of 12 are fit with behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids. BTEs have a casing that houses the electronics of the hearing aid behind the ear. This casing is attached to a tube near the top of the ear, which directs the amplified sound down into the ear canal and connects to a soft earmold. The earmold helps keep the hearing aid in place, and also directs the amplified sound appropriately toward the eardrum. Earmolds are able to be replaced as the child’s ear grows, which is one of the reasons that this style of hearing aid is most suitable for younger children. Other reasons for fitting this style of device on children in this age range is that BTEs are most durable, compatible with classroom assistive listening technology, and also have the flexibility to provide the necessary amount of volume for most hearing losses. Children age 12 or older may have the option of wearing other styles of hearing aids.
Hearing Aid Accessories
Along with your child’s hearing aids, there are a number of important accessories that can improve language and learning. Children and adults alike commonly use classroom-specific hearing aid accessories, as classes and lecture halls prove to be some of the hardest places to focus for those with hearing loss.
For older children who understand their hearing loss, wireless remote control accessories and apps allow for precise hearing aid adjustments without having to touch the tiny and delicate controls on the hearing devices themselves. Other similar accessories can allow your child to wirelessly connect directly to important equipment like televisions, cell phones, computers and MP3 players, which will help them relate more easily to their peers and family members.
Call Advanced Ear, Nose & Throat at (702) 834-5886 for more information or to schedule an appointment.