EAR AND HEARING LOSS

The human ear has three main parts: outer, middle and inner and we use all of them in hearing. Sound waves come in through your outer ear. They reach your middle ear, where they make your eardrum vibrate. The vibrations are transmitted through three tiny bones in your middle ear. The vibrations travel to your inner ear. The inner ear makes the nerve impulses that are sent to the brain and the brain recognizes them as sounds. The inner ear also controls balance.

Tinnitus is the name for the common sensation of ringing in the ears or noises in the ears. This is a common symptom that is quite varied in nature and severity. Tinnitus can come and go or it can be constant. When it is constant or severe, it can be annoying and distracting. While it can’t be be cured, there are some things that can be done to improve the tinnitus.

There are many possible causes of tinnitus. Some causes are as minor as ear wax, while other reasons may be more serious. This may include infection, a ruptured eardrum, ear fluid or other causes of hearing dysfunction.

If you are a parent dealing with newly diagnosed child’s hearing loss, you will have many questions and concerns regarding the nature of this problem, its effects on your child’s future, treatment options and resources.

It is always difficult for parents to receive bad news about any aspect of their child’s health. Reacting with anger, grief and even guilt are not unusual when finding out that your child is hearing impaired. These feelings are best managed by discussing them with a family member, close friend, clergy or mental health professional. At times, the feeling may also result in a degree of denial. Feel free to seek a second opinion, but it is unadvisable to delay further recommended diagnostic evaluations for your child. The best treatment for hearing loss of any degree is appropriate early intervention. Significant delays may result in irreversible harm to your child’s hearing, speech, language and eventual educational development.

You will come into contact with many healthcare and rehabilitation specialists during the long-term management of your child’s hearing loss. Some of them will be involved early in the journey and again at intervals. Others may step in later on.