I have always been in pretty good health, so I was surprised one day when my doctor told me my blood pressure was a bit high. She told me to begin watching my salt intake, start exercising, and to try to relax. Well, I intended to follow her advice when I left her office, but the next day I was back to my same habits. I kept using the salt shaker and didn't begin an exercise routine like I had planned. When I went for my next check-up, she told me that my blood pressure was even higher and approaching a dangerous level. I had to begin a blood pressure medication to manage it. I wanted to create a blog to share my story and remind people to listen to their doctors' advice. If a few lifestyle changes can improve your health, then you should make them.
When children experience hearing problems, parents are faced with a number of options. The decision about which action to take, if any, can be confusing. Parents are worried they will make the wrong choice and fail to do what is best for their child's development. With the help of a pediatric audiologist, parents can discover if a hearing aid is the right choice for their child and which type of hearing aid is best.
Very young children can be candidates for a hearing aid.The American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association states that babies as young as a month old can be fit with a hearing device. Here are some benefits of a hearing aid for children.
Speech Development
Young children learn to speak and use language by listening to the people around them. If a child cannot hear what others are saying, the child cannot adequately develop the skills necessary to learn to communicate verbally.
A hearing aid works by pushing sound into the ear canal in order to amplify it. Depending on the severity of the child's hearing problems, the aid can allow them to hear speech they could not have heard before so they can replicate the sounds. The hearing aid may or may not help the child understand the words that are spoken.
Education
When children cannot hear correctly, they cannot get the full benefits of a classroom experience. Children may miss all or part of what a teacher is saying to them, and they may be unable to focus on what is important because of chatter and other noises around them. If a child finds school challenging because of an inability to hear, it can lead to poor self-esteem and a lack of motivation to attend and enjoy school in later life.
Hearing problems in children are often detected once they begin attending school. Sometimes a child with difficulty hearing is improperly labeled as having a learning disorder or even behavior issues. Once the child has been given hearing support, the entire educational experience improves.
Safety
Even if a child's hearing is profound enough that the child will not be able to discern speech even with a hearing device, a hearing aid can still be beneficial. Because a hearing aid can amplify sound, a child can be helped to hear sounds important to keeping the child safe. Examples of this are being able to hear smoke alarms, warning shouts, lifeguard whistles and the sounds of traffic while walking or riding a bicycle.
Alternative to Cochlear Implants
Cochlear implants, devices that are surgically implanted into the ear of people who experience difficulty hearing, can be life changing. However, this surgical procedure has its disadvantages. The risks of any surgery, including infection, are present when a patient receives a cochlear implant. The FDA points out that cochlear implants carry other risks as well, including the loss of existing hearing, a failure in the device and annoying sounds or sensations when the person is near certain electronic equipment. The implant can also set off machines like metal detectors and devices designed to identify theft at stores.
A cochlear implant can be difficult to maintain and requires a commitment from the user to care for the device and be monitored by an audiologist or hearing professional.
For these reasons, parents are sometimes hesitant to opt for a cochlear implant for their children. They often feel that this is a decision that the child should make at an appropriate age. In the meantime, a hearing aid can be a useful alternative that will allow the child to hear and interpret some sounds.
Many children experience benefits from the use of hearing aids. Parents should seek guidance from medical professionals, like those at The Hearing Clinic, in understanding which hearing aids are right for their children.
Share26 February 2015
