Signs of hearing loss in school

Many parents of children with hearing loss say they first realized there was a problem when their child started having issues in school. This situation is common because school requires children to integrate all of their senses and adapt them to a variety of activities. It is during this time that parents and teachers may notice a child is having difficulty hearing. According to the Hearing, Speech and Deafness Center, adults should be alert for any of the following signs:

• The child needs instructions repeated often; 
• The child has a short attention span; 
• The child has trouble recalling a sequence of instructions; 
• The child frequently misinterprets a command or set of instructions; 
• The child’s vocabulary is behind grade level; 
• The child does not always look up when his name is called; 
• The child has trouble learning the sounds of letters and phonics;
• The child confuses words that sound alike; 
• The child is withdrawn in the classroom and is hesitant to participate;
• The child ignores assignments that are given verbally. 

These are only some of the warning signals that indicate a potential issue with hearing loss. If your child’s teacher reports seeing any of these things in the classroom, schedule a comprehensive examination with a pediatric audiologist on your True Dental Discounts - hearing plan. He or she will evaluate your child and help find a potential cause of any existing hearing loss.

An audiologist can also offer alternative learning methods help the child learn effectively and efficiently in school. With the help of school staff, parents can get an individualized education plan (IEP) for their child to make sure they have all the tools they need to succeed in the classroom.

My child has hearing loss – now what?

Once a child has been diagnosed with any form of hearing loss, the parent’s next step is critical. In most cases, parents must work with a team of professionals to learn what to expect and how to adapt. According to the National Institute on Deafness and other Communicative Disorders, the child’s primary care provider can refer parents to an audiologist, an ear/nose/throat doctor, and a genetic specialist.

This team can help determine the cause of the hearing loss and recommend a course of treatment, if possible. Parents should expect to answer questions about the child’s pre-natal and birth history, as well as the family’s medical history. In addition to this information, specialists may recommend further testing of the child, including genetic tests and balance or eye examinations.

All of these tests can help narrow down the cause of the hearing loss and potentially point to a treatment plan. For this reason, it is very important that you talk to a medical professional about your child’s hearing. An audiologist can guide you through the needed appointments and help your family adapt to any changes. Call today to find out how you can save money on these appointments with your True Dental Discounts hearing plan.

Caution: Recreational activities could damage your hearing

In July, people across the nation celebrated America’s independence with cookouts, parties, and, most of all, fireworks. And although setting off your own fireworks can be visually stimulating and exciting, it’s important to remember that it can also be dangerous to your hearing.

At a distance of 10 feet, fireworks can produce up to 155 decibels of noise – well over the 85 decibels thought to cause hearing loss after repeated exposure. The Better Hearing Institute suggests that people use caution by wearing ear plugs or ear muffs during not only firework presentations, but also the following recreational activities:

• Snowmobiling – 99 decibels 
• Video arcades – 110 decibels 
• Movie theaters – 118 decibels 
• Motor-boating – up to 115 decibels 
• Motorcycling – up to 120 decibels 
• Live concerts – 120 decibels + 
• Health clubs – 120 decibels 
• Shooting range (gunshots) – up to 167 decibels

How can I protect my hearing?

According to the Better Hearing Institute, one-third of hearing loss is preventable. So what measures can you take to protect your own hearing? For starters, it’s important to limit the amount of time you spend doing noisy activities. This seems obvious, but many people don’t realize that repeated exposures to loud noises can add up to cause damage later. Second, if you must participate in a noisy activity (such as mowing the lawn), wear proper protection.

By wearing ear plugs or muffs, people can limit the amount of noise that enters the ear canal. These devices can be purchased at most sporting goods stores or a basic drug store. Third, turn down the noise that you can control. It’s easy to leave the TV on too loud or be tempted to crank up the stereo in the car, but even these small choices can have negative consequences on your hearing. Instead, make a conscious effort to keep the volume down low when you’re watching TV and listening to the radio.

This goes for all handheld devices, as well. Personal music players with ear bud-style headphones allow the music to have direct access to your ear canal, so listeners must use extra caution when using these types of players. Finally, the Better Hearing Institute recommends that patients ask their ear doctor about possible negative side effects of their medications. Some medicines can actually be dangerous to a person’s hearing, so do some research and talk to your doctor about your concerns. When it comes to hearing, prevention is the key to preservation.

Have you heard?

People aren’t the only ones with interesting hearing mechanisms and facts. Check out these random tidbits about animal hearing from the Better Hearing Institute, Teachers Domain, and the University of Washington:

• Snakes do not have ears, but their tongues are sensitive to sound vibrations.
• Owls distinguish sound directions partly by measuring the difference in time it takes the sound to reach each ear. This difference is typically less than 200 millionths of a second!
• Cicadas have hearing organs in their stomachs
• Crickets have hearing organs in their knees; sound waves cause a thin membrane on the cricket’s legs to vibrate
• It is thought that owls can create an image of the world around them based only on sound, much like humans do with their eyes
• Although fish do not have ears, they can hear pressure changes through ridges on their bodies
• Dolphins can hear frequencies up to at least 100,000 Hz. Compare this to a dog’s ability to hear up to 40,000 Hz and a person’s 20,000 Hz
• During World War I, the military kept parrots on France’s Eiffel Tower because their extra-sensitive hearing allowed them to warn of incoming enemy aircraft before any person could hear it
• All mammals have external ears, but many can move them to help pinpoint the direction of sounds. Some animals, like elephants, can even use their ears to stay cool by waving them like fans. And you thought you could twitch your ears!

If you're looking to save on hearing care then simply head over to True Dental Discounts for a discount hearing plan.

Growing up with hearing loss

Children with hearing loss frequently experience special difficulties in their social and academic development, particularly children who lost their hearing early in life. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the academic gap between children with hearing loss and other children widens as school becomes more difficult and advanced. It is imperative that parents employ the help of an intervention professional to set their child up for success.

A specialist can work on a child’s academic and social development, the latter being key because many children with hearing loss feel isolated from their peers, especially if the child does not know many other children with hearing loss. The good news is that research shows children with hearing loss who get help very early in life can develop language skills at the same level as their peers. The important thing is to start seeing a specialist as soon as possible and involve the entire family in the program. Talk to your True Care Advantage hearing plan audiologist to find out more information on child hearing loss – timing is critical.

Emergency notification systems for people with hearing loss

In public locations, including the workplace, the traditional emergency alert system consists of loud sirens or alarms. But what happens when someone is deaf and cannot hear these warnings? The Americans with Disabilities Act stipulates that employers must also install visual alarms to protect people with hearing impairments. Some of these visual alerts, as described by the U.S. Department of Labor, include:

• Flashing exit signs;
• Strobe lights;
• Vibrating alarms at the person’s desk;
• Vibrating pagers worn by the hearing-impaired person;
• Email pop-ups;
• Multiple frequency alarms;
• A buddy system, where a coworker alerts the person with hearing loss to the emergency;
• “Hearing dogs” that alert the person to any unusual sounds or alarms.

Not all of these alerts are effective for every person with a hearing impairment. Some are designed for people with moderate hearing loss, while others are best for people with profound hearing loss. Talk to an audiologist on your True Care plan to learn more about how to protect yourself in case of an emergency, and then relay that critical information to your employer, church, or other organization.

Information about Dangerous Hearing Situations

You know that extended exposure to loud sounds can cause permanent hearing damage. But do you know how to tell if a situation has escalated to that level? The Better Hearing Institute suggests four signs that should tip you off that your environment is dangerous to your hearing:

1. You have pain in your ears after leaving a noisy area. Any amount of pain is an indicator that the noise level is much too loud. This should be a given, but many people ignore it or brush it off.

2. You cannot hear someone who is three feet away from you. If you have to shout over the noise to talk to someone about an arm’s length away, you’re probably in a dangerous hearing situation... (American Health Advantage)

Balancing: It’s all in your ears

Even the simplest action, like walking, is affected by a person’s sense of balance. This balance comes from a complex combination involving the visual system and kinesthetic senses, along with one other important area: the inner ear.

According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, without those three parts working in concert, a person becomes dizzy and loses their sense of balance. The inner ear plays a critical role in balance, and any disturbances, such as calcium deposits, can affect a person’s balance. Some other causes of dizziness include Meniere’s Disease, certain drugs, and head trauma... (read more)