I don't think my dd can hear properly- advice?

[makemineagecko]

dd is 3.7

From a very early age she had repeated ear infections. It got to the point that her ear drums were bursting once a fortnight She was always in pain.

It took a long time, but finally, she had grommets fitted at age 2.1. After they were fitted she had a hearing test and we were advised that her hearing was not 100%, especially not high pitched sounds, but not to worry.

The grommets came out naturally within a year.

She has always been loud, but the last few months she has been unbearably so! Her most uttered word is 'pardon?'- shouted at volume! She rarely hears anything the first time it is said, which is frustrating for everyone. Whenever we visit relatives, they comment on how loud she is and call her 'cloth ears' etc

Anyway, she had another ear infection after Christmas, and has been at her loudest this week.

I think I should push to have her hearing re-tested. Has anyone any experience of what I have described?

[CarGirl]

Yes, she should be having routine hearing tests with the grommets in and after they fell out to see if the problems had returned?

[makemineagecko]

Really CarGirl? This was never exxplained to us, and we've never been called back for a hearing test. Gosh, I feel guilty now.

[CarGirl]

I live in surrey and they've carried on with hearing tests every 6 months. At the last one they asked me how I felt and I said just one more to check the glue ear related hearing problems didn't come back over the winter.

Perhaps your PCT is just money saving.....

[makemineagecko]

Hmm, right thanks for that info. I shall book a GP's appointment on Monday. Thanks

[Reallytired]

I definately think you should ask for a hearing test.

My little boy's hearing is not 100% either, but he can hear all the sounds of speech between his two ears if that makes sense. Like your little girl he had lots of perforations. However at seven years old his hearing is far better than when he was two yeas old.

We are in a simlar position to you as my son is very loud at the moment.

It really benefitted my son having his adenoids out although for us grommets were a disaster. My son had hearing aids for 18 months instead of grommets, but the glue has disappeared so we gave back the grommets.

[CarGirl]

Or ring your HV and ask for a referral. IME you have to be on the ball and push ask for these things. Of course when you're on to your 2nd/3rd/4th child you trust your instinct a bit more as to whether you think they're hearing or speech is okay.

DD3 has no hearing or speech problems and is the loudest though!

[Icanseethesea]

Get it checked, and then again and again. If the health pros don't listen keep trying. You are her mum and you know her better than anyone. It took me three years to get anyone to believe that ds had hearing problems.

Don't feel guilty though, that you weren't called back for hearing tests, it's not your fault!

[Reallytired]

Make sure you ask for a paediatric audiologist. An adult style hearing test at this age is not as effective.

I am useless at assessing the state of my son's hearing.

[makemineagecko]

Thanks again for all he advice- we have a GP's appointment at 3.40pm.

I'm rubbish at going to the doctor's- should I ask outright for her to be referred for a hearing test, or just explain the situation and hope that is what he suggests? I never know whether to be forthright, or let them get on with doing their own diagnosis!

[blowninonabreeze]

I would say.
I'm concerned about DDs hearing.
Then lay out your reason for your concern.
Then say So I was wondering if you would agree that it is appropriate for her to have a formal hearing test?

And hopefully you'll get all that out before he/she has a chance to interupt

Best of luck

[makemineagecko]

I'll give it my best shot, BOAB!

[blowninonabreeze]

How did it go?

[makemineagecko]

Thanks for asking- well, he was a bit airy fairy (never seen this particular doctor before), but he had a look and predicted glue ear again, so agreed to refer her back to the ENT dept for a hearing test, but was very non-commital and sort of said, 'well, if you think it would be beneficial...' So although I felt a biit like a pfb pushy parent, I think I've done the right thing

[DrNortherner]

I am in a similar situation with my ds who is 6. He had grommets in at 3 years, they too fell out naturally.

He had a history of chronic ear infections and glue ear which has left him with a large perforation on his right drum, our GP says it is one of the biggest we have seen, but won't refer him to ENT without his teacher/school flagging up a concern regarding his hearing.

I often wonder about his hearing, pardon is said alot by him, but I wonder how much of this is selcetive? I notice he is also louder than other kids in group situations.

So no advice really, just sympathy...

[makemineagecko]

DrNortherner- yes, your son sounds very similar to my dd. I'm shocked to hear that the GP will not refer to ENT without the school getting involved- could you ask your son's teacher to ask the Senco to write a letter?

[Reallytired]

You can demand a referal to ENT and a GP cannot refuse. They might try and put you off, but you have the legal right to insist.

If a child is under five then a referal to paediatric audiology might be better. It all depends whether you think they can cope with an adult hearing test.

[carrielou2007]

Hi all, (just a note, have not worked with paed's for a long long time) when someone has a middle ear condition affecting their hearing they hear their own voice very loudly and normally REDUCE the volume of their voice.

This is the opposite when someone has a sensorineural (inner ear) hearing loss, they inc the volume of their own voice as they can not tell it is louder. Depending on the loss once their hearing aids are in, the reduction of volume of their voice is often startling!!

[Reallytired]

I disagree, my son had exceptionally severe glue ear and he did shout. His glue ear is much better than it was. He has no senorineural loss, but has a tiny amount of hearing loss due to scar issue on his ear drums.

[carrielou2007]

Reallytired of course your son will shout, he is a little boy! All children are different and have different personalities and this will not necessarily be a reflection on their hearing!

I am currently working with an 11 year old whose parents were told by their GP she was autistic, that is why she didn't react or hardly speak when she had chronic glue ear!

[NAB3lovelychildren]

My son couldn't hear properly and he had a biggish ball of wax in his ear. The nurse got it out and he was fine.

My youngest has hearing at the lower level of normal and I do worry about him.

[Reallytired]

That is shocking. A GP should never say that a child was autisic. They do not have the experience or the skills. My son went through a full blown asssessment for autism at the age of two years old. He saw the community paediatrian several times, a speech and language theraphist and an audiologist. Infact that is how his glue ear was picked up. He then was given grommets within weeks of the hearing test and his speech caught up really quickly.

Our community paediatrian was confident that my son was not autisic, because he was socially outgoing, had good play skills and could communiate by guesture. She said that it was impossible for one health professional to make a diagnosis of autism and a child had to be seen on several occassions to diagnose autism.

My son's hearing loss is not purely caused by glue ear. He also has extensive scarring on both ear drums due to his grommets going wrong and his ear drums perforating on 9 seperate occassions. He had hearing aids for 18 months and there is no doult that he shouted less with his hearing aids.