BASICS OF HEARING LOSS

Question 1

Most common temporary hearing problems for kids?

Answer 1

Otitis media: results in a temporary hearing loss during the critical years of language and speech acquisition and can result in developmental language delays

Question 2

Number of children born with a hearing loss in the US per year?

Answer 2

• Hearing loss is the most common congenital anomaly found in newborns
• Each year 12,000 children are born with a hearing loss in the US
• 90-95% of infants born with a HL are born to hearing parents

Question 3

List some of the signs of a suspected hearing loss?

Answer 3

• Child does not react to loud sounds
• Child is unable to detect where a sound is coming from
• Child may start to babble, but soon stops
• Babbling does not develop into understandable speech
• Child does not react to voices, especially when he or she is not being held
• Child does not follow commands or misunderstands directions: also think CAPD – can’t do multiple directions!!!!!!
• Child may start acting frustrated i.e. behavior issues

Question 4

In decibels what is the range for normal hearing in children?

Answer 4

• Normal Children: 0-15 years 0 - 15 dB Normal Adults: 0 - 25 dB
• Mild: 20 - 40 dB
• Moderate: 40 - 60 dB
• Severe: 60 - 80 dB
• Profound: 80 + dB

Question 5

List 3 types of hearing loss?

Answer 5

• Sensorineural: purely a loss of hearing in the cochlear or auditory nerve
• Conductive: typically a loss generated in the middle ear
• Mixed: combination of sensorineural and conductive hearing loss
• Central auditory prosessing dysfunction
• Auditory Neuropathy

Question 6

What information does speech banana gives us?

Answer 6

Db in pitch to help distinguish which sounds the child cannot hear

Question 7

What is a congenital hearing loss?

Answer 7

Present at birth

Question 8

What percentage of hearing loss can occur at birth?

Answer 8

Present at birth occurs 80% of the time
20% of hearing loss’s are acquired
◦ Such as - Meningitis, ototoxicity, trauma, noise exposure, mumps, hypoxia, hyperbilirubinemia

Question 9

List several syndromes:

Answer 9

Ushers, Pendred, Jervell & Lange-Nielsen, Waardenburg

Question 10

What is the most common intrauterine infection?

Answer 10

CMV, toxoplasmosis, rubella, herpes, syphilis

Question 11

How does a hearing loss impact a person’s life? In what ways?

Answer 11

• Language delay – enough said
• Learning problems
• Social isolation
• Vocational choices – hard to be a linguist with a hearing loss

Question 12

List 3 of the most important aspects to include in report writing?

Answer 12

• Basic patient demographic information
• Pertinent information obtained during a case history
• Lists of tests completed and why
• Ear specific results of test administered

Question 13

Counseling can be very brief for a screening, but always make sure the patient understands:

Answer 13

A failed hearing screening is not a sign of a hearing loss