Deafness and being hard of hearing are not uncommon conditions. While people may suffer from diminished hearing as they age, hearing problems can also be congenital, meaning that they are present from birth. If you have a toddler or young school-age child and you are concerned about their ability to hear correctly, it is important to seek medical care. If your child's pediatrician finds cause for concern, they will refer your child to a pediatric audiologist for further diagnostic testing. Continue reading to learn more about what to expect the first time your child sees a pediatric audiologist.
Review of Medical History
When you arrive at your child's appointment with a pediatric audiologist, they will ask a series of questions about your child's health and family medical history. This will include questions about any conditions you or your child's mother may have experienced during pregnancy. The audiologist will also ask questions about when hearing loss was first suspected and any signs that your child's hearing is slowly getting worse.
Physical Exam
The pediatric audiologist will conduct a complete physical exam in order to evaluate the current condition of your child's outer ear, eardrum, and ear canal. In some cases, the exam may discover physical issues with one or more parts of the ear that may be responsible for your child's hearing loss or hearing difficulties. It is important for your child to sit as still as possible during the physical exam so the audiologist will be able to properly assess the different parts of the ear. The physical exam should not be uncomfortable or painful in any way.
Audiometry
After the physical exam is completed, audiometry will be administered. The audiologist will use pediatric audiometers to conduct tests that evaluate your child's hearing. During the audiometry portion of the appointment, your child will wear a pair of headphones that are connected to a pediatric audiometer machine. Different sounds will be played at a variety of tones and pitches, and your child will need to indicate when they hear a sound. Audiometry is able to test both ears together, and well as each ear individually. When the testing is finished, an audiogram, which is a graph of a child's hearing loss, will be created. Depending on the results, your child may need additional medical attention to treat their hearing loss.
For more information about pediatric audiology equipment, contact a local audiologist.
Share28 February 2020
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