High frequency hearing loss

[sparklymieow]

CAn anyone help? About 2 years ago, DD1 has a special hearing test as she had some drugs in SCBU that can cause deafness, they diagnosied HF hearing loss, and we were referred to a specialist who saw her a few times and said her hearing was in the normal limits, with a small degree of loss, anyway a few months back she had her hearing tested at school, and they picked up on the HF hearing loss as well, she has to go for another test today, and TBH I am getting sick of being told that she is ok, but then someone else comes along and says actually she has some hearing loss. If she does have hearing loss how will they help??

[Kelly1978]

What test did she have before?

[sparklymieow]

oh she has had lots, she had a special machine which detects sound waves. and normal tests

[bundle]

sparklymieow, HF hearing loss is common in older people (ie natural process of ageing) and one of the audiologists I spoke to said for instance, you might "miss" consonants, ie pat might sound like bat...because the vowels are lower frequencies (she cited eg certain newsreaders who had better/worse voices for people with HF loss to understand). a hearing aid can be used and set for specific types of hearing loss - but I suppose it depends on how much it affects her. are you seeing an audiologist today?

[sparklymieow]

yes at 2:30. They first picked up on this when she was 25 months old, and they keep saying she is ok, then someone says she isn't...... so annoying. Her speech is very poor for her age, she is 5.

[bundle]

I think if you have noticed things aren't progressing properly for her to be able to communicate like she'd like to (and you obviously want her to, too) then it's not really up to them to judge whether she's "ok". a colleague's daughter had a different problem (glue ear helped with grommets) and the change, post-treatment, was incredible and her language/school stuff came on a lot. write your concerns down so you don't forget to ask about things, and take notes when you see the audiologist.

[sparklymieow]

The thing is she has Cerebral palsy and the hospital and specialist tend to think that everything is down to the CP, so its very hard to get them to listen

[bundle]

I can see how that would happen with CP (or other conditions too, the specialists must be tempted to put everything down to that if they don't fully understand it) but I think you should challenge this view, get them to put into lay-person's language what the degree of loss might feel like and whether it could be affecting her comprehension and quality of life. She shouldn't be treated any differently just because she has CP, surely. what does her paediatrician think about her progress, and whether hearing loss could be holding her back or not?

[sparklymieow]

we missed her last appointment (my fault) with the consultant, so we will be seeing them in nov now. I will talk to them again today about this, as its funny how we are being told she is fine but then someone does another test and suddenly she isn't.......

[bundle]

I suppose it's a matter of degree, what one person regards as significant loss. ask them what they'd do if it was their child..

[sparklymieow]

will do, just annoying being pass from pillar to post all the time IYKWIM. Feels like a rollercoster as you don't when you can get off.

[bundle]

I'm sure it does. How does her CP affect her? (just being nosey )

[sparklymieow]

actually found out it was 3 years ago they diagnosised it first.

[sparklymieow]

she has slight mobility problems, falls a lot, her balance is terrible, she can't walk far. She has a problem with her eyes due to the brain damage, and her speech is delayed, she has learning problems and can't write her name, count to 10, or say her ABCs.

[bundle]

I think it's only fair especially given the other problems she has, that they try to help her with her hearing to give her the best possible chance of learning about the world around her

[sparklymieow]

yep!! I noticed at the begining of the year that she didn't seem to be hearing properaly so got her an appointment with the doctor that had discharged her last year, who said she was ok, and then the school picked up it, and wanted her tested again! I receieved a note in her bag saying that she had had a hearing test and there was concerns and she needed testing again, I phoned them and explained that she had recently had a hearing test and she said that it was the high frequencies that she isn't hearing (again)and she needs to be checked at the clinic. It just seems funny to me that doctors and nurses are picking up on this high frequency hearing loss but the specialist isn't.......

[bundle]

maybe s/he doesn't feel it's that significant, in context of her other problems. but you must correct this assumption if you feel it's holding her back, because you know her best.

[sparklymieow]

I just want them to do something once and for all, or leave it......

[bundle]

do let me know how it goes

[sparklymieow]

SHE PASSED!!!!!!!!! no problems at all....... she said that if we want she can have another hearing check in the future if we are worried......

[bundle]

that's great, it puts the ball firmly in your court and you can get on with Life

[Kelly1978]

Only jsut got back to this one, sorry. Glad to see she passed. The one that detects sound waves is normally conclusive, mine had to have that due to my deafness. Other methods can be pretty unreliable in young children.

[geogteach]

Missed this, my son has a high frequency loss. Picked up late as he has good speech, she has passed now but if you want to know more let me know