To puss for hearing aids over grommits?

[mummyneedingahug]

DS (4) has had glue ear most likely for years and has a moderate hearing loss.
Audiologist gave me the choice of grommits or hearing aids today and from what I have read I felt pretty confident in going for hearing aids in the hope that the glue will go (soon?).
However on telling his new class teacher my choice she looked at me like I was crazy....AIBU?

I have no experience of hearing aids but my son did have grommets last year at 4. Whilst werid seeing him go under it was all over with so quickly. The hospitial was great, my son came home and told his dad what a great day he had! It's improved his hearing, waiting to find out how much. Personally I can't understand why you would want hearing aids over grommets. Out of interest what are your reasons?

Get the grommets, honestly. It's a 15 minute operation and they're usually out the same day. The glue won't just magically dissapear.

I guess if you have done your research and happy with your choice it is a reasonable decision. I don't know much about hearing aids, but DS had grommets and they were really very good at sorting out the glue ear- just needed ear plugs to swim. Hope whichever you chose helps sort out the hearing loss.

his hearing improved

My ds had grommets and it resolved the problem. I don't understand why they would offer hearing aids instead as IME hearing aids are the last resort.

DEF the grommits.

As a hearing aid user, I would definitely say grommets. Hearing through aids is NOT like hearing naturally. If you can restore his natural hearing, do it.

The sound he'll hear through aids will not sound natural, whereas I'm guessing that which he'll hear through using the grommets will be. So when the fluid does disappear he'll be readjusting again? I'm sure the audiologist discussed the pros and cons.

My DS2 is profoundly hearing impaired but the nature of his loss means hearing aids/implants won't help. Some people still feel wearing hearing aids has a stigma attached - maybe that was what the teacher was expressing? Most aids are very small and either discreet or child attractive compared with how they were even comparatively recently.

My 2yo DS had grommets earlier this year and was absolutely fine straight after the op. His hearing is now within normal range and his speech has improved no-end. I was worried that we'd be told we they'd take a "wait and see" approach, or offer hearing aids. Thankfully they didn't and it's worked for us.

Can I ask why you'd rather go down the hearing aid route?

x post Peggotty !

oh heck :(

I am 38 years old and damned nearly deaf without my hearing aids. All because my b doctor would not let me have grommets as a child, so I have had glue ear forever (still got it now!). My cousin had glue ear, got grommets, and it was never an issue for her again. My Mum begged them to give me grommets, but they insisted on hearing aids.

So I was bullied mercilessly at school for wearing hearing aids AND I got progressively more deaf as well. Great. Do NOT put your child through this - if there is a chance that grommets will clear the problem up, please at least try that first. Please.

Ha Betsey! We are reading from the same novel book!!

OP he will be fine. It's such a simple, quick operation that makes so much difference. Hearing aids are no match the for the real thing.

Hey, why the - it's OK, no one's judging! What did your audiologist discuss with you?

Yes! Ha! Good, ain't it. Great minds, eh?

Ok, firstly because I feel it will resolve (although he has had it for a long while) in time and once I have gone down the grommet route there is no going back. I know of a good few children who have had lots of ear infections after surgery and they have had to have more grommets as once healed the glue has come back etc.
I guess I am trying to make the best of his hearing while we watch and wait another 6 months....
....but now I am worried that is the wrong choice.

I wouldn't worry about the 'stigma' aspect of actually wearing hearing aids, I think that's greatly diminished these days. But I really think the quality of his hearing with aids will be poorer than if he had grommets. It might be worth going back and talking to the audiologist again?

I'm fully expecting DS to need grommets again in the future, DH had 4 sets as a child but his hearing is fine now. We were also lucky that DS only had one ear infection before the op but I think there's a higher chance of infections / perforated eardrums if the glue ear continues?

Do what feels right for you and your DS, but please be reassured that the grommets op is absolutely fine.

Anonymumous - your post has really touched me. I feel for you.

Op - I'm awaiting dd's next appt where it's seems grommets are going to be recommended. Dd is starting school in sept and I had wanted it sorted by then but looking unlikely now. What do you feel is going to change? Believe I don't want them for dd (or things taking out) but its such an important age I couldn't not do it.

Mine has never resolved itself, OP - I wouldn't rely on it if I was you. If it doesn't work out, you can resort to hearing aids later. I do feel for you - I live in dread of one of my children getting an ear infection after everything I went through. It's a very personal decision - for all we know, you may have made the right choice long-term. But my head is screaming out, "Please give the grommets a chance first, just in case!!!"

My dd2 (3yo) had grommets a week ago today and the difference is astonishing.

The day afterwards I had a conversation with her on the phone, which has never happened before! She always said 'hello, hello!' then passed the phone on to someone else, I assumed she wasn't old enough to understand it, turns out she couldn't hear the person on the other end.

She never watched the TV, again I assumed she just wasn't old enough, but since the op she has watched loads. We now realised that of course she couldn't hear it.

I would definately recommend the grommets - I am and that we weren't even sure there was a problem with dds hearing, we had some idea but we only got the hearing test because she was referred to ENT for a tonsillectomy.

Honestly? As an adult who has suffered from undiagnosed glue ear and repeated ear infection and burst ear drums as a child up to six times a year? And who has now had three grommet ops and worn hearing aids for a few years in between? You'd be nuts not to try grommets first. I has nearly 50% hearing loss in my ears by the time I was 19 due to glue ear and got my first set of grommets at 20. The difference was utterly incredible, like someone had lifted a sound veil from the world for me. To put your son through the daily bind of wearing uncomfortable very visible hearing aids as opposed to a fairly quick and simple operation which could well resolve the cause and not just treat the symptoms seems very very short sighted to me. Please do consider it again. You sound very nervous - could you discuss it with your gp or with the consultant? Are there any local support groups for hearing issues that you could email for advice? What's really the cause of your unease, is it the thought of a general for your child? Seeing him unconcious as he goes to theatre? None of this is unresolvable, and I hope you find a way through that suits all of you. But watching and waiting at such a crucial stage when he's starting school and needs to focus in the classroom is a really bad plan in my experience - I had to sit at the front in all my classes right through to uni because I just couldn't hear clearly enough to understand what was being said.