Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
General health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

Hearing aids, any advice?

22 replies

jco · 26/02/2006 19:18

My son has had problems with his hearing for some time now. he was fine when he was born but has had repeated ear infections, which in turn caused 'glue ear' and i found out on tuesday that this has resulted in him losing a considerable amount of hearing in his right ear.

on tuesday we went to the local hospital to see the specialist and they have decided to fit him with a hearing aid! This may be something that he will need for the rest of his life or, as he grows older and suffers less with glue ear as children often do, his hearing may improve enough to remove the aid

I just feel a little sad for him that he will have to wear a hearing aid. He has already told me he doesn't want to wear it for school because his friends will laugh at him! I told him that his hearing aid is actually an ear piece which the 'thunderbirds' use to keep in touch with each other and that they wanted him to have one so that the thunderbirds could get in touch with him in an emergency. He seems quite hapy with this but I can't help but worry! He will get the aid in a few weeks when it is ready

does anybody else have a child who wears a hearing aid? i have so many questions about how you use it, how it affects normal day to day activeties etc. would be really grateful for any information

Julie x

OP posts:
Original poster
jco · 26/02/2006 21:35

anyone?

OP posts:
starlover · 26/02/2006 21:40

is his hearing loss all down to glue ear which he is still suffering from?

has he been offered grommets or t tubes?

Cristina7 · 26/02/2006 21:47

Hi Julie. My son has been wearing hearing aids since he was 9 months old. They are part of him, go in first thing in the morning, taken off when he goes to bed or after he's fallen asleep. It has caused him absolutely no problems socially so far (he's 6) because he just accepts them as part of him and probably projects this image too. It may be more difficult for an older child to start getting used to them, though. We tell DS that HAs are like glasses (both mum and dad wear them). I know he'll start questioning in earnest when he's much older.

Day to day: minimise background noise as much as possible. Have a listen through the aid and you'll see how all noise is amplified and why it's important to keep other noise to a minimum so the ear can focus on what sounds are important. With time, as your DS gets used to the aid, you can relax this too.

Keep the aid away from wet/humid/moisture (e.g. not on the kitchen counter overnight if you're also cooking, not in the bathroom while he's having a bath and the room is steamed etc.)

We use Milton solution to keep the earmoulds clean. We used to do it nightly for years but now it's much less frequent

There's lots of info at www.listen-up.org (US website with very active mailing list too).

There's a UK yahoo group called Reverb-UK that I set up with another mum 5 years ago.

I know this are worrying times for you but honestly it becomes part of your daily routine and life. It's a great big shame your DS has to wear an aid but it will not alter his life. It's a shock for all. Take it easy.

Original poster
jco · 26/02/2006 21:49

hi, they dont know yet if its down to the glue ear of not. Last year he had a very bad ear infection and ended up with a perferated eardrum so it might be that there is permanent damage. The audiology doc said that they will only know once they have got rid of the glue ear and retested his hearing. He did have grommits when he was 2 and they worked really well. I'm waiting for an appointment to see am ent doctor about getting more grommits put it. its so frustrating though because it will be months before he gets to see the ent doc. I know i shouldn't worry really, but its easier said than done

OP posts:
starlover · 26/02/2006 21:51

just thought they'd be keener to replace grommets than to go with hearing aids... iyswim?

Original poster
jco · 26/02/2006 21:53

Hi christina, our posts crossed. thank you so much for that. I will have a look at the websites you reccomended. you are so right about it being a shock, i think once i have got use to the idea i will feel a lot better. I knew he was struggling with his hearing but i wasn't expecting it to be that bad that he needed a hearing aid. when he did the hearing test and i could see that he was really struggling it was really upsetting. you just want your kids to be perfectly healthy in every way. thanks for your reply

julie xx

OP posts:
Original poster
jco · 26/02/2006 21:55

Its baffleing the way they work sometimes. They are really keen for him to get the hearing aid asap because even when they put the grommits in it will take a while for the glue ear to get better and in the mean time he could fall behind at school etc because he is really struggling to hear what is going on

OP posts:
jabberwocky · 26/02/2006 21:57

How old is your ds? My brother has severed hearing loss in his right ear but refused to wear his hearing aid to school because of things the other kids said. they do make really tiny ones now, though. The smaller hearing aids go through batteries faster than the larger ones, but if it's a choice between him wearing it or not, it would be worth a few more batteries imo.

Original poster
jco · 26/02/2006 22:00

Jabber, ds is 5. You are very right about it beong worth using a few extra batteries if it means him feeling happier wearing it. one of the things i worry about is him being teased at school, he is a very sensitive little boy and other kids can be unkind

OP posts:
jabberwocky · 26/02/2006 22:01

Yes, and once a teacher even made a remark that upset him very much

Maybe when you get it, try it out over the weekend so he can get used to having it in, working on the background noise issue ect. so he's really comfortable with it before he uses it at school for the first time.

jabberwocky · 26/02/2006 22:02

just noticed a typo in my other post, that should be "severe" hearing loss. His ear was not severed!

Cristina7 · 26/02/2006 22:03

Batteries are given free on the NHS anyway, so that's not an issue. The aids come in various sizes, there are smaller ones too, even ones that go totally in the ear canal, but it depends on the degree of hearing loss. Also, the in-the-canal ones are not usually given to children because their ears are still growing and the earmoulds would need changing too often.

There's still some controversy on whether one should use only one hearing aid. I think this varies with audiology departments, some prescribe two or none, some prescribe just one rather than none.

The social aspect - this is one thing that I've never worried about so far. DS has never been bullied because of his hearing aids. It may be the school he goes to, or just his attitude. A good line to retort is "I'm deaf and wear an aid for this; you're stupid/a jerk/an idiot etc and there's no cure for that" TBH we do work harder to make sure all else goes well with him, e.g. behaviour-wise, reading etc, so it can't be attributed to his deafness.

Original poster
jco · 26/02/2006 22:05

Horrid teacher!!! thats a very good idea to try it out at the weekend so he has a few days to get use to it, i'll defo do that. This is going to sound daft but how do they stay in, do they not fall out if they are playing a bit roughly?

OP posts:
Original poster
jco · 26/02/2006 22:06

was a bit worried about your brothers severed ear jabber

OP posts:
Cristina7 · 26/02/2006 22:07

Julie - try contacting the NDCS, see if there's any group local to you. Your DS can then meet other kids who wear aids and see that it's all OK, they are no different to him. (If you're in SW London, I can give you details.) Also, if the aid improves his hearing your DS may become more confident about interacting with other children etc. Good luck.

Original poster
jco · 26/02/2006 22:08

they hardly told me anything at the hospital, all they did was take a mold of his ear and then told me they would phone me when it was ready. do they take the time to show you how to use it properly?

OP posts:
Original poster
jco · 26/02/2006 22:09

Thanks christina, i am in the northwest but i will defo look into that

OP posts:
Cristina7 · 26/02/2006 22:11

For staying in - you can use Otoferm (ask at your audiology department or buy from Conevans, £3 for a small tube).

We also use Toupe tape (wig tape) which is double-sided sticky tape. Cut a small piece, about 5 mm wide and one side goes on the aid and the other on the head (make sure it doesn't stick to the hair). You can buy this from a wig shop or one with medical supplies. Or again from Conevans, about £3 per tape, lasts 6-10 months(Coenvans is also online).

jabberwocky · 26/02/2006 22:11

I think you've got really valid quesitons, jco, but I'm afraid I don't know about the rough play/staying in thing, since my brother wore his so seldom I would be persistent when you talk with the audiologists and make sure they explain things thoroughly to you. You want to feel confident when working with your ds so that he feels more confident too, imo.

Cristina7 · 26/02/2006 22:13

That's a good point Jabberwocky, about feeling confident. Even if your heart is breaking, Julie, try and handle the aid in a very matter-of-fact way, not transferring your anxieties or dislike of the aids to your son.

Original poster
jco · 26/02/2006 22:21

I've tried to make it sound like fun for him, i told him he's going to have an earpeice like the thunderbirds use! i think at the moment i'm more worried about it than him. it is a good point about feeling confident about it, i want to be happy that i am doing everything properly so that he will get the most out of it. i have so many questions i think i'll write it all down before we go back to the audiologist

OP posts:
jabberwocky · 26/02/2006 23:22

Excellent idea! I find that too often in situations like that, I get so overwhelmed and flustered that I forget things.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread