If our child repeats our calls several times and his success in lessons decreases. If he turns the TV up too loud or watches it closely, it is useful to be alert to see if there is a decrease in his hearing! Especially children who watch television closely first consult ophthalmologists
. Hearing loss, which may be the main reason for watching television closely, may be overlooked. Accumulation of fluid in the middle ear is an extremely common
situation in children who have frequent
upper respiratory tract infections, often have nasal congestion problems, or who sleep with their mouth open during sleep and may even snore.
The middle ear cavity is normally filled with air. Thanks to the eustachian tube, which acts as a ventilation
between the nasal cavity and the ear behind the nose, the air pressure in the middle ear is equalized with the pressure in the outside environment.
The feeling of pressure we feel in our ears while flying or diving into the sea does not allow this system
to work during sudden changes. It is caused by the external environment pressure not being equalized with the middle ear pressure.
The same mechanism causes our ears to become blocked when we have a cold. During swallowing and by opening and closing our jaw, the pressure is equalized as the Eustachian tube opens. Especially in pre-school children, fluid accumulation in the middle ear, or 'serous otitis' as it is called in medicine, is very common.
In children, the distance between the ear and the nasal cavity is short and the adenoid is anatomically large. , frequent infections and allergic nature are among the reasons why this disease is more common at young ages.
In the early stages of the disease, a slight hearing loss begins in the child. Symptoms of nasal congestion include complaints such as sleeping with mouth open
, watching the television with the volume turned up too high or closely, not being able to hear what the teacher is saying during lessons, and constant runny nose. Families cannot always perceive these complaints. Hearing loss is often noticed by school teachers. Fluid accumulation in the middle
ear is a condition that can be corrected with treatment directed to the cause when detected early. Problems often occur with 15-20 day drug treatments can be eliminated. However, in cases of enlarged adenoids and tonsils that cause blockage of the Eustachian tube and in cases where drug treatment is not effective, surgical treatment is required and the result is extremely satisfactory. Permanent hearing disorders may occur due to ear infections and collapse due to negative pressure in the eardrum.
In cases of fluid accumulation in the middle ear, there are no complaints such as pain, fever, or discharge in the ear. Complaints such as deterioration of the child's relationships with his/her friends, decreased success in classes, restlessness, and balance disorder may sometimes appear as the main complaints. All of this depends on hearing loss
and the difference between the pressure in the middle ear and the pressure in the external environment. For this reason, parents
should definitely take their children who they suspect to have hearing loss to an ear, nose and throat specialist.
If there is a disease, the ENT specialist will investigate what caused it and treat the cause
br /> will apply. Since runny nose and enlarged adenoids due to allergies are very common in these children, they should be evaluated for allergies and, if necessary, allergy tests should be considered. Ventilation tube surgery, which is placed in the eardrum due to fluid accumulation in the middle ear, is a frequently performed operation that improves hearing.
The inserted tube often comes out spontaneously after a period of about 6 months. In order not to cause a permanent hearing impairment in the future and not to leave our children behind their peers, especially during the education years when they collect information, we must be alert about hearing and consult a doctor before it is too late.
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