HEAR IN TEXAS
Pediatrics
See an Audiologist trained in pediatrics for your child's hearing in New Braunfels, TX for Your Child’s Hearing
We more or less expect an elderly person to experience hearing loss due to age deterioration, but hearing loss can affect children with devastating developmental consequences.
As parents, we understand that nothing is more important than the healthy growth and development of your child.
When you suspect that your child is not hearing well, struggling to communicate, or lacking in language development, you will want to start looking for professional answers from a local pediatric audiologist capable of providing an accurate diagnosis and proper treatment for your child.
Every step of the pediatric hearing test used by Dr. Sally is designed to be friendly, welcoming, and relaxing for you and your child. Her approach to hearing tests for kids leads to more accurate testing results, which lead to the best possible solutions.
The pediatric audiology service offered by our pediatric hearing specialist at Hear in Texas includes newborn hearing screenings, children’s hearing exams, hearing aids for children of all ages, hearing aid fittings, rehabilitative services, and speech therapy.
What are the Common Causes
of Hearing Loss in Children?
01. Otitis Media
Otitis media is the most common cause of hearing loss in children. It involves inflammation of the middle ear, just behind the eardrum and often into the Eustachian tube between the middle ear and the back of the throat.
Because it is smaller and less angled in children than it is in adults, the Eustachian is easily blocked, leading to the fluid buildup that can cause “conductive” hearing loss. Infectious otitis media is often easier to detect since an earache and fever are often involved.
Seeking treatment for otitis media as early as possible, which sometimes includes the insertion of tubes to help with drainage, helps prevent permanent damage to your child’s hearing.
02. Congenital Hearing Loss
At around 16 weeks in the womb, most fetuses have already developed their hearing, but some people are born with hearing difficulties or “congenital” hearing loss. Genetic conditions account for 50% or more of congenital hearing loss cases.
Additional causes of congenital hearing loss can include prenatal infections, illnesses, and toxins consumed by the mother during pregnancy, along with an infection within the womb, premature birth, gestational diabetes, toxemia during pregnancy, and a lack of oxygen (anoxia).
Newborn hearing screenings help identify congenital hearing loss early on, making it possible to limit the effects of hearing loss and maximize auditory function for children with hearing loss.
03. Acquired Hearing Loss
Hearing impairments that show up after birth are referred to as acquired hearing loss, which is not child specific. Risk factors include frequent ear infections, ototoxic drugs known to affect hearing, meningitis, measles, encephalitis, chickenpox, influenza, mumps, head injuries, and frequent or ongoing exposure to loud noise.
Because noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is among the primary causes of acquired hearing loss in children, it deserves special attention. Headphones and earbuds used to play video games, and an endless stream of media via smartphones, have the capacity to pump damaging sound at excessive volume directly into your child’s ears.
Preventing acquired hearing loss involves monitoring the volume on your child’s earphones and earbuds as well as ensuring that your child wears hearing protection when exposed to noise from lawn and garden equipment, concerts and sporting events, motorcycles, and snowmobiles, or while participating in shooting sports or hunting.
When should your child should see an audiologist?
Are you aware of the warning signs of hearing loss? Knowing the signs and symptoms of hearing loss in children is critical for early diagnosis and treatment, because it gives our pediatric audiologist a fighting chance to reduce the impact of hearing loss on the healthy growth and development of your child.
To help evaluate whether your child is experiencing hearing loss, you can ask the following questions:
• Does your child get frequent colds and ear infections?
• Does your child not understand people without facing them?
• Does your child speak loudly, as if having trouble hearing himself/herself?
• Does your child always turn up the volume on the TV or radio?
• Does your child often not respond when called?
• Does your child need to have things repeated?
Is there a history of hearing loss in your family?
• Was your child born prematurely? (sooner than 37 weeks)
• Did your child have a low birth weight?
• Did your child experience a lack of oxygen at birth?
Difficulties with speech and language, impaired social emotional development, and reduced academic performance are among the consequences of hearing loss in children, so answering yes to any or several of these questions could indicate that your child could be at risk.
Contact Hear In Texas for your child's hearing evaluation.
Helping You to Choose the Right Hearing Technology through our Partnerships with all Manufacturers
With each level of hearing loss and person that we help having their own unique set of circumstances, there is never a “one size fits all” approach.
That’s why we partner with every hearing aid manufacturer to ensure that we can always find the right solution for your unique needs.
This also means that we’re often front of the queue to get our hands on the latest hearing technology to ensure that you always have access to the latest developments.
Schedule a Pediatric Hearing Test for Your Child
Nothing is more important than your child’s healthy growth and development, and hearing loss has a major negative effect on language development.
Pediatric hearing tests are essential for diagnosing the severity of your child’s hearing loss and starting the treatment to limit its impact.
Dr. Sally at Hear in Texas provides hearing and audiological services for infants and children of all ages. To schedule a pediatric hearing test for your child, submit the adjacent form and a member of our team will assist you with setting an appointment.
Hearing Health Resources
Blog Posts
Melissa Wilson
As the New Year rolled in, I pledged to ignite inspiration by engaging in weekly pow-wows with the trailblazing women who shape our vibrant New Braunfels community. Each serendipitous encounter at networking events or casual run-ins town-wide leaves me marveling at the intellectual treasure trove at our doorstep. At Hear In Texas, pioneering spirit is our mantra, but I confess, my lens can sometimes narrow, entrenched in the audiology sphere's rich tapestry. These luncheons? My golden ticket to harvest wisdom from women across diverse domains and weave their insights into our narrative.
Meet Melissa Wilson, Development Director at the Sophienburg Museum. We had a lovely lunch at Huisache Grill where we spoke heart-to-heart about women in leadership roles. The lunch was delicious and Huisache Grill never disappoints.
Melissa is a New Braunfels native and embraces the growth and changes happening in New Braunfels. Growth can’t be stopped and it is important for the future as long as it happens responsibly. She has been in a leadership role for most of her working years. She has a varied background with experience in fashion and merchandising, retail, marketing, hospice, and now museum development. She is also an avid tennis player and has volunteered her time and talent to many non-profit organizations. She is the embodiment of a woman of influence.
I asked for her best advice for women in leadership positions. Without hesitance she noted that women should be honest and direct and they should not be too emotional. We discussed how emotions can get in the way of getting tasks accomplished.
Her vision is to diversify the offerings of the museum. When I asked her about how she came to work for the museum, she told me about how her passion for the museum was sparked. She spent many summers there with her grandfather who worked as a docent (trained volunteer or staff member who educates and engages visitors by leading tours, sharing stories, and interpreting exhibits, acting as a storyteller and educator for cultural or historical institutions like museums). She values the importance of archiving the history of this vibrant New Braunfels community. The Sophienburg has been around for 93 years and is outgrowing its current space; expansion is a necessity. Melissa is leading the way to shape what the future looks like.
I was surprised to learn about all the programs the museum offers. I was most interested in “A Night at the Museum” which is a private event for a small group. The plan for a “lost arts” program which will include tamale making, needlework, etc. is underway.
Running a museum takes a village and that includes the museum volunteers. There are multiple opportunities to support the Sophienburg whether through volunteer hours, donations, and/or spreading the word about this community gem. They also have some opportunities for paid positions. Though the museum gains most of its operating budget from Sophie’s Shop at Wurstfest and Weihnachtsmarkt, there are numerous programs that help generate income. One of the best kept secrets is Sophie's Shop located inside the Sophienburg Museum where they have so many amazing and unique local gifts and keepsakes.
If you have not been to the Sophienburg Museum in some time, you should check it out. AND, if you are interested in supporting the next phase of this important part of our community, you can donate at https://sophienburg.com/donate/
