In the early stages of a child’s life their hearing is extremely sensitive to loud noises and if they’re exposed to these noises on a regular basis it can cause irreversible hearing damage or loss. If the noise exposure is even greater, it could cause deafness, which will not only affect the relationships in their lives, it can also cause learning difficulties too.
It isn’t just noise levels either that can cause damage to your child’s hearing, below you will find a number of infections that are commonly found in children.

Ear Infections

Here you will find all the explanations you need for the most common of ear infections. However, if you still have questions and are uncertain about the infections, please feel free to contact us, or talk to your GP.

Otitis media

Otitis media occurs when there is a build up of fluid or mucus between the eardrum and inner ear. If a bacterium is then present it can cause a middle ear infection and become very painful. Symptoms are severe earache, fever and general sickness and dulled hearing. The eardrum may appear to be inflamed or look yellow and have a bumpy texture.

Signs to look for in young children include:

•    Irritability
•    Poor feeding
•    Disturbed sleep
•    Coughing
•    Lack of response to sounds

The simplest cases of Otitis media do not require antibiotics, as 80% of cases resolve within three to four days. However, the BNF recommends treatment if:

•    There is no improvement after 72 hours, or earlier if there is evidence of deterioration
•    The child is unwell
•    Mastoiditis is present
•    The child is under two and both ears are affected

Please note: Glue ear is the common name for Otitis media. Long-term hearing impairment is a significant risk with prolonged glue ear.

Otitis externa

More commonly known as ‘swimmer’s ear’, Otitis externa is an inflammation of the external ear canal and can be caused by many common factors such as swimming, heat and humidity, skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis or seborrhoeic dermatitis, damage to the ear canal caused by hearing aids, cotton wool swabs or ear syringing and discharge produced by a middle ear infection.

The danger concerning Otitis externa is that is can develop spontaneously.  However, it is easy to treat. In some cases the infection may need to be treated by an effective antibiotic ear drop or spray.

Best practice when preventing ear infections:

•    Let ears dry naturally
•    Avoid cleaning the ears with cotton wool
•    Never pick or poke at the ears
•    Keep ears dry when swimming by using silicone rubber earplugs

Hearing is essential to children especially when it comes to learning and developing their social skills. There are many children’s earplugs available at Earplug Shop that are ideal for general use as well as more specific requirements such as swimming, sleeping and travelling.

I’m glad I came prepared for the event. Just before the fireworks started to appear off the London Eye and grabbed the ear plugs and dished them out to everyone. We could all still hear the bangs the fireworks, but at a reduced level so the experience was the same, just not as damaging.

The children loved being in London; it was a great change of scenery and being part of a large group of people was very exciting for them. There were people dressed up in extraordinary costumes, which really got us in the mood for a family filled New Year party.

I’m so glad we all went to see the fireworks and had our noise ear plugs to help protect our hearing. I saw quite a few people touching their ears after the fireworks finished; must of had a ringing sensation!

We turn on the TV to watch Big Ben strike 12 and see fireworks fill the London skyline. If you will be attending a firework display to see 2011 in, you may need to pack your trusty ear plugs. It can be a noisy affair and what could be worse than having tinnitus at the beginning of a brand new year?

If you are exposed to noises that exceed 110dB for longer than 1 minute at a time, you could run the risk of permanent hearing loss. Why not try some noise reduction ear plugs? You can be sure that your hearing is protected from the dangerous sounds, yet you will be able to hear conversations between you and your family and friends.

Whatever you are planning for New Years, have a great night.

Unfortunately, it didn’t go as well as hoped. The fire alarm kept going off. Guess that means another lot of mince pies have been burnt, (we have recently got a new oven and I’m still not used to it). I had the children coming into the kitchen screaming with their hands over their ears to find out what all the commotion was about.

I’m glad I am getting in all the practice I need, let’s face it, burnt Turkey doesn’t sound too appetising. However, I am most thankful for the stash of ear plugs in the house, so the children’s hearing won’t be affected by the sound of the fire alarm.

I can just hear my husband now ‘children time to put your ear plugs in, mum’s cooking again’.

On a more positive note, ten days until Christmas!

When flying you can experience some ear discomfort. A change in pressure from inside the cabin can cause some discomfort and make your ears pop. Using flying & travelling ear plugs can help relieve some of that discomfort and allow you to relax. There are also ear plugs for flying that are suitable for children.

Driving with little ones in the back can also be a nightmare, especially if they are restless and can’t sleep. With a pair of ear plugs for children they will be able to block out the sounds of ongoing traffic, giving them the peace and quiet to fall fast asleep.

With a good night’s sleep concentration levels rise, giving kids not only a better learning experience at school, but will improve their revision. So if you feel your child or children are not getting enough sleep or a good enough night of sleep and their results are suffering, ear plugs designed specifically for children could make all the differnce.

Children’s ear plugs are smaller and slimmer to mould to the shape of your child’s ear, creating a comfortable and secure fit that will help them sleep throughout the night. Give it a go and see what the results are with their sleeping pattern and at school, you might be pleasantly surprised!

The second reason however, is to prevent any infection of the external ear canal such as swimmer ears, or it’s medical term ‘otitis externa’. People normally perceive this to be an infection conceived when swimming in polluted water such as a lake, but it is more commonly found in children or adults who spend a majority of time in chlorinated water, such as a swimming pool.

The chlorine in the swimming pool can dry out the skin of the ear canal, which can encourage bacteria and cause an infection or fungal conditions. Swimmer’s ear can be extremely painful and in more serve cause can make the ear extremely sensitive to touch. It isn’t a dangerous condition, but it can cause serious discomfort and the ear can become swollen which can cause hearing problems.

Fortunately by wearing suitable ear plugs while swimming you can prevent the condition from occurring. Silicone ear plugs are the ideal solution for preventing swimmer’s ear or otitis externa as they give a more custom fit, are easy to clean and have a long life expectancy.

There are many types of swimmers ear plugs available they can be mouldable, pre-moulded, re-usable and are also available to bulk buy. In my experience with my children I have found that bulk buying them is the best option as children tend to misplace objects on a regular basis and to ensure hygiene on a regular basis it is a lot more hassle free to throw them out after one use.

In recent reports a baby girl was born profoundly deaf, but has since benefitted from the NHS programme. To help identify the seriousness of baby Bride’s condition, medics ran a series of tests, launched by Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHT Trust seven years ago. Baby Bride was then fitted with two cochlear implants, which has improved her hearing outstandingly.   However in January this year Miss Bride lost her hearing again due to unknown circumstance, but has yet been fitted with new implants.

Another way medics have been treating children with hearing impairment is the use of ear tubes, which recently have concerned doctors using them with children with cochlear implants due to increased complications.  However, after recent studies it is now considered safe for children to wear ear tubes with cochlear implants.

Hearing loss in babies has become more concerning for parents and now under the Newborn Hearing Screening Programme all parents are offered the chance to have their child’s hearing tested within the first few weeks.

The good news about hearing loss in small children is that it can be treated if it is caught early, preferably before they are 3 months old, however some are not treated quickly enough. Hearing loss in children can occur due to a number of reasons such as:

• Born prematurely
• Stayed in the neonatal intensive care unit
• Had high bilirub requiring a transfusion
• Had frequent ear infections
• Exposed to very loud sounds even for a brief duration.

Children are very sensitive when it comes to loud sounds and being exposed to deafening noises. Even at an extremely young stage of life hearing is imperial for children’s learning. The best way to protect your children’s hearing is to use earplugs designed specifically for them. These earplugs cannot be used for babies, but are ideal for young children who are learning to swim and who are exposed to damaging noises.

When my children were growing up, I made sure they always wore these children earplugs to prevent them from getting any infections such as swimmers ear. Children’s hearing is extremely important and I felt I had to make sure they were protected in times when it was very loud such as days out when we went to see plays.

The basic mechanism of snoring is a partial obstruction of the airway by soft tissue at the back of the throat. When the person falls asleep, soft tissue at the back of the throat falls over the trachea. The snoring noise you hear is the rattle of the soft tissue.

A person who suffers from sleep apnea will actually stop breathing for a short time until they are startled awake by the lack of oxygen. If you ever hear your partner make gasping noises followed by a loud snort sound, this is probably what’s occurred.

In some cases, this is a structural issue having to do with the position of the jaw. A dentist can fit a person with a custom mouth device designed to gently pull the jaw forward. There are also CPAP machines designed to help people with sleep apnea, though many patients feel the mask is uncomfortable.

For others who snore, the cause may be excessive weight. Excessive abdominal weight can place pressure on the upper airway causing obstruction and snoring when the person lies down. When my husband lost weight, his snoring stopped. Alcohol can also increase snoring.

Whatever the reason, it’s important for you and your loved ones to find the cause of snoring and take measures to remedy the situation. People who suffer from sleep apnea can wake hundreds of times during the night due to total blockage of the trachea. They rarely remember the incidences, but they suffer from sleep deprivation nonetheless!

And the rest of the family suffers as well. Sleep deprivation can cause or exacerbate a number of health conditions in both adults and children. Visit your healthcare provider (physician or dentist) if you feel the snoring isn’t caused by excessive weight. Begin an exercise and diet program if you do feel the snoring may be due to weight. Limit alcohol consumption as well.

There are a number of sleep and snoring earplugs for men, women and children. Mack’s SafeSound Earplugs fit most ear canals comfortably. Mack’s also makes SafeSound Earplugs for women and Junior SafeSound Earplugs for children.

You need to find a permanent solution to snoring and sleep problems, but in the meantime, at least get some sleep by blocking out the disturbing noise!