Is My Child Not Hearing Me or Not Listening? What Causes Hearing Loss in Children?

Is your child making too much noise from the television or not looking when you call their name? We've explained all the details of the hidden causes of hearing loss in children, from ear fluid to genetic factors.

Does your child react when you call their name quickly? Will the noise from the television get loud enough to be heard from another room in the house? Or did the teacher call from school and say, "They're not listening in class, they're daydreaming"?

As a parent, your first thought is usually, "They're ignoring me" or "They have attention deficit disorder." But sometimes the problem isn't that they don't want to do everything, but that they can't.

Hearing loss is a condition we encounter much more frequently than when we think of old age or childhood. So why don't little ears hear? Here's an ENT specialist's perspective on the causes of hearing problems and vision issues.

Silent Danger: Fluid Accumulation in the Middle Ear
This is a cause of hearing loss in childhood, especially in preschool.

This condition progresses insidiously because it usually doesn't cause pain or fever. The child simply hears muffled sounds, "as if they were underwater." Due to the growth, frequent changes, or allergies in your ear, the middle ear cannot ventilate, and a sticky fluid accumulates intracellularly. This fluid prevents the transmission of sound waves. This problem is usually noticed when a program starts with the TV volume turned up too high or with mispronunciation of words.

Don't Ignore Earwax (Cerumen)
Sometimes the solution is much better than we think. The ear canal produces a secretion called "serum" to protect itself. This secretion is normally expelled on its own. However, in some children, the ear canal may be narrow, or this wax may be pushed inside when trying to clean the ear by dragging it.

When the eardrum is completely blocked with cerumen, a serious feeling of blockage and temporary hearing loss occurs. This is the hearing problem we resolve most quickly in the clinic; With a simple cleaning, the world becomes audible again.

Frequent Middle Ear Infections
If you experience frequent acute middle ear infections routinely, this can lead to calcification or damage (perforation) of the eardrum. Even with treatment, it can create a predisposition to permanent or temporary problems.

Congenital Causes
Sometimes hearing loss is present from the moment the baby is born.

Genetic hearing factors: A family history of early-onset hearing loss.

Birth and Birth Process: Conditions the mother has during pregnancy (rubella, cytomegalovirus, etc.), premature birth, low birth weight, or severe jaundice occurring after birth, where the hearing nerves are damaged.

Therefore, the "Newborn Hearing Screening" performed is of vital importance. However, sometimes hearing loss may appear in later months, so repeating a suspected test is possible.

The Problem of the Modern Age: Noise Exposure
Hearing loss due to noise, once considered only a factory problem, is now threatening children in adolescence. Listening to music loudly and for extended periods with headphones causes irreversible damage to the delicate hairs in the inner ear. If a child can hear the voice of the person next to them while listening to music with headphones, that sound level is at a harmful limit.

What Signs to Watch Out For?

I may not be able to tell you "I can't hear" right now. However, it's time to see a specialist who can help improve your hearing:

Speech delay or slurring of words.

Frequently repeating what has been said, saying "Hello?", "What?".

Easily pulling away from activities (classroom, shopping mall) without being able to hold on.

Sudden drop in school performance or lack of interest in class.

Don't Worry, There's a Solution

A large percentage of hearing problems, especially in children, caused by factors such as fluid loss or earwax, are treatable.

Medical treatments, minor surgical interventions (such as ear tube insertion), or hearing aids can all address the silent separation issues in children. The important thing is to get to the root of the problem, rather than simply dismissing it as "attention deficit disorder."

Remember; a child who cannot hear cannot speak, and a child who cannot speak cannot express themselves. Early diagnosis is the biggest step you can take for their future.

Wishing you healthy days.

Op. Dr. Elif Koçlu