Finally (someone agrees with me)

[gagezoie]

finally after 4 years of knowing my son has a hearing problem, someone agrees with me. i have known since he was 2 that he was hard of hearing. have taken time and time again to the dr. about it. he just said "he's a boy he isn't paying attention." since his preschool teacher didn't think anything was wrong the dr. wouldn't give me a referral. his nurse did a hearing test in the office and said he had fluid in his ear. didn't want him back for a recheck either. so today i was informed by his kindergarten teacher that he has failed his school hearing test 3 times in 3 months. finally. so i called and made an appointment for tomorrow with the hope that we will finally be referred to ent and get some answers other then "fluid in the ear"

*by the way the nurse in the office ran the test four times because he failed the first three and she had to be sure. so when he a questionable reading on the 4th they passed it off as fluid, sorry this is so long but i had to just tell somebody. i guess i'm exited that i have known this for years and finally something is being done :thankya:

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

Thank goodness you pursued it! Hope all goes well with him.

[llg, PhD, RN]

Congratulations on finally getting someone's attention! I hope you get the follow-up your son needs.

I'm going to put a "bug in your ear" about a syndrome that might NOT apply to your son at all, but it is something that just might be part of the problem If the ENT doesn't identify a physical problem with the ears themselves, you might want to have your son checked out for it.

I've had a few friends with "auditory processing" problems that have taken years to get properly diagnosed. With auditory processing disorders, the ears themselves may be mechanically fine. However, the brain does not process the signal very well. So, with a conventional hearing tests with a silent background and an isolated sound to hear/interpret, the subject performs well. However, when there is background noise with multiple auditory signals to interpret, the person starts to have trouble sorting out all the stimuli. Of course, in the real world, we need our hearing to function well with background noise, not just in the quiet of a hearing test. Children with auditory processing disorders are usually mis-diagnosed because they pass conventional tests -- but they still can't hear well in the real world.

This may not apply to your son at all. But I just wanted to mention it in case it did.

Good luck with the ENT!

[arcoiris]

My son and I have gone through the exact same thing as you and your son. I knew there was a problem with my son's hearing long before anyone else wanted to investigate into the problem. After many times trying to get his Dr. to test his hearing, him not speaking until he was about 3yrs. old and him having to repeat kingergarten: he has finally been diagnosed as 60% hearing impaired. He now wears hearing aids in both ears and is finally getting the help he needs at school. It has been a battle to get things where they are for my son and I have learned to speak up and tell the school what I want done so that my son can succeed. I wish you and your son well.

[vashtee, RN]

Yes, it seems that sometimes mom really does know best! I knew there was a problem with my daughter's menstrual cycle for at least a year before her neurologist took me seriously. When he finaally referred me to an endocrinologist, she was growing cysts on her ovaries, and her FSH & LH hormones were in inverse proportions in her bloodstream, probably related to her anti-seizure medication.

I wish your son well!

[birdgardner]

Here's to moms and their observations - I'm not saying instinct here. And to our persistance.

We went through something similar with my son and an autistic specturm disorder - I knew at two weeks, doctors said hmm, something's going on at 18 months.

[Nicky30, BSN, RN]

I have encountered similar problems. I told the doc while in hospital that my 2 days old son was allergic to the protein in dairy products (I was breast feeding).

Well the doctor looked at me like I had grown horns. As if there was no possible way of knowing that (well my daughter had the same problem)!

He thought I was off my rocker when I told him at the 6 week check that he was also allergic to soy proteins as well (still breast feeding). Actually found that out when he was 4 days old.

I saw a few doctors for help and eventually insisted on a referral to a peadiatrician (he was four months old before we got in to see him) but he was wonderful, believed every word I said and helped us immensely. All that stress made my milk supply dwindle precariously and my poor little boy was on solids at 11 weeks (I could find no formula to put him on for lack of doctor input/support), I just did not have enough to feed him with and I had a toddler at home too.

He now has bad eczema which I try to avoid the use of steroid creams to treat but must occasionaly resort to.

The moral of my lengthy tale......

Is keep pushing, you know that something is wrong, keep telling people until they find out what it is and get it treated. The sooner your darling boy gets treatment the better it will be.

Good luck,

Nicky.

[gagezoie]

UPDATE: went to the dr. today. Double ear infection. Fluid in both ears. Dr. couldn't believe his drums were so big. Put on Amoxil for 3 weeks. When we go back if the fluid is still there (dr thinks it will be) then off to the ent. Looking at getting tubes put in. Doc also thinks he's only hearing a 40% between both ears! Wish us luck.

[Tait, MSN, RN]

Best of luck!

[Simplepleasures]

My granddaughter is having surgery tomorow Am to put tubes in ears and have adenoids out, after repeat ear infections and series of ABTs. She is seven years old and has had so many horrible ear infections , I am worried about permanent hearing loss. We will see if the tubes and having adenoids out will end the cycle of infections and ABTs.

[Tait, MSN, RN]

Best of luck!