Importance of healthy ears in preschoolers

¶ … Healthy Ears in Preschoolers

The importance of good hearing and healthy ears in preschoolers and young children is an area that is emphasized by many pediatricians. The risk of ear infection is particularly acute at this age. The function of the ears in young children is also associated with the development of the child's speech and language skills. In other words, the ears are extremely important not only for hearing but in the way that they affect the other cognitive and learning processes.

It should be remembered that hearing is one of the five senses by means of which the child experiences the world. In this sense, the young child needs the various senses to be functioning optimally in order to learn and experience the world normally. As one expert explains, child is born with a mind that is open and ready to receive information through these senses. The more information the mind receives, the better the child can understand and participate in the world around them. The senses are our tools for learning and communicating

Welcome to Children and Hearing)

Therefore, correct ear health in the young child is an essential part pf ensuring the child's normal development. If the ears are not healthy the child will, for example, not be able to recognize voices correctly and this may also impede language development. This in turn can impact negatively on the development of social as well as learning skills. "Hearing is more than simply a part of the sensory apparatus; it plays an important role in forming the child's personality and behavior..." (Welcome to Children and Hearing). It is important as well to note that in the recent past many children have been misdiagnosed with learning disabilities when in fact they had hearing problems that affected their learning abilities.

Pediatricians also emphasize that the early identification of hearing problems is important to avoid an accumulation of other learning and developmental problems. In particular, the importance of hearing development in the young child can be seen in the context of speech development. "Speech and hearing go together - a problem with one could mean a problem with the other" (Hearing Health for Children)

One of the most common and problematic issues in ear care in this age group is the recurrence of ear infections. This refers especially to middle ear infections, known as otitis media. This condition is common in very young children and babies. One of the reasons for the prevalence of this condition in the very young is that in terms of the development and growth of the structure of the ear, the tubes of the ear in the young child are much shorter than those in the adult ear, making access to infectious elements more likely. It is estimated that, "Over 70 per cent of children will have at least one ear infection before their third birthday" (Middle Ear Infections 101). It is also noteworthy that otitis media is common in children whether they are in care or at home and that some children are more susceptible to this condition than others are.

Ear infections usually occur as a result of throat infections when the Eustachian tube or the tube that connects the throat and the middle ear tends to swell, inhibiting air from entering the middle ear. This in turn creates a suction that draws fluid into the middle ear space, where it becomes trapped. Consequently, viruses and bacteria tend to breed in this fluid that results in the infection developing in the child. (Ear infection: acute otitis media) These types of infection are very common in children under seven years of age. They are also more susceptible because of the aforementioned fact that children have shorter and more horizontal Eustachian tubes, which are more easily blocked than those of older children and adults. (Ear infection: acute otitis media).

Some of the signs that indicate that a preschooler has an ear infection is if the child seems to be inattentive, or if the child continually scratches or plays with his ears. Other signs include listlessness and irritability and in these cases, a physician should be consulted. Other signs include a child who has numerous of colds and ear infections; a child who speaks overly loudly; frequently asks for words or phrases to be repeated and who does not understand someone unless the person is facing him or her. (Hearing Health for Children)

While ear infection is usually treated with prescription antibiotics, many physicians state that use of these media is not a good idea at an early age. As one experts states, "Contrary to common practice, most children with ear infections should not be treated with antibiotics..." (DrGreene Content:

Revolution in Ear Infection Treatment). These findings refer to guidelines released by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians in 2004, which state that, "...currently in the United States there are more than 10 million antibiotic prescriptions for the 5 million ear infections diagnosed in children each year - about half of all the antibiotic prescriptions in young children are for ear infections" (DrGreene Content:

Revolution in Ear Infection Treatment). These findings indicate that an over- prescription of antibiotics in early life can result in future infections becoming harder to treat as the viruses and bacteria become immune to medication.

Prevention is always better then cure and there are a wide range of actions and preventative measures that can be taken by the parent to prevent hearing problems in preschoolers. One of the most obvious and important measures is to preventing a child from inserting objects into their ears. Experts also state that as a young child's ears are extremely delicate it is not a good idea for the parent to insert something like a cotton swap into the ear in an attempt to clean it. There is always the danger of damaging the eardrum at such an early age.

Many doctors suggest that the parent should leave the ear to clean itself. (How to Clean Your Preschooler's Ears) However, this may not be the best solution in some cases an alternative solution is to use an Ear Wax removal System. This can be bought at most drug stores but the use of such a system should be firstly cleared with your doctor or pediatrician. Cleaning of the outer area and inner edges of the ear can be facilitated to a certain extent with a damp cloth over a parent's finger - extreme care however should be taken in this process.