Teenagers with Hearing Loss

The fast-paced, loud world we live in these days has given rise to teenagers who unknowingly suffer from hearing loss, changing the commonly held belief that hearing loss is only a problem for the elderly.

Hearing loss in teenagers can often go unnoticed and may be mistaken for other social or behavioral problems that are common during the teenage years. If your teen does not respond to your questions, you may find them to be rude or intentionally avoiding you, while they may genuinely not have heard you to begin with. Teachers may think that a student is not paying attention in class or deliberately not following directions while in reality the student may not have heard the directions properly or may not be able to keep up with the in-class communication as a result of a hearing impairment.

With the rise in modern technology have risen the dangers to hearing, especially when it comes to loud forms of entertainment such as music, video games, rock concerts, and television. Each of these forms of entertainment exposes your child directly to loud sounds for extended periods of time each day. Teenagers often complain about hearing a ringing noise in their ears, commonly known as Tinnitus, or may feel as if their ears are stuffed up. Hearing loss in teenagers may also result from direct trauma to the ears of viral ear infections. It is important to deal with teenage hearing loss to prevent further damage that can affect your child for the rest of their life.

A teenager with hearing loss may begin to suffer from low self-esteem and even be subjected to bullying in class. They may develop a difficulty in social skills, have trouble communicating later on in the workforce and have troubled interpersonal relationships as a result of hearing loss.

Hearing loss is often thought to be a problem of the elderly, and thus often goes unnoticed when it occurs in teenagers. Most often, hearing loss is often misinterpreted as age-related developmental problems such as aggression, moodiness, or oppositional defiant behavior. Do not neglect hearing loss in your teenage child, since these symptoms may worsen and cause significant disruptions in their life as an adult, and may even lead to dementia during their old age. Get their hearing tested and address their hearing needs in a timely, effective manner to help them lead an active, fulfilling life and gain the most out of their experiences.