Hearing Loss in Children and its Treatment in Ayurveda

ABSTRACT

Hearing loss or impairment is much more common among children than we usually think. Boys are more commonly affected by it than girls. If your child is not responding to sounds, slow in talking or have difficulty in talking, they might be having hearing loss. There are certain hearing devices and the brain’s response to sounds measuring mechanisms that help in evaluating the hearing in infants or older children. Hearing loss can be due to various reasons like in infants genetic defects or congenital cytomegalovirus infection can cause it while in older children chronic middle ear infections, or perforation of eardrums due to injury or infection can be the reason for hearing loss. Continue reading this article and you will get all the information about hearing loss in children in treatment in Ayurveda.

INTRODUCTION TO HEARING LOSS IN CHILDREN

It is a very well known fact that hearing is not only important to listening but it also help in developing the language and speech skills of the child. Hence, it is very important that if a child is having hearing loss, it is diagnosed timely and treated correctly to decrease the impact of hearing impairment on child’s education and development. If a child having hearing loss is treated before the age of six months then the prognosis is much better than later.

Hearing loss is either unilateral, i.e. in one ear or bilateral, i.e. in both the ears when a child is not able to hear sounds below a specific level of volume in a diagnostic hearing test. The minimal sound threshold level is 15-20 decibels which can be compared to the sound of people whispering or leaves rustling. If this level of sound a child is not able to hear, it is considered to be hearing loss of a slight degree. But even this level of hearing loss can make understanding a specific part of speech hard for a child. As the children start learning the language from the very moment they are born, hence it is very important to treat hearing loss be it mild one. Different degrees of hearing loss goes like 25-40 dB which is considered mild, 41-60 dB that is moderate level, 61-80 dB severe hearing loss and 81+ dB is considered to be profound hearing impairment where a child is not able to hear all sound virtually.

AYURVEDIC ASPECT OF HEARING LOSS IN CHILDREN

As per Ayurveda, the hearing loss is caused due to the vitiation of Vata dosha or disturbance in the Vata and Kapha dosha together. The causative factors here are considered to be swimming (Jalakreeda), cold (Avashyaya) and senility (Vardhakya) which causes vitiation of the doshas and hence hearing loss.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEARING LOSS IN CHILDREN

Hearing screening is done on newborns by hospitals on the first or first two days of birth routinely. Hence, the signs and symptoms which are known to be conclusive of hearing impairment in newborns are divided as per the age of the child

Birth to 4 months

• Child startles at loud sounds
• Stir or wake up at loud sounds
• Familiar voices calm them down
• Cooing or smiling response to your voice

4-9 months

• When you speak to them, they smile
• Makes notice of toys that make sounds
• Making murmuring noises
• Usually turn heads towards familiar sounds
• Understanding bye bye wave or other hand motions

9-15 months

• Keeps on repeating simple sounds
• Always making certain babbling sounds
• Give response on calling name
• To get attention uses its voice
• Basic requests are understood by them

15-24 months

• Usually simple words are used
• On asking points toward the body parts
• Following basic orders
• Point towards the basic object that you name
• Interest in listening to rhymes, songs or stories

When the hearing loss is developed in older children which is not congenital the signs and symptoms will be

• Difficulty in understanding the talks of people
• Difficulty in learning things at home as well as school
• Speaking differently than other children of their age
• Watching TV with very high volume or sitting very close to it
• Frequent earaches, ear pain or noises complaints
• Delay in speech or languages
• Difficulty in understanding talk on phone or keep on switching ear while on phone
• Misunderstand the questions

CAUSES OF HEARING LOSS IN CHILDREN

There can be many reasons behind a hearing impairment in a child, like

• When a baby is born with hearing loss the cause is usually the genetic defect.
• Non genetic causes include birth complications like serious infections including rubella cytomegalovirus, herpes or toxoplasmosis.
• Lack of oxygen, premature birth which requires certain life-sustaining medicines increases the risk of hearing loss
• Brain or nervous system disorder
• Mother using certain drugs during pregnancy including certain pain relievers or antibiotics increases the risk of developing hearing loss in child

DIAGNOSIS OF HEARING LOSS IN CHILDREN

Usually the hearing impairment in newborns is diagnosed during the newborn hearing screening by hospitals before leaving the hospital. These screenings are conducted while the child is asleep and is painless. Other than this on noticing the above mentioned signs and symptoms, when the baby is taken to pediatrician audiologists, they test the child below 6 months of age in a sound treated booth behaviorally using VRA, i.e. visual reinforcement audiometry. During VRA head turn, reflexes are noticed from the baby towards the sound. For toddlers and preschool kids the test used is called play audiometry. For school going children usually a simple test is done where the child remains quiet and raises hand in response to tone or speech stimuli in the sound booth.

Treatment for Hearing Loss in Children

Treatment depends upon the cause and severity of hearing loss in a particular child like cochlear implants, hearing aids and combination of assertive listening devices and speech therapy.

AYURVEDIC TREATMENT FOR HEARING LOSS IN CHILDREN

As the hearing loss is caused due to the vitiation of Vata or combination of Vata and Kapha dosha, hence the treatment in Ayurveda is given to restore the balance of the doshas which includes herbal remedies and certain other measures.

Herbal Remedies by Planet Ayurveda for Hearing Loss in Children

Planet Ayurveda is a renowned herbal pharmaceutical brand that manufactures herbal remedies and products which are free from any kind of chemicals or preservatives and prepared using pure and authentic herbs under the strict supervision of MD Ayurveda doctors. For hearing loss in children, Planet Ayurveda offers a combination of herbal remedies that help in rooting out the cause and balances the tridosha.

Products List

1. Ashwagandhaghan Vati
2. Brahmi Chyawanprash
3. Brahmi Vati (plain)
4. Kumar Kalyan Ras
5. Arvindasav

Products Description

1. Ashwagandhaghan Vati

It is the single herb tablet that is prepared from Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) herb. Ashwagandhaghan vati provide strength to the muscles and also eases the function of muscles and tissues. It can also help in fighting the underlying infection.

Dosage– Give 1 tablet twice daily after meals with plain water.

2. Brahmi Chyawanprash

This medicinal herbal formulation of various herbs is packed with medicinal properties that help in boosting immunity, fights against infections, promotes health, and restores the balance of tridosha, i.e. Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Herbs like Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri), Amla (Emblica officinalis), Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), Jeerak (Cuminum cyminum) etc. are used in it.

Dosage– Give 1 teaspoon daily for breakfast with milk or plain water.

3. Brahmi Vati (plain)

It is the herbal formulation of Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri), Shankhpushpi (Convolvulus pluricaulis), Vacha (Acorus calamus), Maricha (Piper nigrum) etc. Brahmi vati helps in treating the nervous system disorder which can contribute to hearing loss in children.

Dosage- Give 1 tablet twice daily after meals with plain water.

4. Kumar Kalyan Ras

This is a herbo-mineral combination which is prepared using Kumari rasa (Aloe vera’s juice extract), Shuddha Parada (Purified mercury), Mukta bhasma (Calx of pearl), Loha bhasma (Calx of iron) etc. Kumar kalyan ras helps in fighting infections that can lower the immunity, cause chronic illness and hearing loss in children.

Dosage– Give 1 tablet daily after meals with plain water.

5. Arvindasav

It is a classical herbal preparation that possesses many medicinal qualities. Arvindasava helps in boosting immunity, and fighting infections. Herbs like Aravinda (Nelumbo nucifera), Mansi (Nardostachys jatamansi), Ela (Elettaria cardamomum), Haritaki (Terminalia chebula), Musta (Cyperus rotundus), Mulethi (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna) etc are used in Arvindasava.

Dosage– Give 10-20 drops twice a day after meals.

Note- If the child is an infant, do contact the Ayurvedic physician for the dosages.

CONCLUSION

Hearing loss is not just a issue of volume but a combination of loss of pitch, volume and frequency. Hearing loss can be highly variable and unique, hence individualized treatment like Ayurveda can help in correcting the cause and treating the ailment naturally with the help of herbal remedies. For more details of our products check out our website www.planetayurveda.com and for queries you can send your queries to our email id herbalremedies123@yahoo.com.