Hearing is essential for young children to learn
speech, develop learning and social skills, and for playing. In most developed
countries, screening for hearing ability is done some time after birth.
Otherwise, parents are usually the first to notice hearing defects in young
children. Hearing loss is of three types- conductive; sensorineural and mixed.
Hearing loss in children can be congenital or acquired.
Ayurvedic treatment can be very effectively utilized in successfully treating
hearing loss in children. For hearing loss due to middle ear infections, medicines
are given which reduce allergy, inflammation, infection, and fluid buildup. Results
with treatment are quite good and hearing is restored to normal in the majority
of affected children.
For sensorineural hearing loss in children,
Ayurvedic treatment is given to provide nutrition, repair damage to the inner
ear, and strengthen the auditory nerve and auditory brain center. This treatment
is quite safe for long term administration in children more than 6 months of
age. There is usually a hearing benefit of 15-25 percent with 4-6 months of treatment
and about 40-60 percent benefit can be obtained with about 10-12 months of
Ayurvedic treatment. This improvement can be verified with objective audiometric
tests.
It is important to note that all treated individuals
– both adults and children – are exposed to the same aggravating or risk
factors for hearing loss, which normal people face. It is therefore necessary
to avoid or minimize the risk from such aggravating factors to the maximum
extent possible.
The writer, Dr. A. A. Mundewadi, is available as an
Ayurvedic consultant at https://www.mundewadiayurvedicclinic.com and http://www.ayurvedaphysician.com
