Hannahs Ears- Advice?

Hannah has suddenly developed an issue with noise. She walks around with her hands over her ears and sometimes she'll cry.

This only started about a month ago. Sometimes it's not even loud sounds just unfamiliar and then other times she's in a familiar place and doing familiar things but has her hands over her ears. For example at dance class. sometimes she'll cover her ears in the middle of class and start crying. The teacher is very good about getting her calmed quickly and back into the action. It's not every song and sometimes it will be the same song as another time but she'll cover her ears one time and then not cover them another.

I really don't THINK it's hurting her ears because when we were at Disney if there was a parade she would have her hands over her ears but she was happy and smiling and otherwise enjoying the parade.

It's not like we've kept things quiet around her. She's been in all kinds of loud and unfamiliar situations but it's just been recently that she's had an issue.

I really am starting to feel like it's affecting her day to day life and that's a problem.

Before we went to Florida (and the ear covering thing had already started) I took her to the doctors for a cough she had. the doctor checked her ears as part of the routine and said they looked fine... no sign of infection or anything. When we got back from florida she had a couple days where her one ears was draining some fluid it seemed but that was a while ago now and that has stopped and her ears aren't red and she doesnt' complain that they hurt.

when she covers her ears she just says "it's too loud" sometimes it's not even loud at all. I think this is more a newly developing fear more than pain but I'm not sure.

Is there anything I can do to help this?

I'm going to take her to the doc and talk with our doctor about it but I'm not sure there is anything they can do.

If it wasn't affecting her daily life I would just leave it but it is.

:( Oh no our poor baby Hanna.. Yes for sure go to the Doctor with her.. It could be her ear-drums are sensitive to sound or something.. Let us know what the Doctor says ok.. I sure hope its something simple.. Sending Lots of Prayers & Huggss..

Glad you will check w/ the doc. Let us know!

once my sister had this similar thing only she didn´t covered her ears.. she just cried and cried.. turns out she had a grain of sand in one ear.. yes, ONE grain..

few time later one ear popped.. not sure if it was the same one..

if Hannah has had draining fluid.. to me, it means her body wants to expel something foreign.. JMO

What you described sounds like my nephew. He's autistic and has sensory problems. He covers his ears whenever he doesn't like a certain sound. It has nothing to do with the volume, just the particular sound. I don't think Hannah is autistic, but many kids have sensory problems, which may be what's troubling Hannah.

I'd talk to the doctor again. If there is nothing wrong with her ears maybe get a referral to a developmental pediatrician, I think they can diagnosis a sensory disorder, should she have one. Or if you don't think it's a sensory issue, maybe try seeing an ear, nose, and throat specialist. Regular pediatricians are great for the common stuff, but a specialist is sometimes required.

And trust your instincts. Even if the doctor says everything is fine, you obviously feel it's not. Trust that instinct and fight for your kid. I've had to fight for both my boys. Both boys have eye problems and if I had listened to the pediatricians (yes, multiple) they wouldn't be getting the care they need.

I agree with Kari - if the doc doesn't find anything definitely ask for an audiologist, and if they rule everything out, then it may be you will need a behavioral specialist.

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Originally Posted by KBlaix

What you described sounds like my nephew. He's autistic and has sensory problems. He covers his ears whenever he doesn't like a certain sound. It has nothing to do with the volume, just the particular sound. I don't think Hannah is autistic, but many kids have sensory problems, which may be what's troubling Hannah.

I'd talk to the doctor again. If there is nothing wrong with her ears maybe get a referral to a developmental pediatrician, I think they can diagnosis a sensory disorder, should she have one. Or if you don't think it's a sensory issue, maybe try seeing an ear, nose, and throat specialist. Regular pediatricians are great for the common stuff, but a specialist is sometimes required.

And trust your instincts. Even if the doctor says everything is fine, you obviously feel it's not. Trust that instinct and fight for your kid. I've had to fight for both my boys. Both boys have eye problems and if I had listened to the pediatricians (yes, multiple) they wouldn't be getting the care they need.

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Yeah sensory is what I was thinking too actually. She is very sensory sensitive... but this is the only one that really disrupts everyday life.

Our doctor is pretty good. she's young and a first time mom too so I can really relate to her. I know she'll take my concerns seriously. she always has.

When I was worried about hannah's "intermittent lazy eye" she set me up with a pediatric eye doctor. when I was worried about allergies (she has an egg allergy) she set me up with a pediatric Allergy and asthma specialist. So I'm confident that she's going to take my concerns seriously so at least that's one thing I don't really have to stress about on top of the rest.

When I talked to the doctor the first time I hadn't brought up the ear covering thing because it had just started and she was sick with a cold. She just checked her ears for the cold aspect to make sure there wasn't an infection.

but someone mentioned to me today about a magnesium deficiency and I'm going to talk to the doctor about that too because I was reading about it today and it said that a deficiency can cause hearing sensitivities and also trouble with constipation and now that I think about it she started having trouble "going" around the same time as she started this ear thing. The ear thing developed almost overnight it seemed. it was like she had no issue with sound and then the next day she had LOTS of issues with sound. so it really came on suddenly and her constipation issues started around the same time.

I hope the Dr can uncover the cause & help Hannah feel better soon.
Have you already made the appt.? Whether it is physical or psychological,
it seems to make her very uncomfortable and that's not good.

J has what I call a noise intolerance. He covers his ears and cries at fireworks, he can't be in the bathroom with me and the hair dryer running. Loud noises are frightening to him- though some of that he has grown out of.

I am glad you have a ped that listens and does something. I had such a stressful time dealing with J's throat clearing, with not only the ped- multiple times, but the pediatric ENT, too! I don't think the word pediatric infront of a speciality is all that its cracked up to be. The adult ENT made the difference, with him.

Good luck, and getting it evaluated is the right step.

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Originally Posted by lizbud

I hope the Dr can uncover the cause & help Hannah feel better soon.
Have you already made the appt.? Whether it is physical or psychological,
it seems to make her very uncomfortable and that's not good.

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Yeah im hoping she can help us or send us to
Someone who can.

I am calling in the morni g to make the appt. I can always get in same day so she will most likely be at the docs sometime tomorrow.

She has good days and bad days. Cataholic that sounds a lot like hannah. Public restrooms are her worst nightmare. Even with no one else in there she holds her hands over her ears

Sometimes it seems the ear covering comes before the noise so sometimes she covers her ears just in case there is a loud sound.

This only started about a month ago so its a pretty recent development and came on suddenly

I think I'll go along with the noise sensitivity. Sometimes it can be caused by tinnitus or even fluid in the middle ear that distorts sounds to varying degrees. In any case I'm glad you have what seems to be a great doctor who won't just brush this off and will look for the cause....hope everything works out without trouble.

Tanya, I have noise sensitivity, and have had as long as I can remember. I had MANY ear infections in my youth, and that may have something to do with it. I've never had it evaluated. I sympathize with Hannah, and you all, as this is a difficult thing to deal with. I wish you luck; keep us updated.:love:

Hannah goes to the doctor at 2:30

I'm thinking it's a sensory thing but of course I will be open to exploring other causes.

Hannah is sensory sensitive as it is... doesn't like to get her hands dirty without having them wiped off right away, has issues with food textures, will only wear certain clothes and has to wear them with sleeves pulled up if it's long sleeved. Just a bunch of different little things but this is the only one that is affecting day to day life.

A friend of mine that works with children with sensory issues recommended a bunch of books to read about how to help children who have sensory sensitivities so I think I'll get a few of those... even if this ear covering thing isn't sensory it could still help me with a few other hurdles :)

I'll update with how the doctors visit goes.

First of all... it's hard to convince people that something is "wrong" with your child when she walks past the nurses station (in the outfit she picked out. striped green dress, purple clip on earring, pink tights and red glittery shoes) waving at everyone and saying "OH hi everybody. How are you?" to everyone she sees and then asks the doctor "So what do you wanna do today?" LOL

but that's another story.

The doctor said her ears look a little bit red but not infected. She's sending us to an audiologist to have a hearing test first and see if that comes up with anything.

If that doesn't yeild any results then we are going to talk more in depth about seeing someone that can help her deal with that and help US to help her deal with that.

It SEEMS that perhaps covering her ears is how she deals with a stressful or unusual situation and maybe not so much that it's actually hurting her ears. Because she is having some constipation issues and sometimes if it's really hard for her to go she'll sit down and cover her ears until she's done. So that's what makes us think it's more emotionally related than actual pain related

I'm glad she'll see an audiologist anyway - and you can tell her it is kind of a fun thing, they put headphone on and you get to play games like "raise your hand when you hear it beep!" I got to see one as an adult, which eventually led to my being diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma, but the audiologist was the most interesting, interactive exam.

That way you can also rule out any ear problems, and focus on behavior, if that's what it is!

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Originally Posted by Karen

I'm glad she'll see an audiologist anyway - and you can tell her it is kind of a fun thing, they put headphone on and you get to play games like "raise your hand when you hear it beep!" I got to see one as an adult, which eventually led to my being diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma, but the audiologist was the most interesting, interactive exam.

That way you can also rule out any ear problems, and focus on behavior, if that's what it is!

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yeah that's the conclusion we came to. It can't hurt to have it done and we could find something or we could just rule out all that stuff and focus on the other.

so yeah I think it's a good first step. Now I just hope they can get us in sooner than the allergist did (I think that took three months lol)

I'm glad to see things are moving along quickly for her. I hope she'll be able to be seen quickly. I know how long of a wait those specialists can be to get in with.

I also know what you mean about having to convince the doctor something is wrong and they look at you like you're nuts. When Topher was born I noticed a cloudy spot in his eye. The first two pediatricians we saw dismissed it completely so I took him to a third (he's now our primary pediatrician). He couldn't see it at first, but he didn't give up and finally he saw it. I hated being looked at like I was crazy, but I knew what I saw was real. Once he saw it he referred us to the specialist. (Turns out Topher was born with a cataract.)

Karen, that's probably not how they'll do Hannah's test. Nathan was/is very delayed with his speech. He didn't say his first word until after his third birthday. He had his hearing tested and it was really neat how they did it. They has a VERY small sound-proof room that Nathan, my husband, and I went in. My husband and I were instructed to be completely silent. The lady preforming the test sat on the outside of the room looking in through a window. She had a switch board that controlled different things in the room. There were speakers in different parts of the room. There were also a couple toys in the room that made noise. Nathan sat in a chair in the center of the tiny room. The woman would play a sound from one of the speakers or toys and note Nathan's response. It was a very nice and gentle set up for a young kid.

:) Well so glad to read that its nothing major.. Yes I think doing hearing test is a good idea.. Poor Baby Hanna.. Huggss & Prayers being sent.. Keep us posted ok..

I am glad to see that Hannah will go see an audiologist. Jonah saw an audiologist as part of his speech development, and his test was done about the time he turned 3, also. It wasn't a scary procedure, from what I recall. I just asked him if he remembered it and he said, "yeah, I didn't have a river, and that's a good thing. I did have a mountain, and that is a good thing". LOL, from 3 years ago...he remembers. Me? Neh.

I would also consider an ENT.

My friend's daughter has the exact same issues that you mention Hannah does, I mean...exact. She kind of fights it...and I don't think that is the best approach. If long sleeves and tags bother someone, they bother someone, best to go to 3/4 length, and cut out tags!

Good luck.

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Originally Posted by Cataholic

I am glad to see that Hannah will go see an audiologist. Jonah saw an audiologist as part of his speech development, and his test was done about the time he turned 3, also. It wasn't a scary procedure, from what I recall. I just asked him if he remembered it and he said, "yeah, I didn't have a river, and that's a good thing. I did have a mountain, and that is a good thing". LOL, from 3 years ago...he remembers. Me? Neh.

I would also consider an ENT.

My friend's daughter has the exact same issues that you mention Hannah does, I mean...exact. She kind of fights it...and I don't think that is the best approach. If long sleeves and tags bother someone, they bother someone, best to go to 3/4 length, and cut out tags!

Good luck.

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Yeah I'm going to call them tomorrow and see when we can get her in there. She does fine with her eye exams so hopefully the same goes for the hearing test.

Yeah I don't really fight her little quirks. She can wear her sleeves up and her pants up if she wants (although my only rule on that is her pants must be rolled down when she's outside in the winter... once she's inside she can pull them back up), I pretty much dress the way she wants as long as it's weather appropriate and her shoes don't have to match but they have to be the same kind of shoe (she likes to mix and match her flip flops lol)

None of them really interfere with her day to day life but this one is starting to. Like she normally loves dance class... and she still does most of the time but now since this started she sometimes will stop and hold her ears and sometimes cry. but when you ask her if she had a good class she says yes and wants to go back . So I don't know... but in the moment it's affecting her enjoyment of things she would normally like and when it starts interferring that's when it's a problem.

We aren't going to push her but if there is anything we can do to help her we will. but the other stuff we just leave it be.

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Originally Posted by sparks19

None of them really interfere with her day to day life but this one is starting to. Like she normally loves dance class... and she still does most of the time but now since this started she sometimes will stop and hold her ears and sometimes cry. but when you ask her if she had a good class she says yes and wants to go back . So I don't know... but in the moment it's affecting her enjoyment of things she would normally like and when it starts interferring that's when it's a problem.

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Do you think Hannah is crying out of frustration then, rather than pain?
I hate to think of a child in pain but not able to properly express that to
other people.:( I hope you are able to get her in to see the Specialist
soon so you will have some real answers as to how to help her.

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Originally Posted by lizbud

Do you think Hannah is crying out of frustration then, rather than pain?
I hate to think of a child in pain but not able to properly express that to
other people.:( I hope you are able to get her in to see the Specialist
soon so you will have some real answers as to how to help her.

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I think she cries because she's scared. I've heard her frustrated cry many times lol but this cry is different. I don't nessecarily think it's pain either but it wouldn't hurt to rule that out for certain.

I think this last month has only exacerbated this issue. It's been a crazy month. Between going to visit the inlaws in florida for a week and Christmas and new years and all the running around she has been really off schedule and I think that's just making this worse. Today she did pretty good. We went over to a friends for a play date and she only covered her ears once and that was because she was having trouble "going" not because of any sound.

she's usually pretty good about telling me if she hurts somewhere but I think fear is a new concept for her and she doesn't know how to express that so this is her coping mechanism when she gets nervous.

when she does it I ask her whats wrong but she jsut says "it's too loud"

So hopefully this hearing test will either reveal something or show everything is fine and then we know it's behavioural and can go from there.

a friend of mine deals with children with sensory issues and she gave me a few titles to check out that will help us work with this too.

I'm hoping now that we are back to regular normal day to day routine that she'll get back to feeling more comfortable with her surroundings and may help with this issue... hopefully. She definitely thrives on routine and when that gets out of whack she gets all out of sorts.

If it is pain I hope they find out the cause of it so we can get that taken care of right away.

:love: Awee Bless her wittle heart.. Poor baby Hanna.. Sending lots of Huggss Hanna.. Now when is her hearing test?? Keep us posted ok = Also sending lots of Prayers too.. As a child I had lots of Ear Problems & was always in a Ear/Nose Doctors office.. My ear-drums ruptured like twice & all kinds of pain always.. It all cleared after a certain age..