How accurate are tests? - Hearing Disorders Message Board

klb · 06-13-2003, 11:38 PM

My 7 year old daughter took a hearing test in school last year. The results indicated that she had mild hearing loss in one ear. Her physician determined it was due to an inner ear infection. In March this year, one year later, another hearing test at school indicated a mild hearing loss in both ears. Her physician referred me to an ENT and audiologist. The audiologist said that this third test indicated minimal hearing loss in both ears. I believe the doctor said sensorineural loss. The audiologist also mentioned that the test results were based soley on what my daughter indicated she could or could not hear. I'm skeptical of these results, not only because of the audiologist's last comment, but also because my daughter has shown, in my opionion, NO sign of hearing loss. In school she is an average student. Past reports have indicated my daughter frequently answered questions confidently but incorrectly and would sometimes have difficulty reading words after repeated corrections. I asked my daughter how the last hearing test went and she said that "sometimes she felt like the sounds were in her head and not in her ears, so she did nothing." She said the noises were "scratchy", like what she hears at home (whatever that means). Is it possible the test results are showing a hearing loss because she doesn't understand how to do the test correctly? And if she is doing them incorrectly, can a 7 year old consistently show the same result? Could she be having difficulty at school because of the noise level? At home it's not all that quiet, either, and she seems to hear perfectly. She can hear a whisper and when I call her from a different room, she responds. I sound like a mom in denial, but I'm not. I simply don't want to have a diagnosis of "hearing loss" on my daughter's educational and medical records if it's not warranted. I'm not looking for a diagnosis and I do intend to contact her audiologist with these concerns, but for now, I'm looking for opinions. Thanks.

zip2play · 06-14-2003, 07:32 AM

klb,

Just keep an eye on her hearing with perhaps annual tests (keep copies of all the results). Sensorineural usually means high frequency loss affecting first the "s" type sounds (on shaky ground here)

Best you can do is to keep her away from blasting stereos, rock concerts and the like.

Perhaps it's nothing and yes, those tests CAN confuse a child....as an adult I've had a couple tests that were confusing because of poor administration.

klb · 06-14-2003, 09:50 PM

Thanks to both of you. My daughter was told by her ENT to be evaluated in one year and to request preferential seating at school. I wish I would have paid more attention to what he told me about her condition, but frankly, you could have knocked me over with a feather. He will be sending me his findings in a more formal written report.

I guess for now I will let time take its course and pray that her condition doesn't worsen, which the ENT suggested is a possibility, but unlikely. I'm the kind of person who can handle just about anything, as long as all the facts are clear and reliable.

I have a step-son with arthrogryposis, a daughter wearing corrective lenses, and a son who completed one year of physical therapy for a neck condition and an additional year of therapy for speech. I'm no stranger to the "less than Perfect" child.The difference is that all of their "symptoms" were obvious. The area of hearing loss is new to me. Both of you have answered some of my questions. Thank you.

One last question, however. When my daughter was an infant (about 8 months old) she ran a VERY high fever. So high in fact, that she broke out in hives over her entire body and now when her fever soars above 104F. The doctor said it was a virus. Could this have caused her to develop a hearing problem? She received an infant hearing test one day after she was born, and passed just find. I have been told that there is only a 1% chance that those results were inaccurate.