Is your child’s hearing loss genetic?

by Goldie

---

Posted on 2021-05-28 19:15:50

---

---

Hearing Loss and Genetics

Hereditary hearing loss is evaluated by a genetic counsellor and a paediatric geneticist. 

A Doctor will gather your child's medical and family history, and the doctor will perform a physical examination.

This test can tell you which genes are most likely to be involved in your child's hearing loss and which genetic testing is most suitable.

The genetics experts will also explain how hearing loss can be handed down from generation to generation and give help and recommendations to other specialists as needed.

Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) happens as we become older.

Routine treatment for illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes damages sensory hair cells in the ear. 

Hereditary factors account for approximately half of all childhood hearing loss.

Hereditary hearing loss can manifest itself in various ways, including Usher syndrome or Pendred syndrome, age-related hearing loss, and otosclerosis.

Routine first evaluations for most kinds of sensorineural hearing loss include:

A family audiogram.

Eye examination.

Inner ear imaging.

Urinalysis for microscopic haematuria.

• Testing for congenital CMV.
• Discussion of genetic referral.

Hearing loss as a result of ENT issues at home

We all have a tendency to take our hearing talents for granted.

Hearing loss, on the other hand, is on the rise and is now the third most common health problem in the United States.

Nebraska Medicine hearing specialists will investigate the situation and, if feasible, assist you in regaining some hearing or treating permanent hearing loss with hearing aids or other equipment.

Is your child's deafness hereditary?

When a baby is born with congenital hearing loss or develops hearing loss as an adult, the reason is hereditary and is more than half of the time caused by a genetic alteration or mutation.  

Most children with inherited hearing loss do not have any other birth defects or serious health problems. 

On the other hand, some kinds of hereditary hearing loss may be coupled with an inherited syndrome that involves other health issues such as heart abnormalities, eyesight difficulties, or developmental delays.

Heimler syndrome (hs; mim# 234580) is characterised by sensorineural hearing loss (NHL), amelogenesis imperfecta, nail abnormalities, and, in rare cases, retinal pigmentation.

The genetic aetiology of Hs is unclear.

In this work, I provide the findings of eight-hs family research.

Bi-allelic mutations in pex1 or pex6 were discovered in six families using whole-exome sequencing, SNP arrays, and Sanger sequencing.

Loss-of-function mutations in pex1 and pex6 are known to cause a variety of autosomal recessive peroxisomal biogenesis disorders (pbds), including Zellweger syndrome.

As I demonstrate here, hypomorphic mutations or the combination of loss-of-function and hypomorphic modification create hs.

Hereditary hearing loss (hhl) is a sensorineural condition that affects one in every 500 children and one-third of persons over 65 globally.

Congenital deafness is an inherited disorder that can be monogenetic or polygenetic. 

The inner ear's complexity, heterogeneity, and deep position below the brain stem, as well as the tiny number of cells in the cochlea, are significant barriers to current treatment efforts to treat deafness.

Because it can restore normal cochlear function by addressing the faulty molecular components of the auditory transmission, targeted genome editing is a viable therapeutic approach for hhl.

The key to a good history is to seek risk factors for hearing loss, inquire about balance (which may be impaired even if it is not part of the original complaint), and find genetic risks in third-generation family history.

If hearing loss is not found during newborn hearing screening and the child is older, document the effects on developmental abilities, speech, language, and communication.

Since 2015, the British Society of Audiology has suggested that a kid be screened for tinnitus when they reach the appropriate age.

Children with hearing loss can hear and communicate.

Hearing is a complex process; therefore, it is not unexpected that the causes of hearing loss are similarly complex.

Damage to the ear, particularly the inner ear, can result in hearing loss.

Babies, for example, may be born deafeningly deafeningly deafeningly deafeningly deafeningly deafeningly deafeningly.

In some instances, the reason is genetic, resulting from mutations in genes involved in the hearing process.

Hearing loss can occasionally be caused by a combination of inherited and environmental factors.

Because of a genetic abnormality, certain people are more prone to hearing loss after taking certain antibiotics.

The proportional prevalence of different forms of sensorineural hearing loss in children has altered considerably over the last 25 years.

Postnatal ototoxicity due to maternal rubella.

Maternal rubella infection, postnatal ototoxicity, and meningitis were formerly the leading causes of severe and profound sensorineural hearing loss. Still, maternal rubella infection is now nearly eliminated as a cause due to vaccination of congenital hearing loss.

It is practically extinct as a cause of congenital deafness.

Similarly, widespread Haemophilus influenzae type b immunisation has lowered the occurrence of meningitis-related deafness in children.

Regardless of your hearing loss, the following approaches can help you communicate more effectively:

You are very welcome to forward this message to your friends and relatives.

Inform them that you have a hearing loss.

Place yourself in the position of a listener.

• Look the person you're speaking in the eyes.
• Disable background noise.
• The sound of the television, for example, can disrupt a discussion.
• Request that people talk clearly but not too loudly.

People are typically ready to assist you if they know you have hearing issues.

Acquired hearing loss is another issue that can affect children at any age after birth.

A multitude of factors can contribute to acquired hearing loss, including 

• A perforated eardrum
• Excessive noise exposure causes noise-induced hearing loss.
• Middle ear infections that are untreated or occur regularly (ear infections)
• Toxic exposure as a result of secondhand smoking or other contaminants.

Many factors might contribute to hearing loss, including the four most common causes of temporary hearing loss in children.

When is hearing loss hereditary?

Whether or not there is a familial history of hearing loss, hearing loss can be handed on from generation to generation.

Many families are impacted by hereditary hearing loss, while others have one affected member.

Even if your child is the first in your family to be diagnosed with hearing loss, a genetic alteration might be the cause.

The goal is for ENT professionals to have a significant role in examining children who have hearing impairments.

The group with an unknown cause is still quite prominent.

The goal of this study, which was carried out at the Afyon School for the Deaf in Turkey, was to discover the causes of deafness and compare the results to those of comparative studies carried out in Turkey and other countries.

Methods: Afyon conducted a retrospective examination of 130 deaf students aged 5-16 years in this study.

The school gathered the medical and family histories of the children.

Several clinical and analytical tests were carried out.

Hearing loss, on the other hand, is on the rise and is now the third most common health problem in the United States.

Hearing loss can be caused by a variety of factors such as age, disease, hereditary, and other medical and chronic noise exposure issues. 

Nebraska Medicine hearing experts will determine the source of your hearing loss and, if feasible, assist you in regaining some hearing or treating permanent hearing loss with hearing aids or other devices.

A genetic diagnosis can assist doctors in better understanding your child's hearing loss and determining the best treatment options for him or her.

Furthermore, genetic information can assist your child's physicians to predict whether other health issues will arise or if the hearing loss will alter over time.

What if there is no history of hearing loss in the family?

If your child's hearing loss is inherited, genetic testing can be done to see if additional family members are carriers of the genetic alteration.

This information can predict the risk that a kid with hearing loss will be born to a family member who carries the genetic mutation.

Although you may be tempted to delay, it is critical to consult a doctor as soon as possible if you develop sudden or temporary hearing loss.

Early therapy typically results in a faster and more complete recovery.

Your doctor will review your medical history and do a physical examination. 

He or she may recommend you to an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist who specialises in hearing loss treatment.

Make a note of any drugs you are presently taking, as well as any medical problems you have been diagnosed with.

The therapy of idiopathic ssnhl is a hotly debated topic.

It is critical to note that this is an exclusionary diagnosis.

Idiopathic ssnhl affects roughly 20 persons per 100,000 each year and accounts for up to 90% of all ssnhl cases.

Tuning fork testing is critical for determining ssnhl.

A history in which the patient recounts a sudden and significant change in hearing or upon awakening with a new hearing loss might aid in the diagnosis.

Hearing aides, cochlear implants, and a doctor may advise a combination of speech therapy and hearing aids depending on the severity and source of your child's hearing loss.

If you observe any of the symptoms mentioned above in your infant or kid, take him or her to your family doctor, who may recommend you to a paediatric audiologist to have your kid's hearing examined.

Brought To You By:

---