Due to the anatomical link between the hearing and balance system, it may not be a surprise that hearing loss and balance dysfunction are often coexisting conditions. Children who have been diagnosed with hearing loss are at higher risk for balance disorders, this is often an overlooked area in the evaluation and treatment of hearing loss. Audiologists and physical therapists can provide pediatric balance evaluations to determine if a balance disorder is concurrently present with the diagnosis of hearing loss.
Source: Google images
More awareness is being brought to this area and in the future balance screenings may be more widely used as a tool to ensure proper development of our all important balance system. For more in-depth information click the link below to access an overview of pediatric balance disorders from the Vestibular Disorders Association:
https://vestibular.org/pediatric-vestibular-disorders.
