Hearing Loss Conditions and Care
Hearing loss in children can be present at birth or happen after birth. Fortunately, many complications from hearing loss can be prevented if diagnosed and treated early.
Types of Hearing Loss
Types of hearing loss include:
- Conductive hearing loss. A child may have temporary hearing loss due to fluid in the middle ear. Sound waves which hit the ear drum have a difficult time being transmitted from the ear drum into the inner ear (hearing nerve). Once the fluid is removed, hearing usually returns to normal.
- Sensorineural hearing loss. The sound reaches the inner ear, but some defect in the cochlea, nerve or brain is the cause of the hearing loss.
- Mixed hearing loss. This is a less common form of hearing loss with components of both conductive hearing loss and sensorineural hearing loss.
Testing for Hearing Loss
Testing for hearing loss might include:
- Audiogram or auditory brain stem response (ABR)
- Computerized tomography (CT scan)
- EKG (JLN syndrome)
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Ophthalmologic exam (Usher syndrome)
- Thyroid function studies (Pendred syndrome)
- Urinalysis (Alport syndrome)
- Vestibular testing (testing of the balance system)
When to See a Specialist
In some cases, it might be helpful to see a pediatric ear, nose and throat specialist. Consider a specialist:
- If your child has a history of ear pain.
- If your child has active drainage or bleeding from an ear.
- If your child has sudden or rapidly progressing hearing loss from one or both ears.
Meet Our Pediatric Hearing Loss Specialists
Thomas Andrews, MD
ENT/Otolaryngology
Dr. Andrews is a pediatric ear, nose and throat surgeon at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. He sees patients in the Brandon, Clearwater, Odessa, Sarasota, and Tampa locations of Pediatric Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery Associates, PA and the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Outpatient Care location in St. Petersburg.
Peter Karempelis, MD
ENT/Otolaryngology
Dr. Karempelis is a pediatric ear, nose and throat surgeon at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. He sees patients in the Brandon, Clearwater, Odessa, Sarasota, and Tampa locations of Pediatric Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery Associates, PA and the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Outpatient Care location in St. Petersburg.
Rose Trowbridge, MD
ENT/Otolaryngology
Dr. Trowbridge is a pediatric ear, nose and throat surgeon at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. She sees patients in the Brandon, Clearwater, Odessa, Sarasota, and Tampa locations of Pediatric Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery Associates, PA and the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Outpatient Care location in St. Petersburg.
Kathleen Wasylik, MD
ENT/Otolaryngology
Dr. Wasylik is a pediatric ear, nose and throat surgeon at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. She sees patients in the Brandon, Clearwater, Odessa, Sarasota, and Tampa locations of Pediatric Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery Associates, PA and the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Outpatient Care location in St. Petersburg.
Tampa Bay Area Locations
Pediatric Ear, Nose & Throat Specialists provide surgery and services at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital and its Outpatient Care Center in St. Petersburg. Find a specialist at one of these locations:
PHONE: 727-329-5400 FAX: 727-329-5401
Johns Hopkins All Children’s Outpatient Care St. Petersburg
601 5th Street South, Suite C740
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Brandon Office
10080 Balaye Run Drive
Tampa, FL 33619
Clearwater Office
1700 McMullen Booth Road, Suite B1
Clearwater, FL 33759
Odessa Office
14111 State Road 54
Odessa, FL 33556
Sarasota Office
5911 North Honore Avenue, Suite 116
Sarasota, FL 34243
Tampa Office
4726 North Habana Avenue, Suite 204
Tampa, FL 33614