Hearing loss among primary school –age children in Tikrit city.

Abstract

Hearing loss is a chronic health problem, it cause learning & communication problems
throughout the life, Because most of the causes of hearing loss can be treated, so early detection &
proper management of hearing loss will improve the social & intellectual performance of the child.
The aim of this study is o evaluate the hearing loss in school-age children in Tikrit primary
schools. Clinical examination of the ear including otoscopy, tuning fork tests & pure tone
audiometry have been done for students with risk factor causing hearing loss, and for students
clinically having hearing loss. From the total of one thousand two hundred forty students were
examined, seventy three students (5.15%) have hearing impairment. Conductive hearing loss is
present in sixty seven students (4.72%) which are more than sensory neural hearing loss that
present in six students (0.42%). Otitis media with effusion was the commonest cause of conductive
hearing loss (73%) then chronic supportive otitis media (27%). Average hearing loss was 30 dB in
conductive hearing loss and 50 dB in sensory neural hearing loss. The commonest age group
affected by hearing loss is the age group between (6-8) years where we find thirty students (7.1%),
then the age group between (8-10) years where we find twenty seven students (6.14%). School
performance affected more in patient with sensory neural hearing loss. Six students (100%) with
sensory neural hearing loss had bad school performance while in conductive hearing loss only
twenty five students (34.47%) have bad school performance as success, ability to share or delay in
understanding. We conclude that Hearing impairment is a major problem in early life because it
affects school performance and normal social communication ability, so early detection of hearing
loss and appropriate management is essential to improve social and intellectual performance of the
child.