Conductive hearing and auditory processing

'Glue ear' (middle ear disease) during childhood is the usual reason for a loss of conductive hearing. Persistent or repeated episodes of middle ear disease can also lead to conductive hearing loss. Some children have genetic predispositions to these problems; they are passed on from one generation of the family to the next. For others, the problem comes from the environment that they live in.

Conductive hearing loss is highest among children before they reach school age. In the so-called 'developed' world economies, more children visit the doctor because of ear infections than for any other reason. Up to a third of children in the early grades of school may experience some conductive hearing loss but the problem may not be recognized. In Australia and New Zealand, Aboriginal, Maori and Pacific Island children usually have much higher rates of middle ear disease. Sometimes this can affect up to 80% of those children. To find out more about conductive hearing loss, click here; Conductive hearing loss.

Someone who has poor conductive hearing may hear sounds but may not be able to process them in a way that makes it easy to understand what other people are saying. They may find this especially difficult when there is a lot of other noise nearby. For more information on this subject, click here; Auditory processing problems

Training programs can help people to manage the problems that are caused by the adverse effects of conductive hearing loss and auditory processing problems. To find out more, click here for information on The ear troubles kit or the Phoenix training programs.

If you would like more technical information on listening problems, the way they affect people and the way they can be managed, visit the Articles page on this site.