Softbands
BAHA headbands, also known as softbands, are a way of wearing a bone-conduction hearing aid that doesn’t involve having an operation. They are ideal for young children who are diagnosed with glue ear and who want to avoid having surgery or have access to normal hearing until their scheduled surgery takes place.
London Hear Care is currently the only practice in London offering this service privately.
What is glue ear?
Glue ear is an accumulation of fluid within the middle ear that can lead to hearing loss.
The middle ear is the space where sound is transmitted from the eardrum to the inner ear. The presence of fluid in this cavity impedes the transmission of sound.
The consistency of the fluid is usually thick and viscous, like “snot,” hence the term "glue". The fluid is produced by mucous glands in the middle ear and is essentially similar to the mucus that is produced in the nose.
Who gets glue ear?
The condition is very common in children from the ages of 2 to 5 and occurs mostly in the winter.
An ear infection or a cold may precipitate the development of glue ear and in most children the glue ear resolves within a few weeks after onset.It may cause a and cause a hearing impairment and in some children it may persist. Occasionally it can cause children to become off balance and clumsy. Generally if it is present for more than 3 to 4 months it is likely to persist particularly in the winter season.
How can glue ear affect my child?
Glue ear can affect children by causing a hearing loss. In younger children (around 2-3 years old) there may be an impact on speech development. Parents may notice that their child’s speech is not so clear and that they may miss the beginnings and ends of words and mix up certain consonants such as "b" and "d."
Behavioural issues can also occur, with children becoming easily frustrated and tired, "losing it" and withdrawing from larger groups of children.
School teachers may notice that children may be easily distracted and have trouble following instructions especially in group situations such as in swimming classes. Some children experience loudness intolerance particularly with the hoover and hairdryers.
What can you do about glue ear?
Treatment options will depend on the degree and impact of the hearing loss and not all children need treatment.
Non-interventional treatment with soft band hearings aids is an option, and LHC provides this service
Grommet insertion is another option. A grommet is a plastic tube that is placed across the tympanic membrane to allow ventilation of the middle ear . This is the most definitive treatment of glue ear but requires a short general anaesthetic
How Softbands work
A BAHA processor is attached to the softband and this vibrates in response to sound. The vibrations are then transmitted through the bones of the skull to the cochlea where they can be converted to sound, bypassing the glue in the middle ear.
BAHA softbands are designed to keep the processor safe and secure and can be positioned in a variety of ways to suit your child’s needs, so that the processor sits over the mastoid bone (behind the ear) or anywhere else on the head. A BAHA headband is designed to be worn all the time, except for when your child is asleep or in water.
Pricing
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£1085
Consultation: £200
Softband: £85
Rental calculated over 3 months: £450
Deposit: £350