United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Just a quick question.
Has anyone every had hearing problems with the affected side of a BPI?

Forgot to post earlier:

I can't tell if my daughter is just ignoring me or if she really can't hear me.

Some of the adult/obpi had a post on this awhile back.

I do not hear as well out of my right ear and my ear canal is smaller on the bpi side.

Kath

I have posted about this a few times before. I have been trying to find out if there is a connection between the BPI and hearing issues. Kyle has had several hearing tests and now goes every year for a follow up. He has no reflexes in his left ear(his BPI side). Know one can seem to tell me if it is related. His hearing is fine, just no reflexes. It makes perfect sense to me that it would be related seeing as how he has no reflexes in his left arm either. And with severe cases of BPI there are effects to the eye(horner's syndrome). So there are nerves that run parallel to the brachial plexus that effect the eye so I'm sure there are ones that can effect the ear as well. Kyle was also diagnosed with Auditory defensivness, which is a sensory intergration issue. I have heard the SI issues can result from traumatic births or lack of oxygen at birth. So I think there are many other issues that are secondary to the actual injury itself. Take care.
Karrie

Thank you for posting that info Karrie. I know now that it may not be my imagination. Jessica wasn't breathing and was quite blue when she was born. I will be requesting more tests done on this.
Also, it was mentioned about the eye being affected. Jessica's left eye is more...if don't know how to say this...droopy than the other. I'm wondering if this new doctor isn't telling me the complete truth.
Thanks again Barbara H.

Barb, Is her bpi on the left side. If so then the eye definitely sounds like horner's syndrome. Has she been evaluated by a BPI specialist? Might want to look into that. Take care.
Karrie

I saw Jessica's doctor yesterday and he said she's probably just ignoring me. He said that the hearing is a totaly different set of nerves then the Erbs Palsy.

Kerrie,
Jessica's bpi is on her left side.

Hi Barbara,
My bp injury occurred during birth. My ear canals are angled very differently. I discovered that when I was in my teens. If I very very gently put a Q-tip into the canal of each ear, the Q-tips point out of the ears completely differently. If anyone who reads this wants to try it, be extremely careful and don't put the Q-tip too deeply into the ear or you might rupture your ear drum. Try to feel around for the canal entrance without pushing the Q-tip hardly at all. Go just to the point that the Q-tip finds the direction of the canal and DON'T go any further in with it. Also very important is that if you are having trouble finding the angle of the canal, don't push at all with the Q-tip because that will hurt your ear. You must be very very gentle. I have difficulty hearing words if there is any backround noise but no earing test has ever detected a problem with my hearing.

Hi Barbara,
My bp injury occurred during birth. My ear canals are angled very differently. I discovered that when I was in my teens. If I very very gently put a Q-tip into the canal of each ear, the Q-tips point out of the ears completely differently. If anyone who reads this wants to try it, be extremely careful and don't put the Q-tip too deeply into the ear or you might rupture your ear drum. Try to feel around for the canal entrance without pushing the Q-tip hardly at all. Go just to the point that the Q-tip finds the direction of the canal and DON'T go any further in with it. Also very important is that if you are having trouble finding the angle of the canal, don't push at all with the Q-tip because that will hurt your ear. You must be very very gentle. I have difficulty hearing words if there is any backround noise but no hearing test has ever detected a problem with my hearing.