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My Child Is Being Teased About Their Ears: A Parent’s Guide to Pinnaplasty in London & Essex

  My Child Is Being Teased About Their Ears: A Parent’s Guide to Pinnaplasty in London & Essex “My child is being teased because their ears stick out. Should we have them pinned back?” It is an understandable question, especially when a previously confident child suddenly starts hiding their ears with their hair, refusing certain hairstyles, or telling you someone at school has commented on them. For parents in London, East London, Brentwood and Essex , the difficult part is often knowing whether to reassure and wait, address the teasing itself, or seek a specialist opinion about pinnaplasty. The important starting point is this: prominent ears are usually a normal variation in appearance, not an illness that needs correcting. Surgery should therefore never become an automatic response to somebody else making an unkind comment. Mr Gaurav Kumar, Consultant ENT Surgeon , discusses prominent ears with families in the wider context of the child’s own wishes, ear development, expec...
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One Side of My Child’s Face Is Drooping: Facial Palsy Explained | London & Essex

  Why Has One Side of My Child’s Face Suddenly Dropped? A Parent’s Guide to Facial Palsy Perhaps you first notice it while your child is eating breakfast. Their smile looks different. One corner of the mouth does not move as well as the other. Perhaps they cannot puff out one cheek properly. Or you notice something even more unexpected: One eye does not completely close when they blink. For a parent, suddenly seeing one side of a child’s face move differently can be frightening. You may immediately search: “Why is my child’s face drooping?” “Can children get Bell’s palsy?” or “Is this coming from the ear?” One possible explanation is facial nerve palsy . Bell’s palsy is one type of facial palsy, but don't assume every child with a suddenly uneven face has Bell’s palsy. New facial weakness in a child needs prompt medical assessment. Current NHS guidance advises urgent medical assessment for symptoms suggestive of Bell’s palsy because treatment, where appropriate, is more useful when...

Child Covers Their Ears at Loud Sounds? Hyperacusis Explained | London & Essex

  Why Does My Child Cover Their Ears at Everyday Sounds? A Parent’s Guide to Sound Sensitivity You walk into a public toilet. The hand dryer starts. Your child immediately puts both hands over their ears. Perhaps they run towards the door. At home, the vacuum cleaner produces the same reaction. At school it might be: the fire alarm the dinner hall children shouting or the sudden scrape of chairs across the floor. Yet something seems confusing. Your child can sometimes happily make a lot of noise themselves . So parents naturally ask: “Is there something wrong with my child's hearing?” For many young children, disliking sudden or unfamiliar loud noises is a normal developmental phase. But when ordinary everyday sounds seem much louder, uncomfortable or even painful , the term hyperacusis may be used. The reassuring point is that sound sensitivity in children is common and often improves as they grow. But understanding how to respond is important—because trying to protect a child f...

Tiny Hole in Front of Your Child’s Ear? Preauricular Pit Explained | London & Essex

  What Is the Tiny Hole in Front of My Child’s Ear? A Parent’s Guide to Preauricular Pits You may have noticed it soon after your baby was born. Or perhaps you have only just spotted it while washing their hair. A  tiny, pin-sized hole sits  just in front of the ear . It can look so neat that some parents initially wonder whether somebody has somehow pierced the ear. Other parents notice exactly the same tiny opening on themselves or another relative. Then comes the understandable question: “Why does my child have a little hole beside their ear?” In many children, the explanation is something called a preauricular pit , also known as a preauricular sinus . The reassuring news is that an isolated preauricular pit is usually just a small difference in how the outer ear formed before birth. Many never cause any problem at all. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Occasionally, however, the tiny tract beneath the opening can become infected. That is when parents may suddenly n...