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Hearing loss and running question (Read 358 times)


Tiefsa

    On my running website, I have a Q and A section.  Most questions are very easy to answer, but I have no idea on this one...  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  I will direct this person to this thread if you guys can help...

     

    "Hi Coach Tiefenthaler,

    Our 16-year-old son does cross country at his high school. 
    He has been hard-of-hearing since birth and wears hearing aids in both ears. 
    We've noticed that, even though he runs every day, he sometimes has trouble
    keeping up or finishing his run with the rest of the group. 
    He is in very good physical shape and we had him at his family doctor last week for a check-up,
     and she said she couldn't find anything abmormal at all. 
    She did say that often people with a hearing loss need some different training tops and routines,
     since their natural balance can be slightly off
     because of the inner-ear fluids can behave in a slightly different way 
    than a person with unimpaired hearing.

    So, my question is: do you have any advice or tips that I could pass on to his cross country coach
     to help him train our son better? 
    Any advice would be greatly appreciated. THANKS!"


    Feeling the growl again

      Um....

       

      So up front I have no experience with training people with hearing problems...but...

       

      Physiologically, there is no reason that people with hearing/balance problems would have different training needs, at least with regards to getting faster...than anyone else.  However, I could see that they may have different limitations put on them if they have issues with balance resulting in them not being able to handle a certain volume of running, or certain workout types.

       

      Without more information as to they types of things they have problems handling, it is hard to give advice.

      "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

       

      I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

       


      Tiefsa

        Um....

         

        So up front I have no experience with training people with hearing problems...but...

         

        Physiologically, there is no reason that people with hearing/balance problems would have different training needs, at least with regards to getting faster...than anyone else.  However, I could see that they may have different limitations put on them if they have issues with balance resulting in them not being able to handle a certain volume of running, or certain workout types.

         

        Without more information as to they types of things they have problems handling, it is hard to give advice.

         

        Thanks for the help.

         

        I specifically say on my website, don't ask me any health/injury related questions, but people still do.  <sigh>

        BeeRunB


           I asked my wife, a doctor of audiology, and after 5 minutes of info that somewhat shut down the listening section of my brain (always distracted by her beauty), I think I got a few things. First, hearing loss unto itself doesn't slow someone down or give them balance problems, unless there is some other related genetic syndrome or physical problem. Second, the answers are best found with an ear, nose, and throat doctor specializing in ear.

           

          It could be that the kid is currently just the slowest runner on the team. Normal training will do to reach whatever the potential is.