What is Glue Ear?
Glue ear also known as Otitis Media with Effusion (OME) occurs when there is a build-up of sticky fluid behind the ear drum which fills the middle ear cavity. This would normally be air filled. Glue ear can occur when the Eustachian tube (the connecting tube between the middle ear and the back of the nose and upper throat, the nasopharynx) has become blocked. This can result in a person being unable to equalise the pressure behind their ear drum. This often happens following a cold.
With fluid filling the middle ear, it becomes harder for sound to pass through to the inner ear resulting in quieter sounds being difficult to hear.
Glue ear is very common in children and can affect one or both of the ears. It is usually a temporary condition.
Signs of Glue Ear
Sometimes glue ear is linked with ear infections; in which case your child may experience discomfort and possible leaking from the ears should the ear drum perforate (burst).
However, often the child may experience little or no discomfort and therefore it may be more behavioural changes that you notice. These could include:
- Not responding to their name when called
- Getting frustrated
- Lack of attention
- Wanting sounds on their TV/media devices louder
- Preferring to play on their own
It can be difficult to gauge if a child is being “naughty or stubborn” or genuinely cannot hear very well.
Glue ear can often cause fluctuations in a child’s hearing ability due to the amount and consistency of the fluid in the middle ear. This can make it tricky to pick up on.
Usually glue ear is temporary, however, if it is recurrent or long term a child’s speech and language development can be affected and without extra support they could fall behind at school.
Management options
The advice in relation to the management of glue ear is based upon the latest guidance published by NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence).
Since hearing loss due to glue ear is usually temporary a watch and wait period of 3 months is the first step.
After this time period the management options are discussed with the parents/carers. These include:
- Surgical – grommets
- Non-surgical – temporary hearing aids/amplification
- No active treatment – continue to watch and wait and/or the use of Otovent*
A further leaflet on “Management options for glue ear” explaining these in more detail will be issued.
* Otovent ~ This auto inflation product contains latex. Please refer to manufacturer’s guidelines for all risks associated with this product.
What you can do to help your child
As a parent you cannot see if your child has glue ear and the nature of glue ear is that it can come and go and therefore the hearing may fluctuate. Some parents find the app “Hear Glue Ear” a very useful tool to indicate if their child is having difficulty with their hearing or not.
This information is useful to relay to a child’s teacher or nursery practitioner so that adaptations can be made to help a child hear more easily, for example sitting at the front of the class.
Tips you can also utilise include:
- Getting your child’s attention before talking to them
- Making sure your child can see your face when you speak
- Speaking clearly and at a normal pace to your child, do not shout
- Try to keep background noise to a minimum
What Support is available?
The Paediatric Audiology Team
If you require support or information the team is available to help deal with issues relating to hearing loss and hearing aids. Please note that the department is currently unable to support any virtual appointments.
They can be contacted by:
Phone: (01522) 573254 or (01205) 446478
Monday to Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm
Write: Clinic 6, Outpatients, Lincoln County Hospital, LN2 5QY
ENT Suite, Outpatients, Pilgrim Hospital, Boston, PE21 9QS
Email: [email protected]
Support Groups:
Sensory Education and Support Team (SEST)
If your child has been prescribed hearing aids and attends nursery or a school setting they can be referred to SEST for a one off information, advice and strategy visit from a Teacher of the Deaf (ToD).
Nursery/School SENCo can request referral forms by emailing: [email protected]
Website: www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/directory-record/63945/sensory-education-and-support-team
Email: [email protected] Telephone: 01522 553332
National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS)
Website: ndcs.org.uk Email: [email protected]
SEND Local Offer
Provide information on services, events and advice on health, education and social care for children and young people.
Website: www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/homepage/131/send-local-offer
Further sources of information:
NHS England : NHS England » Decision support tool: making a decision about glue ear if your child has hearing loss
Website: www.ulh.nhs.uk
Website: www.nhs.uk/conditions
Website: www.yourhearinghelper.com
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This document is intended for information purposes only and should not replace advice that your relevant health professional provides you.