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WHAT IS GLUE EAR?

 

Glue ear is a condition seen mainly in children where a sticky, thick, glue-like material collects behind the eardrum. It is most common in two- to five-year-olds, where some 20 per cent of children will have glue ear at anyone time.

 

• The main danger with glue ear is that it can affect both ears, causing deafness. In this age group, at the stage when a child is learning to talk, even temporary deafness can have harmful effects on learning and development. 
• Children with glue ear may be noisy and naughty because they cannot hear what is going on around them. They are too young to pinpoint the problem for themselves and it is common for the condition to go unrecognised.
• The child's inability to hear properly can lead to misunderstandings between parents, teachers and children and cause a great deal of unhappiness and potentially delayed development. 

Glue ear is a common childhood condition that can cause temporary deafness. It occurs when the swollen or blocked eustachian tube cannot clear any of the mucus into the back of the throat.

 

What cause of glue ear

 

Children are prone to develop glue ear when they have a cold or flu, as the build-up of mucus can't be drained by the eustachian tubes.

 

• Children have large tonsils and adenoids (lymphoid tissue at the back of the throat) that block the eustachian tubes.  
• If your child spent time with other children, she is more likely to get a cold and therefore glue ear. 
• A baby's eustachian tube runs fairly horizontally. It becomes more vertical as the. baby gets older, improving drainage. 
• It occurs more often in winter and spring. 
• Children whose parents smoke are at more risk of developing glue ear. 

Symptoms

 

Glue ear can be difficult for a parent to diagnose. However, if your child experiences any or all of the following symptoms, it may be an indication that she has the condition:

 

Hearing loss: your child may have the television volume turned up very loud, sit close to the television, or shout all the time. You may also find it difficult to get her attention.

 

Change in behavior: deafness is a very isolating condition, especially if it goes unrecognised. A previously sociable and friendly child may become introverted and shy.

 

Earache: glue ear in itself does not often cause pain in the ear, but it can lead to painful ear infections, which in turn make the condition worse.

 

Delayed speech: if your child is affected at around the time she is learning to talk, glue ear may be identified by a speech therapist as a cause of her speech problems.

 

How is glue ear diagnose

 

If your GP suspects that your child is suffering from glue ear, he may carry out the following tests:

 

1.   Auroscope: the GP may be able to diagnose glue ear by using an auroscope to look at the appearance of the ear drum. If it's healthy it should look opaque, pale pink, smooth and shiny. If there is glue ear, the ear drum may look dull and shrivelled. Sometimes a fluid level can be seen on the other side of the ear drum, or bubbles within the fluid. Some specialists use an auroscope with a pump attached to puff air on to the ear drum. If the ear drum is healthy it will move; if there is glue ear, the fluid behind the ear drum may stop it moving.

 

2.   Hearing tests: glue ear causes a significant hearing loss in each or one of the ears. A test, which can be done by the health visitor, involves whispering about three feet from behind the child's ear. If she cannot hear the sound, she will need more formal hearing testing. This may reveal hearing losses of up to 50 decibels and the child may only hear normal speech as a whisper.

 

3.  Tympanometry: this machine measures how well the ear drum moves. When there is glue behind the ear, the drum does not move.

 

If glue ear is suspected, the doctor  will examine your child's ears. The ear drum may be shrivelled and there may be a build-up of fluid.

 

Surgery to treat glue ear

 

Most episodes of glue ear are short-lived, but children with continuing problems such as speech delay, deafness, or persistent ear infections will be offered surgery. A hearing loss of more than 20-30 decibels in both ears is sometimes used as a guide to justify surgery, which involves some or all of the following:

 

Grommet: this is a tiny plastic tube that looks like a miniature empty cotton reel. It is placed through the slit ear.

 

Myringotomy: a small cut is made in the ear drum and the sticky glue is sucked out of the ear.

drum keeping the ear drained. It slowly works its way out of the ear drum and comes out with the ear wax over several months.

 

Adenoidectomy: the adenoids are lumps of lymphoid tissue. These may also be removed during the operation if they seem large and are blocking the eustachian tube.

 

If antibiotics do not relieve the condition, your child may need surgery. A doctor will make an incision into the middle ear and insert a grommet, which can be as small as 3mm ('/sin) long.

 

Risks from surgery

 

Glue ear surgery is a safe operation that usually lasts for 10-15 minutes. However, there are three minor drawbacks:

 

Perforation: there may be a slight risk of the ear drum remaining open long term, with a chronic perforation.

 

Infection: there may be discharge and frequent infections.

 

Durability: the effects of surgery are not long-lasting. Grommets fall out after about six months. If glue ear is still present a second operation may be necessary.

 

For  More  Information:  Please  consult  your  physician  on  your  next  visit.