The most common symptom of glue ear is hearing loss.
The symptoms of glue ear can affect only one ear (unilateral) or both ears (bilateral).
The degree of hearing loss experienced usually ranges from slight to mild to moderate.
Signs to look out for that your child might be struggling to hear:
- They may have difficulty understanding people who are far away or speak quietly.
- They may also appear unusually tired or irritable because they have to try harder to listen to things.
- They may have difficulty understanding people who are far away or speak quietly.
- They may have problems picking out conversations in places where there is a lot of background noise.
- They may also easily "tune out" of conversations when they are distracted.
- They may only be able to understand face-to-face conversations that take place at a short distance.
- They may also experience problems with communication, learning and social skills (however, in most cases, these problems will resolve once their hearing is restored to normal).
Less common symptoms
Less common symptoms of glue ear include:
- episodes of mild ear pain
- irritability
- problems sleeping
- balance problems
- appearing unusually clumsy
- delayed speech and language development (in younger children)
When to seek medical advice
It's important to contact your GP if you're concerned that your child may be having problems with their hearing.
While glue ear is usually the most common cause of hearing loss in children, further tests may be required to rule out other possible causes.
