Glue ear is a common childhood condition in which the middle ear becomes filled with fluid. The medical term for glue ear is otitis media with effusion.
It is estimated that one-in-five children around the age of two will be affected by glue ear at any given time. Glue ear is more common during winter.
The main symptom of glue ear is some hearing loss in one or both ears. This usually feels similar to what you experience when you put your fingers in your ears.
Signs that your child may be having problems hearing include them:
- struggling to keep up with conversations
- becoming aggravated because they are trying harder to hear
- regularly turning up the volume on the TV.
Read more about the symptoms of glue ear. Contact your GP if you have any concerns about your child’s hearing.
Treatment
Most cases of glue ear don't require treatment as the condition will go away by itself; usually within three months.
Treatment is normally only recommended when symptoms last longer than three months and the hearing loss is thought to be significant enough to interfere with a child’s language and speech development.
In these circumstances, glue ear can usually be treated using minor surgery, which involves placing small tubes, known as grommets, in the ear. Grommets can help drain fluid out of the middle ear.
Read more about treating glue ear.
What causes glue ear?
The middle ear is directly behind the eardrum. It is made up of three tiny lever-like bones that carry sound vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear.
With glue ear, the build-up of fluid prevents the three tiny bones in the ear from moving freely, which means they can’t pass sound vibrations to the inner ear, affecting hearing.
Exactly what causes the build-up of fluid is unclear, though more than half of all cases develop after a previous ear infection.
Growing up in a household where adults smoke also increases the risk of children developing glue ear.
Glue ear is not caused by getting water in the ear after swimming and showering, or due to a build-up of ear wax.
Read more about the possible causes and risk factors for glue ear.
Complications
Complications of glue ear include ear infections and a minor and usually temporary delay in speech and language development.
Read more about the complications of glue ear.
