Download Glue ear - what it is and what it is not

Comments, compliments or complaints
We welcome any suggestions you have
about the quality of our care and our
services. Contact us:
Freephone:
0800 1613997
Phone:
01625 661449
Textphone:
01625 663723
Customer Care, Reception,
Macclesfield District General Hospital,
Victoria Road, SK10 3BL
For large print, audio, Braille version or
translation contact The Communications
and Engagement Team on 0800 195 494.
NHS Direct (part of NHS
Choices) is a 24 hr phone advice
service providing confidential
health advice and information.
Phone: 0845 4647
(Textphone 0845 606 46 47)
www.nhs.uk
East Cheshire NHS Trust is committed
to ensuring that patients and staff will
always be treated with dignity and
respect. There will be no age,
disability, gender, race, sexual
orientation or religious discrimination.
Glue ear what it is and
what it is not
Information for parents and carers
Paediatric Audiology
Phone no: 01625 661754
Macclesfield District General Hospital
www.eastcheshire.nhs.uk
Follow us @eastcheshirenhs
Ref: 10206
Review: 08/2015
References
Title: Clinical update. Otitis media with effusion
Author(s) Thompson J
Introduction
This leaflet attempts to explain some of the common
features of this condition, which affects nearly all children
from time to time.
Citation: Community Practitioner, 01 August 2000, vol./is. 73/8;
(728-729)
Source: CINAHL
Does your child have:
•
problems with hearing
•
changes in behaviour
•
signs of speech delay
•
difficulties in school?
Any of these indications could mean your child has glue
ear. About four out of five children have at least one mild
bout of glue ear before their fourth birthday.
Although surgical or medical treatment is sometimes
advisable, in most cases the condition gets better by
itself. However, all children will benefit if parents and
teachers are aware of the problem, and know what steps
they can take to minimise the effects.
The hearing process
When sounds enter the ear they cause the ear drum to
vibrate. Three small bones inside the space behind the
ear drum transmit their vibrations to the inner ear. Here,
complex processing turns them into impulses which
travel along the auditory nerve to the brain, allowing us
to hear.
6
Glue ear
1
The eustachian tube connects the ear to the back of the
throat. It lets air into the middle ear, keeping it aired and
healthy.
1
Glue ear
Glue ear occurs when fluid collects in the middle ear space
of one or both ears.
This often happens after a cold or an infection in the throat
or ear, when the eustachian tubes can become blocked with
mucus.
The cells lining the middle ear start to use up the remaining
air, causing the pressure in the middle ear to fall - making a
partial vacuum.
Fluid secreted from the cells then fills up the space. To
begin with, the fluid is often thin and runny, but it may
become thicker (like glue). The fluid prevents the eardrum
from moving freely, and a hearing problem may result.
What are the effects of glue ear?
Children with glue ear experience differing degrees of
hearing loss. Sometimes, there may be no loss of hearing at
all. For others, the loss may be quite severe. The level of
hearing may change from day to day.
Parents should look out for symptoms, but remember that
not every child will show all of them
2
3
Common symptoms of glue ear
What can be done about glue ear?
•
Children with glue ear may appear to lack attention
or ‘daydream’.
Most children recover from glue ear by themselves in a few
weeks or months.
•
Some children who have difficulty concentrating
may be particularly tired and grumpy by the end of
the day.
•
Children turn up the TV or say ‘pardon’, ‘what’, etc.,
more than usual.
Management can be in the form of:
•
Some children talk loudly, others talk less loudly.
They may mispronounce words or speak less
clearly than normal.
•
Ear infections, which often come before and may
sometimes follow glue ear, can cause discomfort or
pain.
•
Some children become quiet and withdrawn as a
result of their hearing difficulties.
•
Children who are unable to hear properly may
become frustrated and over-active, or have temper
tantrums, especially when they are tired.
•
Children may become unsettled at school or
nursery and feel left out of some activities.
4
•
•
•
•
‘watchful waiting’
antibiotics
surgery
temporary hearing aids.
Not all children with glue ear need an operation. The
information that carers provide, together with the tests, will
help the specialists decide if your child might benefit from
surgery. Please see leaflet on ‘Treatment and Management
of Glue Ear’.
If you need to see an Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)
specialist
If the fluid does not clear after a short wait, you may be
referred to a hospital ENT department. The ENT specialist
will ask more detailed questions about the ears, hearing and
development, and will examine your child’s ears and throat.
An audiologist may do a hearing test appropriate to the
child’s age. They will also do a quick test to see how well
the ear drum is vibrating. Your own GP or a doctor in the
Audiology Clinic can make the referral to the ENT specialist.
Remember
Glue ear is not the same as permanent deafness or severe
deafness that can run in families.
5