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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