glue ear

Acute Otitis Media is when the fluid in the middle ear is caused by an infection.  The pressure on the eardrum caused by the infected fluid is very painful.  Sometimes the pressure on the eardrum is so great the drum ruptures or perforates.  A doctor may be able to diagnose an ear infection by inspecting the ear using an otoscope.  Compared to a healthy eardrum it will look red and it may be possible to see evidence of fluid behind the ear drum.

ADHEAR is a new bone conduction aid developed by MED-EL.

It consists of two parts: an adhesive adapter, which sticks on the skin behind the ear and a small bone conduction device, which attaches to the adhesive adapter.

In the past various treatments have been tried but NICE's latest recommendations (2023) state that the following treatments are not recommended for the management of OME:​

• homeopathy
• cranial osteopathy
• acupuncture
• dietary modification, including probiotics
• massage.

  The Ottis media with effusion in under 12s NICE Guideline (2023) states:

Spoken language is acquired by hearing speech.  It is heard, copied, practised and then perfected.  Children with Glue Ear may not overhear conversations which provide the necessary repetition to learn speech.

Glue Ear can impact on speech intelligibility.  Some speech sounds will be clearer than others, resulting in speech that is muffled and difficult to understand.  For this reason Glue Ear can cause delays in speech and language.

Tympanometry is the only method, which can give reliable information about the existence of middle ear fluid and has been used in various studies to try to assess the prevalence of Glue Ear.

Pressure in the middle ear is regulated by the Eustachian tube, a narrow tube which connects the middle ear to the back of the nose and throat.  When we swallow the Eustachian tubes open to allow fresh air to enter into the middle ear.  Fluid in the middle ear can occur with Eustachian tube dysfunction.  The fluid build up is called an effusion and it is much more likely to occur in children due to the anatomy of their Eustachian tube.

Families benefit from finding out about other children’s experiences of Glue Ear. Hearing from other parents about the impact that glue ear has had on their child’s behaviour for example, can be reassuring that they are not alone.

It is hoped that it may be possible to add different experiences of Glue Ear in this section.

You could consider sharing the following information:

1.      What made you concerned about your child and hearing problems?

2.      Who did you ask for help and advice?

3.      What happened next?

Awareness that a child has a hearing loss due to Glue Ear is vitally important in the first instance.  Steps can then be taken to provide support, which will minimise the impact of a hearing loss.

Glue Ear adversely impacts the movement of the eardrum and the ossicles reducing how effectively sound is conducted to the inner ear.  Fluid in the ear can result in decreased hearing.

This picture of the eardrum shows the presence of middle ear fluid (Otitis Media with Effusion).

A GP might be able to see fluid present from a visual inspection of the eardrum using an otoscope.  This handheld device has a magnifying glass and light. If the eardrum is not obscured by wax, it is possible to see if there are signs of infection or fluid in the middle ear.