What is glue ear?
Glue ear, also known as adhesive otitis, is a condition that occurs when the middle part of your ear fills with fluid. It is located behind the eardrum. The liquid can be thick and sticky like glue. It usually occurs in children but can also develop in adults.
What are the symptoms of glue ear?
A glue ear patient may experience the following symptoms:

  • The person starts talking louder than usual.
  • Difficulty hearing other people’s normal voices.
  • Asking people to repeat what they said over and over again.
  • Increasing the volume of electronic devices.
  • Complaints of ringing or ringing in their ears
  • Loss of interest in sounds
  • Not listening or engaging with instructions
  • Sleep disturbance.

What are the causes of glue ear?
Glue ear is not always treated. The GP will usually wait to see if the symptoms get better on their own. This is because there’s no effective medicine for glue ear, and it often clears up on its own within 3 months. Your child may be monitored for up to a year in case their symptoms change or get worse. Glue ears occur when thick fluid builds up in the middle ear. Glue ears are common in children, as are common ear infections. This is because the eustachian tube deep in the ear is thinner and more prone to blockage than in adults. These tubes help the ears maintain a healthy space without excess water.
Glue ear affects children under the age of seven, usually between the ages of two and five. Some children develop earwax after a cold, so it may be more common in the winter months. The reason most children get glue ear is because their Eustachian tube is narrowed. This structure blocks the flow of fluid and becomes blocked.
Following is some of the causes of glue ears.

  • Allergy
  • stuffy nose
  • Swollen tonsils.
  • smoking
  • Drink while lying down.

How does a doctor diagnose glue ear?
The GP should be able to tell if it is plugging the ear by looking for fluid inside the ear. They will use a small scope with a light and magnifying glass. It shouldn’t be painful. If your child has had glue in the ear for more than 3 months, he or she may be referred to a specialist for a hearing test.
A doctor may perform the following techniques to diagnose glue ear.

  • Air Otoscope: A pneumatic otoscope device is a special tool that a doctor needs to diagnose ear infections. This tool allows the doctor to look into the ear and determine the fluid behind the ear canal. The doctor pushes air through the ear canal with an air otoscope. Normally, this breath vibrates the eardrum. If the ear is full of fluid, your doctor won’t feel the eardrum moving.
  • Tympanometry: This measures the movement of the eardrum. The machine, which closes the ear canal, controls the air pressure in the canal, causing the eardrum to move.
  • Acoustic reflection: This test measures the amount of noise coming from the ear canal to help analyze fluid levels in the ear.

Can glue ear be treated without surgery?
Ear glue is a buildup of fluid in your middle ear that can cause hearing problems. It is common in children, but can also occur in adults. It usually goes away on its own without treatment. But sometimes you may need an operation to insert tubes called grommets into your ear.
Treatment options for glue ear include:

  • Auto-inflation: One way to reduce the buildup of water at home is to use auto-inflation. A device like a balloon is blown into each nostril.
  • Hearing aids and speech therapy: Temporary hearing aids help improve hearing when fluid is present in the middle ear. This is done to support the development of the child, as hearing loss can impair learning and other skills.
  • Surgery: This includes adenoidectomy. The doctor removes the adenoid glands behind the nose and keeps the ears hydrated. The adenoid glands are connected to the base of the Eustachian tube. When adenoids become inflamed and inflamed, the Eustachian tubes become tight, hydrated, and can cause ear infections.
  • Eardrum puncture: In rare cases, a doctor may use a small tube to puncture the eardrum and drain water from the middle ear. The doctor then sends a liquid to test for viruses and bacteria. This is useful if the infection does not respond well to previous treatments.

How to prevent glue ear?
Prevent glue ear can be difficult, especially in young children. One way to help prevent chronic ear infections is to try to stay healthy and support your or your child’s immune system as it develops. Also, identify and treat allergies and limit exposure to smoke and similar respiratory irritants.
Make sure you face your baby as much as possible, and maintain eye contact. Check that background noise is kept to a minimum. Speak clearly, without shouting, and maintain your normal rhythm. The teacher may realize that your child is having trouble, but they may not be aware that it is because of their hearing.

Visit Urgentway for ear treatment and earwax removal. No matter what, we’ll help you get back on the road to health as quickly and safely as possible!