| 30 June |
Some Facts About Glue Ear |
Glue ear is a condition wherein fluid accumulates in the middle ear, just behind the eardrum. It is the most common cause of partial deafness in children. Approximately one in four children get affected by glue ear at some stage of their childhood. It is more common in boys, being the most affected between ages two to five. However, there are still risks it can occur at later stages, including adulthood.
Glue ear, unfortunately, sometimes goes unnoticed. There are a few warning signs though, such as having a stuffy feeling in the ears, and temporary hearing loss.
Glue ear is very common though. One occurrence predicts another. It has been proven that children who have experienced glue ear once have more risk in having recurrent episodes.
Certain other risk factors that contribute to glue ear include:
- constant exposure to nicotine smoke
- often having cough & cold
- having a family history of glue ears; and
- as a baby, the child was bottle fed rather than breast fed
Having dulled hearing is the most common symptom of glue ear. Oftentimes, children who are affected may turn out completely deaf. Hearing loss may range from mild to severe. If it continues, it will affect the normal intellectual development of the child.
A very uncommon symptom, but mild earache may occur sometimes. Some affected children might pull at their ears if they feel pain.
Children who have glue ear have a propensity to show behavioral problems and slower speech development. These are commonly due to the fact that their hearing is impaired.
Fortunately, glue ear can be treated. In fact, most glue ears will resolve on their own. However, should glue ear persist, surgery may be required to eliminate the glue-like fluid from the middle ear and to place a ventilation tube or “grommet” in the ear drum. It sits across the eardrum, connecting the middle and outer ears, hence allowing pressure in the middle ear to normalize or be equal with the atmosphere.
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