ENT UK is the professional Association for British Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeons and related professionals. This leaflet provides some background information about Glue Ear. It may be helpful in the discussions you have with your GP or specialist when deciding on possible treatment. This information lea et is to support and not to substitute the discussion between you and your doctor. Before you give your consent to the treatment, you should raise any concerns with your GP or specialist.

Glue ear is common. Up to eight in every ten children (80%) will have a short episode of glue ear before they start primary school. The medical name for glue ear is “otitis media with effusion”.

Doctors are not sure about all the causes of glue ear. Sometimes it follows after an ear infection, but many children with glue ear have never had an ear infection. The adenoid in the back of the nose may become infected with coughs and colds and the bacteria spread into the ear causing inflammation. The fluid (or “glue”) probably forms in the ear as a result of this inflammation.

Often, the hearing loss from glue ear is not enough to be noticed by the parents. Often, it is the child minder or nursery teacher who notices that the child cannot hear that well in a group situation. Sometimes, in a younger child, the hearing does not seem to be a problem, but the child’s speech and language development is slower than his or her friends of the same age.

Some children complain of earache because of the fluid in their ears. Some children have balance problems or poor attention as a result of glue ear. Sometimes, the only problem reported by parents or carers is behavioural problems. This is probably due to frustration on the part of the child who cannot hear properly.

If you have concerns about your child’s hearing or speech and language development, you should ask your health visitor or GP to refer your child for a hearing test.For children under the age of four years, this will probably be at a community hearing clinic. For older children, they will probably be referred to an ENT (ear, nose and throat) clinic in a hospital to see a specialist and have a hearing test.
For most children, the glue ear will get better with no treatment. You will probably be asked to come back for a second hearing test three or four months after the first test. Many children will get better over this time.

Those children who do still have problems after this period of what doctors call ‘watchful waiting’ or ‘active monitoring’ will probably be recommended surgical treatment. This may be grommet surgery or adenoidectomy and grommet surgery.