What is glue ear?
Glue ear means that the middle ear is filled with fluid that looks like glue. It can affect one or both ears. The fluid dampens the vibrations of the eardrum and ossicles made by the sound waves. The cochlea receives dampened vibrations, and so the 'volume' of the hearing is 'turned down'. Glue ear usually occurs in young children, but it can develop at any age.
What causes glue ear?
The cause is probably due to the Eustachian tube not working properly. The balance of fluid and air in the middle ear may become altered if the Eustachian tube is narrow, blocked, or does not open properly. Air in the middle ear may gradually pass into the nearby cells if it is not replaced by air coming up the Eustachian tube. A vacuum may then develop in the middle ear. This may cause fluid to seep into the middle ear from the nearby cells. Some children develop glue ear after a cough, cold, or ear infection when extra mucus is made. The mucus may build up in the middle ear and not drain well down the Eustachian tube. However, in many cases glue ear does not begin with an ear infection.
How common is glue ear?
It is common. More than 7 in 10 children have at least one episode of glue ear before they are four years old. In most cases it only lasts a short while. Boys are more commonly affected than girls. It is more common in children who:
- live in homes where people smoke
- were bottle fed rather than breast fed
- have frequent coughs, colds, or ear infections
- have a brother or sister who had glue ear.
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