What are the symptoms of glue ear?
Dulled hearing
This is the main problem. Hearing does not go completely and the hearing loss is often mild. However, the severity of hearing loss varies from case to case, and can vary from day to day in the same person. Hearing varies according to the thickness of the fluid and other factors. For example, it is often worse during colds. Older children may say if their hearing is dulled. However, dulled hearing in a younger child may not be noticed at first by parents or teachers, particularly if only one ear is affected. You may find that your child turns the TV or radio up loud, or often says 'what' or 'pardon' when you talk to them. Babies may appear less responsive to normal sounds.
Pain
This is not usually a main symptom, but mild earache may occur from time to time. Children and babies may pull at their ears if they have mild pain. However, the gluey fluid is a good food for bacteria (germs), and ear infections are more common in children with glue ear. This may then cause bad earache for the duration of an infection. Always have some painkiller in your home in case earache develops.
Development and behaviour may be affected in a small number of cases
If dulled hearing is not noticed then children may not learn so well at school if they cannot hear the teacher. They may also become frustrated if they cannot follow what is going on. They may feel left out of some activities. Some children become quiet and withdrawn if they cannot hear so well.
There has been concern that dulled hearing from glue ear may cause problems with speech and language development. This in turn was thought to perhaps lead to poor school achievement and behaviour problems. However, research studies that have looked at this issue are reassuring. The studies showed that, on average, children with glue ear had no more chance (or just a little more chance) of having long term behaviour problems or poor school performance compared to children without glue ear. However, these studies looked at the overall average picture. There is still a concern that the development of some children with glue ear may be affected. In particular, some children with untreated severe and persistent glue ear.
So, in short, developmental delay including speech and language is unlikely to occur in most children with glue ear. However, if you have any concern about your child's development, you should tell a doctor.
How does glue ear progress?
The outlook is usually good. Many children only have symptoms for a short time (a few weeks or so). The fluid often drains away gradually, air returns, and hearing then returns to normal.
- Hearing is back to normal within three months in about 5 in 10 cases.
- Hearing is back to normal within a year in more than 9 in 10 cases.
- Glue ear persists for a year or more in about 1 in 20 cases.
Some children have several episodes of glue ear which cause short but recurring episodes of reduced hearing. The total time of reduced hearing may then add up to quite a few months.
Are any tests needed?
A referral to an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist may be advised at some point. This may be straight away for babies who have hearing loss. (This is to rule out other serious causes of hearing loss.) It may be after a period of 'watchful waiting' in older children who previously had good hearing. Hearing tests and ear tests can confirm the cause of hearing loss and show how bad the hearing has become.
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