Causes & Treatment Of Glue Ear Getting worried about your child's ear pain? Assuming any kind of bad consequences as the auricle is discharging fluid, your child is getting disturbed sleep at night due to discomfort and constant irritation. Well then, it could be glue ear. Are you confused? Then, don't be. Today in this informative blog we will define what exactly an Otitis media effusion or glue ear is all about. It's also vital to understand the numerous reasons that trigger the problem. Normally glue helps the ear to keep its elasticity inside and it often gets clear by itself. Natural pollution, dust, grime causes the accumulation of the dirt that causes this problem. It blocks the Eustachian tube that may cause hearing loss. The young children face more of it compared to adults as their Eustachian tube is not properly developed.
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Causes of glue ear : • A child who suffers from continuous cold & Flu will get the symptom. • Excessive cold causes blockage of the Eustachian tube which in turn leads to Otitis media effusion. • Unhygienic and smoky atmosphere can trigger the problem. • Respiratory tract infection. • Due to siblings who suffers from the symptom. • Bottle feeding
Major Causes of glue ear A major cause of glue ear is thought to be due to the Eustachian tubes (which link the pharynx to the middle ear) not working correctly. If the Eustachian tube is narrow, blocked, or does not open properly, the balance of fluid and air in the middle ear may be altered. Air in the middle ear may gradually pass into the nearby cells if it is not replaced by air coming up the Eustachian tube, and a vacuum can then develop in the middle ear. Fluid may also seep into the middle ear from nearby cells. Often glue ear children develop the condition after a cough, cold, or ear infection when extra mucus is produced. The mucus builds up in the middle ear and can struggle to drain down the Eustachian tube. However, many cases of glue ear do not begin with an obvious ear infection. These are some of the reasons that cause the symptom. Now it's important to know on how to treat it to provide comfort to the child. It is more common in boys than girls aged between two to five years of age. However, it can occur in adults too. Now the next part is about the treatment itself.
Symptoms The main symptom associated with glue ear is dulled hearing, which ranges from a slight muffle to moderately bad deafness in both ears to deafness in extreme cases. Below is a list of possible symptoms evident in glue ear children:
Dulled hearing Problems with speech, language or social interaction Clumsiness or balance problems Appearing to have 'selective hearing' - for example, disobeying verbal instructions Turning up the volume on the television, or radio, or often saying 'what' or ‘uh’? a lot
In the case of babies, being less responsive to sounds
This symptom has often been known as a wait & watch thing. Once the physician checks the ear of the child who is suffering from it he may also prefer to watch and then only if it doesn't get cured up oral medicine and eardrops are being prescribed. Normally it has been found out that at least ninety percent of cases get resolved in a month or two months time. The second option in case of a persistent glue ear is the auto inflated balloon system. Parents are being shown by the doctor on how to use it. Primarily it is a balloon which has to be pumped air by the right nostril while pushing the left nostril towards it. During this procedure a click sound is heard to the user that clears the blockage of the Eustachian tube quite effectively. The final procedure is the myringotomy, which is a surgery where a tiny slit is produced in the eardrum to alleviate pressure of the middle ear fluid or to drain Pus from it. A tympanostomy pipe or tube is inserted inside the eardrum to keep the middle ear clear from any kind of re accumulation of fluid. The surgery heals in two to three weeks. The tube gets out naturally in six to twelve months of time or it could be taken out via a tiny method. Glue ear can be minor or major and ignoring the condition may lead to loss of hearing. So it's better to consult an expert and according to the position of the condition he or she treats it. Parents need not panic as whatever is best is frequently suggested by the doctor himself for the health benefit of the child.