Glue Ear - All You Need To Know

About the ear. The ear is made up of three partsexact cause is still unclear. However most
- the outer, middle and inner ear. Under normalresearchers believe that it is most likely due to
circumstances, sound waves come into the outerthe auditory tube not functioning properly. The
ear and touch the eardrum, causing the eardrumamount of air and fluid in the middle ear may
to shake back and forth. Immediately behind thechange if the auditory tube is blocked or
eardrum is the middle ear, which contains threenarrowed. When the auditory tube is blocked, air
tiny bones (in fact they are the smallest bones inget absorbed by the nearby cells in the middle
the body!) called the malleus, incus and stapes,ear, a vacuum develop, causing fluid to seep into
collectively known as the ossicles. The vibrationsthe middle ear by the nearby cells.Is glue ear
transmit from the eardrum to these tiny bones incommon? Yes, it affects seven in ten children at
the middle ear. The bones then pass the vibrationsome stage in their life. Boys are at greater risks
to a structure in the inner ear called the cochlea.than girls. One episode predicts another, children
The vibrations cause special cells in the cochlea towho have one episode are likely to have
move, generating 'signals' which are sent downrecurrent glue ears. Other risk factors include:-
the nerve to the brain, so we 'hear'. Air normallyLives at home where people smoke.- Have a
fills the space in the middle ear. The middle ear isfamily history of glue ears (siblings who have glue
connected to the throat by a structure called theears)- Have recurrent cough and cold.- Were
auditory tube or the Eustachian tube. The functionbottle fed rather than breast fed.What are the
of Eustachian tube is to normalize or equalize airsymptoms of glue ear? Dulled hearing. This is by
pressure between the middle ear and thefar the commonest symptom. Sometime children
atmosphere. This tube is normally closed,who are affected may become completely deaf.
however, from time to time, it opens to allow airHearing loss can range from mild to severe. If it
to get in and fluid to drain out.Tell me more aboutpersists, it will affect the child's normal intellectual
glue ear. Glue ear is a condition when the middledevelopment.Pain. This is uncommon, but mild
ear, which is normally filled with air, becomes filledearache may occur from time to time. Affected
with fluid. The fluid looks and feels like glue andchildren may pull at their ears if they have
hence the name of the condition. The correctpain.Behavioral problems. Children with glue ear
medical term used to describe glue ear is 'otitistend to have behavioral problems and slower
media with effusion' or OME. Commonly, only onespeech development. These are commonly due to
ear is affected, however both ears can becomethe fact that they cannot hear well.Can it be
affected as well. As the density in the middle eartreated? Yes. However, most glue ears will
changes from low to high as air is replaced byresolve on their own. If glue ear persists, surgery
fluid, the vibrations made by the sound saves inmay be needed to remove the glue-like fluid from
the eardrum and the bones dampen. As a resultthe middle ear and to place a 'grommet'
of that, the cochlea receives low volume 'signals'.(ventilation tube) in the ear drum. The grommet is
Glue ear commonly affects children, however,a tiny device which acts like an auditory tube. It
adults can be affected as well.What are thesits across the eardrum connecting the outer and
causes of glue ear? Researchers are still searchingmiddle ears, hence allowing pressure in the middle
for the cause and mechanism of glue ear. Theear to normalize or equalize with the atmosphere.