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