Glue Ear and Ear Infections

Glue Ear and Ear Infections

Family Health: Glue Ear and Ear Infections

Glue ear and ear infections are very common in young children – approximately 8 out of 10 children will suffer from at least one ear infection by age seven.

Causes of Glue Ear and Ear Infections

Young children  have less developed immune systems than adults, and therefore can suffer from frequent viral and bacterial infections, such as colds and sore throats. These infections cause the tonsils (at the back of the throat) to swell, and also the adenoids (at the back of the nose).

Swollen adenoids can block the bottom of the Eustachian tubes. Germs, bacteria, and viruses get trapped in the blocked tubes and very quickly reach the middle ear – and an acute ear infection develops.

If the Eustachian tube becomes blocked, normal middle ear secretions are unable to drain away. These secretions build up inside the middle ear, and become sticky and glue-like. Hence the term ‘glue-ear’.

This sticky fluid prevents the small bones in the middle ear from working efficiently, and interferes with the eardrum conducting sound vibrations to the inner ear, thus causing temporary loss of hearing.

Sometimes an acute ear infection, if not completely cleared up, can lead on to glue ear.

 

Impacts of Glue Ear on Learning

While glue ear is not usually painful, the resulting lack of hearing can seriously affect a child’s ability to learn and to get on with others. Hearing loss varies, and depends on whether one ear or both are affected.

Left untreated, glue ear can cause speech, reading, and learning delays.

As children are most at risk of developing glue ear in their first three years, coinciding with their most crucial time for language and speech development – a loss of hearing at this time may lead to serious speech delays

 

Learning to Spot the Symptoms

As a parent, it’s important for you to be able to recognise the symptoms of an ear infection or glue ear.

Ear Infection Symptoms

  • Moody, withdrawn behaviour
  • Rubbing or pulling at ear(s)
  • Fever, blocked or runny nose
  • Earache – often intense pain
  • Poor hearing
  • Discharge from the ear

Glue Ear Symptoms

Because glue ear symptoms are far less dramatic than those of an acute ear infection, they are not so easy to spot.

Your child may have a stuffy ‘full’ sensation in their ear (like it needs to ‘pop’ but won’t). They can also have some difficulty hearing.

Unfortunately, younger children can’t always recognise, or describe these symptoms to us. So it is important for parents to learn what to look out for.

Signs your child’s hearing may be impaired, they:

  • Watch your mouth while you are talking (like lip-reading), and cannot ‘hear’ you unless you are looking directly at them.
  • Consistently turn the TV or radio up loud.
  • Seem inattentive, or appear not to listen.
  • Have unusual temper tantrums, or begin to behave badly for no apparent reason.

 

Alternative Treatments for Glue Ear

Surgical insertion of grommets is a common treatment but it doesn’t always cure glue ear. Up to 50% of children who have this operation will develop glue ear again once the grommets have fallen out, and some may require a second set of grommets. Some parents choose to look for alternative ways to treat glue ear.

Naturopathy offers natural ways of treating illnesses, and the treatment of childhood ear infections can be helped by natural herbal remedies.

Golden Seal is one herb commonly recommended by Naturopaths in the treatment of glue ear. It has a broad spectrum of antibiotic tendencies, and works well against bacteria and fungi.

Pulsatilla is another often recommended  herb, especially if the ear inflammation was caused by exposure to cold, or the wind. Pulsatilla acts as a sedative and an antispasmodic, which can calm the child and reduce the pain of the infection.

Ground Ivy is a good herb for reducing the build up of the thick ‘gluey’ liquid in glue ear.

Another helpful herb for middle ear infections is Mullein. This can reduce inflammation whilst stimulating the flow of fluids. It also has a pain-relieving effect.

This herb has very often been used for long-term relief of infection in children who have suffered recurrent ear infections and even for children who have not responded to grommets.

If considering alternative treatments for your child, it’s essential to seek expert advice from a qualified Naturopath.

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