Waiting for glue ear treatment
If you suspect your child may have hearing loss, you should contact your GP or family doctor. They can look in your child’s ears to see if the hearing loss might be caused by glue ear.
Your GP may monitor your child to see if this clears up by itself or may immediately refer your child to the audiology or ear, nose and throat (ENT) department at your local hospital for a hearing test.
We know that many families in the UK are currently facing long waits for glue ear diagnosis and treatment. Ask your GP or audiologist about waiting times in your area. In 50 to 90% of cases, glue ear will clear up by itself within 3 months. However, there are lots of ways you can support your child at home while you wait.
Language and communication
There is currently no clear evidence on whether long-term untreated glue ear can have a permanent impact on a child’s hearing. However, we do know that long-term glue ear can have an impact on a young child’s language, communication and social development.
While your child has glue ear, there are some simple things you can do to make communication easier for them.
- Share our communication tips with friends, family and teachers.
- Find out how to create a good communication environment at home.
- Try our series of activities to help you communicate with your baby or toddler.
- Learn some basic sign language to communicate with their child. Sign language is a great way to support language development for both deaf and hearing children.
Join our glue ear Facebook group to chat with other parents about ways you can support your child’s language and communication at home.
Otovent
The Otovent nasal balloon (also known as nasal balloon autoinflation) is a non-surgical, drug-free treatment option for glue ear. It involves blowing into a nasal balloon to encourage the eustachian tube to open up.
Otovent kits can be prescribed by a GP or ENT doctor while you’re waiting for treatment. They can also be bought over the counter relatively cheaply.
The Otovent is not suitable for children who:
- are under the age of 3
- have an ear infection
- have a latex allergy
- have frequent nose bleeds
- experience pain in their ears
If you’re not sure whether an Otovent is safe for your child, speak to your pharmacist or GP. Always read the label before use.
Some pharmacists receive extra training around ear care. Ask your local pharmacy team whether they can give you additional advice or treatment for glue ear.
Using technology
Your child might benefit from wearable technology, such as bone conduction headphones that can be paired with a microphone to support listening. Hear Glue Ear have produced a bone conduction headset and microphone kit which families can buy to help their child hear while they’re waiting for glue ear treatment.
Private treatment for glue ear
Some families choose to pay for hearing aids or grommet surgery privately, instead of waiting for treatment on the NHS.
It's important to make sure the person treating your child is a trained, registered health professional such as an audiologist, ENT nurse or doctor.
Full references for this webpage are available by emailing
informationteam@ndcs.org.uk