DS disgnosed with glue ear in both ears today - anyone been through this?

[MadameGazelle]

The audiologist said it isn't a severe case but is affecting both ears and is definitely impacting on his hearing. I have made an appointment with a chiropractor for next monday and wondered if there was any other treatment/alternative therapies I could try. He has to go back for another hearing test in 3 months and if the glue ear is still there she will refer him for grommets. Any advice would be gratefully received. TIA

[PlumBumMum]

Oh my ds has got to go back in 3 months, 1 ear has cleared from last test and shes hoping the other will be clear at next, he is 6 so she said with him getting taller it will become less of a problem

although I don't know wiether its because I'm more aware of he has a cold I am noticing him mishearing a few words

sorry can't be of more help

[PlumBumMum]

or that he has a cold that should be

[wb]

Ds1 has just been discharged by the audiologist today after 9 months of this and constant ear infections. His left ear cleared up by itself, the right only by repeated perforation to the eardrum which took a while to heal and let it drain. If all this starts up again next winter we will have a grommet put in.

My nephew had terrible trouble with glue ear, then repeated ear infections (by the time they got around to suggesting grommets it was too late as he had a permanently perforated drum). When he was 7 my sister took him to a homeopath who prescribed a 'drainage remedy' to be taken every time he started a cold. She says his ears got significantly better after they started using this (but the consultant said he was just growing out of it, so I leave it to you to judge if this is a route you wish to take).

[ppeatfruit]

Have you tried changing his milk ?

Often DCs who have glue ear are intolerant of dairy.

[tutu100]

My ds1 was diagnosed with glue ear when he was 2. It was in both ears and affected his hearing and speech. It was monitored for about 6 months but when it failed to get any better and because it was affecting his speech development so much he had grommets fitted when he was 2.10 yo. This obviously solved the glue ear and meant he had full hearing, but he did need speech therapy as years of not being able to hear sounds correctly meant his pronouciation of certain sounds was affected.

He is now 4.9 yo and the same set of grommets are still in place and still working! We had been told they would fall out after 9-18 months and he might need to have a second set fitted as he probably wouldn't have grown enough for the glue ear to have gone without the grommets.

The consultant was surprised though that ds1 didn't have lots of ear infections. When the glue ear was first diagnosed he'd never had an ear infection. He had one before the grommets were fitted and one after.

Because his hearing was so badly affected I never considered any treatment other than the grommets. They did say that Ds1 was very young to be having grommets fitted, in my NHS area they normally leave it longer, but the affect it was having on his hearing was causing lots of problems in other areas.

[MadameGazelle]

hi ppeatfruit - I have heard that,DS loves milk,yoghurt and cheese but it may be worth a try.

[madhairday]

My dd had real trouble with glue ear and repeated ear infections for a good few years. She had two lots of grommets, one at age 3 and one at 5, and since then has slowly improved (now 9) Last year she was finally discharged as her hearing was back on the normal range (it had been pretty severely impaired.) So all I can say is they usually grow out of it but it can be a slow process. The grommets were great - the first time she had them when she woke up she asked why everyone was shouting and kept starting at small sounds she'd not noticed before - the improvement was great. Like tutu her speech had been affected and the grommets made a big difference there too. All the best.

[MadameGazelle]

just an update for those that posted - we saw the chiropractor yesterday and she said DS' glue ear has been caused by a virus which has caused a build up of infection and sticky wax in his inner ea, so not glue ear in it's true sense - she adjusted him and said it should clear over the next week, and we have to go back next week to check. Said there was definitely no need for grommits. Keeping my fingers crossed for next week, then the true test will be if he passes the hearing test in 3 months.

[FlyMeToDunoon]

My DD2 had the blocked ears, attended the clinic for 6 months and then had grommets. They have worked very well.
However another mum who attended at the same time took her daughter to the chiropractor and reported a great improvement. She has not needed grommets so far.
Hope it works for you and your DC.

[Mouseface]

DS has glue ear, both sides. Hearing test showed it at 8mo. We are waiting for another test in May when he's 1.

In his case, it goes with his conditions, Pierre Robin sequence and cleft palate. And he has a cow's milk protien allergy so maybe as ppeatfruit has said, that could impact on it?

[Sunshine78]

mine had/has glue ear was diagnosed at 2ish tired chirppractor and did no good so ended up having grommets. Now waiting to see consultant as her hearing has gone so we suspect grommets have fallen out so will need doing again. When she had them fitted she also had her tonsils and adenoids out was back to normal within a few days and not at all bothered by op (was just me who was a wreck!

[Mamashep]

My DD had re-current ear infections from about 9 months, the end result was mastoiditus (poss misspelt?) and several hospitalisations...IV antibiotics etc etc. In the end they put grommets in at 14 months. They stayed in til she was about 18 months-2 years. We had last ENT appt last Sept when she was nearly 3 and have been discharged from ENT. No more ear infections which have been really nasty, grommets really worked for her. That said, anytime she touches her ear or mentions earache I get rather worried...

[Mamashep]

Sorry, meant to add it has done absolutely nothing to slow down or impede her flippin' speech

[TottWriter]

My younger brother had glue ear, and as a result didn't really speak much until he had grommits fitted around the age of four, when it was diagnosed. He's had no lasting effect on his speech from them or his delay in talking, though he had to have a second set a few months to a year after the first ones came out. The first time they came out by themselves, but the second time, one got stuck halfway out, and my mum, fed up with sitting and waiting for it to dislodge itself, got a pair of tweesers and removed it herself.

The only downside I could see to the grommits in his case was that while they were in place he couldn't go swimming, so he was much later in learning to do that. But no health fallout whatsoever. (And he can swim fine now.)

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

My dd (8.10) had some put in just before christmas. She had been diagnosed with glue ear and her GP suggested salt water inhalations and blowing a balloon up using her nose alone. This did help a bit but it was clearly not going to resolve the problem. She saw an ENT consultant who gave the nose hole gymnastics another couple of months and finally recommended grommets. Speech is clearer and hearing much improved. The only drawback is the swimming issues.

[jaffacakeaddict]

My ds was diagnosed with glue ear this time last year. He was retested 5 months later and at that time it was noted that his hearing had improved greatly. I was told that it is common for glue ear to improve over the summer months. Hopefully you will find your child's hearing improves too.

[tryingtobemarypoppins2]

MadameGazelle any update? Would be keen to hear how things worked out.

[DaftApeth]

MadamGazelle - would be fascinated to know how the chiropractor knows that your ds has a build up of liquid in his inner ear!

Isn't an infection of the inner ear, labyrinthitis? Does your ds have problems with balance and nausea?


If they got it wrong and meant the middle ear that has a build up of liquid, then that is what glue ear is. So, not too sure why this practioner thinks it is not glue ear .

Have used Chiroprators myself and think they have a lot to offer. I'm just a bit confused about what this one has said to you.

I do hope the treatment makes a difference.


Dd has glue ear which affects high frequency sounds on a day to day basis but affects can affect her hearing quite badly on some days when she has a cold. We too are waiting for a follow-up hearing test with the consultant.

[MadameGazelle]

Hi tryingtobemarypoppins2 - his hearing is still clear; although we are due another hearing test in December just to make sure. I am definitely glad I took the alternative route first as it definitely seemed to work for us.

DaftApeth - she said that the fluid in his ear was runny and liquid like whereas glue ear is thicker and stickier , anyway I don't care what she said, she sorted it out anyway which is the main thing and we avoided grommits which I really didn't want DS to have unless absolutely necessary.

[DaftApeth]

What did she do to test how thick the liquid was? (Visiosn of a 'dipstick' like in a car!) The tympanometer used in audiology clinics can only establish whether liquid is present or absent, not how 'sticky' it is or how much is there.

It's great that it has improved his hearing. Fingers crossed for the hearing test in December.

This is always the worst time of year for dd in terms of hearing fluctuation. Last week her hearing was down but this weeks seems improved.

[MHMum]

My DS had glue ear from birth. At 2.5 he had grommets inserted. It was a 15 min op and after a bit of crying when he first woke up, he had a little nap and then woke up the happiest I've ever known him. He hasn't looked back since. Now 3 years old, happier, healthier, speaking well and behaviour improved beyond recognition. I just wanted to say to anyone out there, grommets are really not the end of the world - in fact for us they were the start of a much more enjoyable time with our DS. I would recommend an 'Ear Band-It' with the 'putty buddies' it comes with for baths, showers and swimming though (in conjuction with latex hat for swimming). Has definately helped keep ear infections down for our DS. I wish there was some sort of support network for parents to share experiences though. Has anyone come across one?

[ellnlol]

Hi All, I wonder if anyone can help - we're struggling with DD. She's 5.5 now and had tonsil & adenoids out, and grommets in, at just turned 3. Everything was marvellous at first - she finally slept through the night!! The only downer was the swimming issue. But her first grommet fell out after just 4 months, so she had a hearing aid in that ear. Her other grommet fell out after about a year, and we jumped onto the nhs waiting list for a second hearing aid, despite already having one and a well catalogued history of significant hearing loss. Five months on, we finally have both hearing aids and we are living with out happy-go-lucky little girl again. The issues we struggle with are... her balance/co-ordination is shocking - she's almost dyspraxic at times, still can't ride a bike, trips over her own feet, walks into walls... And, she is dreadfully car sick - a quick trip to the shops (albeit 6 miles away) can have her clutching 'her' bucket. She's very good, bless her, usually catches it all and doesn't need changing, but it's making all of us miserable and tending towards being house bound.
Sorry that's long and rambling. Any thoughts?? How do we help her?? Many thanks

[MadSprocker]

Have you tried travel bands on her wrist? I have travel sickness, and they really help me.

[jellybean321]

sorry to jump in on the thread but just wondering if anyone has any advise. My son has had glue ear on and off since birth and is now 3. AT the last hearing test 2 months ago they said his glue ear had gone and his hearing is within the normal range...yet his pronunciation is very poor. He ihas lots of words but they are so difficult to understand even for me. All new words are as poorly pronounced as the old ones. He is seeing a speech and lang therapist but with little progress as she basically assesses him and then sends him away for 2 months. We have been signed off by audiology as his hearing was ok last time...where do I go next and what to do? x