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Original poster

Glue ear

14 replies

Smsa123 · 11/05/2023 07:09

Hi. My DD is almost 3 and has a slight speech delay. After a lot of waiting and pushing from me for appointments she has been diagnosed with glue ear. There is a 40 week waiting list to see a consultant who will decide if they even want to give her grommets. Obviously I’m concerned that in this time her development could become delayed.
We’ve seen people privately to get the initial diagnosis and to push the nhs to diagnose her and now I’m thinking should we just pay to have grommets put in privately too. Please could someone share their stories and advise me on what I can do to help her. I’m sick of ringing up receptionists who keep fobbing me off. I’m in the north so if anyone has done it private then i’d appreciate details of where you had it and price.
thank you

OP posts:
elliejjtiny · 12/05/2023 18:38

My son has glue ear. After 2 lots of grommets we went for hearing aids because the waiting list for an ent appointment and then for the surgery were just ridiculous.

Pjmasksonrepeat · 12/05/2023 23:43

My 4 year old DS has glue ear. NHS insisted on 3 hearing tests showing glue ear with 3 months between each before ENT referral. Thankfully we have private care through work so we met with a consultant and have agreed on grommets as it is affecting his speech and language and we want it the best it can be before school in September. Hes having the operation next week so I can let you know how it goes.

Original poster
Smsa123 · 14/05/2023 16:47

Pjmasksonrepeat · 12/05/2023 23:43

My 4 year old DS has glue ear. NHS insisted on 3 hearing tests showing glue ear with 3 months between each before ENT referral. Thankfully we have private care through work so we met with a consultant and have agreed on grommets as it is affecting his speech and language and we want it the best it can be before school in September. Hes having the operation next week so I can let you know how it goes.

Thanks an update would be great. I hope it works for him!

OP posts:
MargaretThursday · 14/05/2023 19:27

Ds had glue ear. The getting on the initial waiting list was ages, but after that was very quick.
The first time he saw the consultant in January, had grommets in February (20 months)
2nd time he had the grommets put in 2 days later (3.6yo)
3rd time it was a week later (6.6yo)
He's still checked at 15yo because he still gets reduced hearing over winter.

The other thing is I found even with ds, whose glue ear was particularly bad, his ears cleared over the summer. So he was tested one August and found to have "perfect hearing". I did ask and they said his hearing was above the average normal hearing for his age. By beginning of November his hearing was at 10% of normal hearing.

So it's possible that you may find that it clears up over the summer. I had one patch where he'd been tested in July/August and they wanted to discharge him because his hearing was fine and he was about the age that it tends to clear up by itself. It was only due to his history that I persuaded them to do one last check 6 months later, and unsurprisingly he was kept on after that!

Pjmasksonrepeat · 20/05/2023 18:43

Just to update the glue ear surgery went well (they decided to removed his adenoids as well). It was a quick surgery and he didn't even want calpol afterwards. He can now hear us whisper so hearing has definitely improved. We'll have to see about his speach bit at the moment he's nasally and snoring which is expected for a few weeks after.

Itsanotherhreatday · 20/05/2023 18:47

DS had glue ear and the nurse recommended Olbas Oil in boiling water to steam his room before bed and over night

3 nights later he woke up crying and the glue had exploded and the sheets stuck to his face.

Ears block when he has a cold etc - but otherwise his hearing is fine.

Original poster
Smsa123 · 25/05/2023 09:45

Thanks all. We have an appointment with a consultant in a couple of weeks. I’ve been told that in our area they don’t offer grommets and give hearing aids instead. Is there anything I can say to get grommets as I feel hearing aids aren’t the solution?

OP posts:
ThatsGoingToHurt · 10/06/2023 07:51

Im pretty sure that NICE guidelines say that grommets are the treatment for bilateral glue ear unless they are contraindicated or the parent doesn’t want the child to have surgery in which which case hearing aids may be offered.

When my daughter finally have an appointment with ENT the consultant was strongly trying to steer us to have hearing aids as the waitlist for grommets is very long. I only agreed to have the hearing aids if she was out on the waitlist as well as I did not know if my daughter would tolerate wearing hearing aid or not.

elliejjtiny · 11/06/2023 00:25

My son has had hearing aids and grommets. I found the grommets were more effective but the wait list was so long and my son was really struggling so we went for hearing aids.

JayKay2020 · 26/10/2023 11:19

Hi any update on progress with speech after grommets? My 3 year old daughter has been diagnosed with glue ear both ears and whilst she is trying with her speech the clarity of her words is terrible. Most people can’t understand her. I can as I’m in tune with what she’s trying to say but very difficult. Looking for others for guidance & support on this. Xx

ThatsGoingToHurt · 28/10/2023 15:28

My daughter finally had grommets at the end of June at 5.5 years old. Glue ear didn’t strike until her 4th birthday (December baby). Unfortunately, this meant that she couldn’t hear properly for 2 terms of her pre-school year and almost all of her reception year at school.

The issue I’m finding now is that she hasn’t learnt to learn it listen as she missed all of that vital learning in the first term or reception. I wished I had pushed for grommets earlier as not being able to hear when she started school had a massive impact on her self esteem. My daughter went from a bubbly and confident girl who would have a go at anything and who would have told you she was good at everything. To be girl who hates school and tells me she doesn’t want to try and she is good at nothing.

JayKay2020 · 28/10/2023 18:54

How are you guys getting on post op? Any improvement on speech and most importantly how did school start go?

My DD (3yrs) is due to start school next year. Glue ear in both ears waiting on grommets and V speech delayed xx

DiscoBeat · 28/10/2023 19:02

My son had glue ear as a toddler. We decided against the grommets as when we asked the risks we were given a 3% chance of them causing permanent hearing damage, a risk we didn't want to take. Most times people grow out of GE as the tubes widen as they grow, so we thought we'd wait and see for a year or two. He wore a hearing aid for a little while but did grow out of it and has perfect hearing now. We did have his ears regularly checked for ear infections and he had no more issues than a child without GE - if he'd had a lot of discomfort we would have reconsidered.

Original poster
Smsa123 · 28/10/2023 20:36

I’m still waiting for grommets to be fitted on her, been told it’ll be within the next couple of months. Her speech has come on massively but I find that she mispronounces things still and new people may struggle to understand her

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