Glue ear

[whatthejuice]

Hi,
I've just seen a health visitor who has said that most children who have some hearing loss through glue ear have grommets. Is that correct?
She also said that he definitely will be delayed with his speech.
I only ask because I was given the alternative view by an audiologist in January. It's a bit worrying that two healthcare professionals are saying such different things.
We will deal with it whatever but I'd like to know the likelihood of grommets being in my little ones future.
Thanks in advance!

No idea about 'most children', but my DC who had glue ear and delayed speech needed grommets to clear it. It's a small operation, but done under GA and it cleared up the glue ear a treat. Is your DC seeing an ENT consultant?

My 7 year old DD has just had grommets. No speech or language issues but school was more tiring for her and she has issues with balance. The grommets have been life changing.

My son had glue ear from quite a young age but no hearing loss (slight hearing affected at a certain pitch but speech was next level so no concerns). They did mention grommets if it didn't sort itself out, also because he had recurring ear infections but he's 4 now and seems to have rectified itself.

For most kids it gets better and they grow out of it by 6 years old. 50% of kids under 10 will have had glue ear at some point and no were near that number of children have grommets.

My DD was diagnosed with glue ear when she was about 3 or 4 due to her speech not being great. She was fitted with a hearing aid aged around 5 or 6 and wore it until she was about 12 when it had totally cleared up. She also had to have speech therapy when young.

I think it all depends on the severity of the hearing loss. DD is 19 now with no hearing issues.

One of mine had temporary hearing aids at 2 as local NHS don't fund grommet surgery for under threes. Wore them for about 6 months then it cleared up by itself. There was some speech delay.

Thanks for your reply. Yes, he had his first diagnosis at end of January and he is being seen again with a hearing test end of April.

Thank you for replying! When we had the hearing test, he missed only the very quietest of sounds so will be interesting to see if that remains the same/rectifies itself next time we're seen

Wow I had no idea it was so common!

Thanks so much for sharing! Happy to hear it all worked out :)

Thank you, glad to hear it cleared ok by itself :)

My daughter had intermittent glue ear depending on when she'd last had a cold (glue ear would last for months afterwards but would eventually clear up - until the next cold). The paediatricians took a watch and wait approach with regular appointments, each time with a hearing test, and occasional nasal sprays. She wasn't speech delayed although she said some speech sounds incorrectly for a while until she was told clearly what they were (s/f and b/v, for instance). It never seemed to hold her back so grommets were always put off until eventually it was clear she wasn't going to need them.

That sounds very similar to my little one. Speech is, to my mind anyway, what you would expect for a 2 turning 3 year old. Some sounds are mixed up but not too many.

For most it will only be for a few weeks, up to 3 months, and follows a cold.

https://www.ndcs.org.uk/information-and-support/childhood-deafness/causes-of-deafness/glue-ear/

When she was about 4, I wrote down a list of the speech sound inaccuracies and emailed a speech therapist asking what was 'normal' and she was kind enough to put my mind at rest about some which were still developing, and she suggested I correct some - when I did my daughter immediately started saying those correctly. I also told every teacher and teaching assistant who taught my daughter about her intermittent hearing difficulties because I'd had the experience myself of thinking she was deliberately being naughty when in fact she hadn't heard what I'd said. I really didn't want them thinking she was choosing not to listen to them.

This is great advice thank you!

DD2 was diagnosed with glue ear and hearing loss when she was 3. She had grommets fitted just after her 4th birthday before she started school. I'm a teacher and wanted it sorted before she started reception as I didn't want it to impact her.

Definitely understand your reasoning! We will see what the audiologist says come end of April

Hey @whatthejuice following this thread as my 2 Y/O has glue ear and we are looking at paying to get grommets done privately.

would love an update please!