How is glue ear diagnosed?

[used2bthin]

Sorry to go on about this but my DD was found to have some bubbles in her ear and I'm not sure if this means glue ear for definate(she's been referred for a hearing test but I don't know if its to assess the damage done or to find out if she's got it.) I googled it and it seems bubbles in the ear is one indication of glue ear. Does anyone know if that means she has got it? Wish I'd asked this at the doctors at the time!

hello again! the doctor put some sort of instrument into my dd1's ear (it didn't bother her at all)and the reading showed that there was high pressure behind the ear drum, and they diagnosed glue ear. Later they did a hearing test and she didn't do very well on that.

Hello! Sorry been up early stressing then dd woke. Ah so bubbles in the ear maybe doesn't definately mean she's got it. The doctor only put the thing in with the blight to check for inflamation from infection I think (very technical me!) So was that your GP that diagnosed it or the specialist? You must be thinking panicky cow!

It was a specialist doctor who diagnosed it - an ENT doctor. But my GP had noticed fluid in her ears, but I didn't realise what that meant at the time.

Thanks so the GP maybe didn't mean she has got it just that she may do. We haven't been reffered to ENT though just the hearing test. I don't really know why this is getting to me this much we have had far worse things happen with her but somehow it seems more unfair when it isn't something related to her condition! Thanks for your help (x2!)

glue ear is basically very thick fuid in ear that cannot drain as normal
it can be cuased by an infection of in can just happen

the light thingy that doctors use can tell if she has glue ear becasue thay can see the ear drum bulging from too much fluid inside

the diagnosis will also be based on what your daughter has been feeling

pain and loss of hearing usually means glue ear if it is prolonged and the ear drum is bulging

its not something to panic about dd1 has glue and has had one set of grommets which completely sorted it but when they fell out (and a bit early) the problem slowly came back
she will be having more grommets soons

the reason it happens is because the eustation (sp?) tubes on small children aren't big enough to drain the fliud once it becaomes thickened

discalimer: I'm not an expert, just a mum of a dd with glue ear

My dd1 had only ever had one ear infection, that was when she was very small, but she still got glue ear and I was very surprised. Like TR says, sometimes it just happens.

Thanks TTPR, so maybe after the hearing test they will decide whether it seems she has it. All the doctor mentioned was bubbles in the ear. But I had asked her to take a look because DD had been crying out and pulling on her ear, I thought she may have an infection as she's had a cold and seems to get ear infections with each bad cold.DD's condition makes anaesthetic tricky, she's already had one and got another later this year, shame they can't do these ops all at once! I hadn't worried about her speech but the doctor did express concern when I said she has stopped saying words that she used to have. Hard to know at her age I expect as development is so varied from child to child.

My DD WILL NOT wear a hat or would not this winter anyway. Bet that didn't help.

my dds won't wear hats either! Or gloves, or scarfs! I can only assume it's because they don't get that cold. And they also take off their sunhats in the summer.

Yes my DD jst throws off her sunhat too! She did that last summer and I thought by this summer I might be able to reason with her more in fact my mission for today is to get her a hat which ties on to see if that works this year (it din't last year)