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Original poster

Glue ear - any experiences?

54 replies

mistypop · 23/04/2023 19:16

Hi, my son is almost 18 months old. He used to babble and make sounds like words but this all stopped ages ago and now he barely makes any sounds but occasionally says mama. He had a bad ear infection at about 11 months old, and had two different courses of antibiotics. I’m sure it was around then he stopped talking? He does respond to his name but sometimes I have to say it a few times or louder. I have some hearing issues in my family, my mum had glue ear as a child and also his uncle and both had delayed speech because of it. Does this sound like it could be glue ear? He is otherwise meeting all milestones and is so sociable? Just silent… if anyone has any experience of a similar situation I’d love to hear… I took him to the HV who has referred him for audiology and speech and language. Thanks

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Iminthemoneylife · 23/04/2023 19:48

This isn’t my experience of a child with glue ear. DD1 has significant glue ear which is now getting worse. I didn’t notice it until after she turned 2 and she didn’t always seem to hear me if I wasn’t facing her. Nursery was convinced she she didn’t have a hearing issue.

SiouxsieSiouxStiletto · 23/04/2023 20:59

It's really, really good that the HV has referred him for a hearing test. Do you know how long the wait is?

Original poster
mistypop · 23/04/2023 21:10

@SiouxsieSiouxStiletto Thanks. I have no idea how long the wait is, I didn’t actually ask. We are in london. I was thinking of booking a private one as I assume the wait will be ages but not sure I can afford it!

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WhatHaveIDone21 · 23/04/2023 21:23

DD2 was older than your DS when she was diagnosed with glue ear. I took her to the drs because she often wouldn't hear me when I was talking to her and she always spoke loudly. The dr referred us but the wait was so long that we went private as I was worried her lack of hearing would hinder her speech.

She had glue ear in both ears and roughly 25% hearing loss. She had grommets fitted in both ears and that fixed the problem.

Original poster
mistypop · 23/04/2023 21:28

@WhatHaveIDone21 thank you. maybe I will call them to ask about the wait and maybe go private depending. Did she suffer with ear infections before it started? And did she speak / babble?

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WhatHaveIDone21 · 23/04/2023 21:31

@mistypop she had a few ear infections but not lots. It was mainly her lack of hearing when I was speaking that I was worried about. She spoke quite a lot (she was 3 when she was diagnosed) although very loudly.

Peppapigboresme · 23/04/2023 21:35

This reply has been withdrawn

The OP has privacy concerns about this thread, so we've agreed to take it down.

abbs1 · 23/04/2023 21:42

From 1 mum to another my advice is push and push and dont stop until you're happy.
My son has finally been diagnosed with glue ear and await surgery after over 15 months of being fobbed off.

He's now had 9 double ear infections since Sept last year and a hearing test confirmed moderate hearing loss. My little boy can't talk and sounds like a deaf person and seeing him upset because he can't communicate breaks my heart.

Please don't take no for an answer. All I got from when he was 13 months old was he's a covid baby they all have speech delay don't worry. SALT refused to see him until he turned 3 and all this time I knew something was wrong but no one would believe me. Waiting lists are ridiculously long as well. He's been down as urgent and its taken 4 months to get an urgent apt.

I wish I had the money to go private to get his surgery done but I don't so I can only hope he gets it soon.

I'm mentally exhausted from it all but I won't stop until he's had his surgery and can hear again.

abbs1 · 23/04/2023 21:44

WhatHaveIDone21 · 23/04/2023 21:23

DD2 was older than your DS when she was diagnosed with glue ear. I took her to the drs because she often wouldn't hear me when I was talking to her and she always spoke loudly. The dr referred us but the wait was so long that we went private as I was worried her lack of hearing would hinder her speech.

She had glue ear in both ears and roughly 25% hearing loss. She had grommets fitted in both ears and that fixed the problem.

How much did it cost to do private? We've been quoted over £3k for grommets and adenoids out

WhatHaveIDone21 · 23/04/2023 21:57

@abbs1 we have private health insurance so we only pay a small part of the costs. I can't actually remember how much it was exactly but I remember the theatre was over £1000 alone. DD2 has also had her adenoids removed but that was a separate operation.

TimeToBreakFree · 24/04/2023 00:07

mistypop · 23/04/2023 19:16

Hi, my son is almost 18 months old. He used to babble and make sounds like words but this all stopped ages ago and now he barely makes any sounds but occasionally says mama. He had a bad ear infection at about 11 months old, and had two different courses of antibiotics. I’m sure it was around then he stopped talking? He does respond to his name but sometimes I have to say it a few times or louder. I have some hearing issues in my family, my mum had glue ear as a child and also his uncle and both had delayed speech because of it. Does this sound like it could be glue ear? He is otherwise meeting all milestones and is so sociable? Just silent… if anyone has any experience of a similar situation I’d love to hear… I took him to the HV who has referred him for audiology and speech and language. Thanks

Does sound just like my experience with my DC. Audiology will diagnose if it is, though it's possible for the drums to block and I knock periodically. My Dc was severely blocked and then less than 12 weeks later completely cleared again! Grew out of it before they could operate though, and then more than made up for speech! Much later found out to be autistic as well but that wasn't obvious at the time either. I only mention this because sometimes hearing loss and autism are confused for each other (we had both just to complicated things!). I felt awful about the hearing as I'd suspected it and allowed myself to be talked out of it. It was only when preschool told me to return to GP that GP sat up and took notice.

Don't worry about catch up though. Having not talked until three, within a matter of weeks we were caught up and even well ahead.

SiouxsieSiouxStiletto · 24/04/2023 07:05

mistypop · 23/04/2023 21:28

@WhatHaveIDone21 thank you. maybe I will call them to ask about the wait and maybe go private depending. Did she suffer with ear infections before it started? And did she speak / babble?

I'd definitely chase up the hearing test appointment Flowers

LGBirmingham · 24/04/2023 07:38

My son had chronic glue ear between 1 and 18 months when he had grommets. As in one or two infections a month. I think you'd know about it though because there would be puss coming out of the ear and also it's very painful.

He was reffered to ent and did have a hearing test. The audiologist said there was still a lot of congestion in the ears, despite him not actually having an infection at the time of the test. So I guess your lo could still have congestion?

It did effect his speech but not loads. He was still roughly where he needed to be but once he got the grommets words seemed to come daily and pronunciation was clearer.

Newyeardietstartstomorrow · 24/04/2023 07:41

Watch your dc's teeth if they have glue ear or lots of ear infections as a toddler. My dc had to have a lot of their first back teeth removed as was is assumed the ear issues affected the enamel coating on their teeth.

Original poster
mistypop · 24/04/2023 10:17

Thanks everyone

@SiouxsieSiouxStiletto just rang audiology, they haven’t received the referral and told me to contact the HV again. told me likely to be 3 month wait…

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Original poster
mistypop · 24/04/2023 19:51

@WhatHaveIDone21 where did you go private? I’m finding it a bit overwhelming trying to find a place that will just do the standard hearing test for this situation for an 18 month old.

@TimeToBreakFree i also feel like I’ve been talked out of it for ages, people kept telling me it’s because he’s learning to walk etc so has just stopped talking for a while. But I’m sure that’s not the case. Also I know it could be signs of autism - thought so and thanks for confirming. If it is I’m obviously completely okay with it but would like any help that’s out there as soon as possible to help him out in any way I can

I took him to the doctors today and spoke to one and another one she got a second opinion from. They both agreed it could definitely be glue ear/a hearing problem but basically advised I go private for at least the hearing test if I can as the wait is so long followed by a long wait for ENT which could take altogether about a year.

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WhatHaveIDone21 · 24/04/2023 20:03

@mistypop I looked at our local Spire hospital and found the name of an ENT consultant. Then I spoke to my insurance to see if they covered him on my policy and arranged the appointment.

debbiewest0 · 24/04/2023 20:10

Abbs1
i find that “sounds like a deaf person” really offensive? My daughter is deaf and is perfect to me. Deaf people do not need to be mocked that way. And don’t forget, glue ear can repeat all the way through so your son may become part of the Deaf community… will you still mock him then?

SiouxsieSiouxStiletto · 24/04/2023 21:46

mistypop · 24/04/2023 10:17

Thanks everyone

@SiouxsieSiouxStiletto just rang audiology, they haven’t received the referral and told me to contact the HV again. told me likely to be 3 month wait…

Hope you've managed to speak to your HV today and she's sorted it out Flowers

TimeToBreakFree · 24/04/2023 21:53

Just gotta say I didn't find that mocking in any way. It comes across as noting that sometimes if a person has never heard words formed they find it harder to pronounce in a way that can be heard easily unless you are 'tuned in' like you will be with your daughter. Acknowledging that is not being rude about other people, otherwise, think about it - she's being rude about her own child too, isn't she? But she's actually saying this is our experience and this is what we found to be the case.

loveacupoftea18 · 24/04/2023 22:02

As per a PP this is my experience.

My daughter didn't have ear infections but seemed to lose the words she had started using. I was really noticing a delay compared to her older sister but was fobbed off by several doctors saying second children talk later and that I was neurotic.

Went private, to lovely Mr Lilly who was recommended on this board. She has glue ear, severe hearing loss and enlarged tonsils and adenoids. I knew all of this deep down but was made to question myself. She's booked in for grommets as well as tonsils and adenoids out next month.

mrsfennel · 24/04/2023 22:13

@debbiewest0 not quite sure where you got mocking from.

@mistypop really hope your appointment comes through as soon as possible.

abbs1 · 25/04/2023 07:45

debbiewest0 · 24/04/2023 20:10

Abbs1
i find that “sounds like a deaf person” really offensive? My daughter is deaf and is perfect to me. Deaf people do not need to be mocked that way. And don’t forget, glue ear can repeat all the way through so your son may become part of the Deaf community… will you still mock him then?

I'm so sorry, it wasn't meant to come across in that way. I was just trying to explain how his speech currently is. I wasn't mocking him or any other person with a hearing impairment.

abbs1 · 25/04/2023 07:48

WhatHaveIDone21 · 23/04/2023 21:57

@abbs1 we have private health insurance so we only pay a small part of the costs. I can't actually remember how much it was exactly but I remember the theatre was over £1000 alone. DD2 has also had her adenoids removed but that was a separate operation.

Ah right. No problem. We've been quoted around 3500-4000. We're seeing if we can raise the funds to go private as I rang to chase my son's surgery as he's currently dealing with his 10th double ear infection and apparently he's not an urgent case so theres a lot of children ahead of him. I'm trying all I can but just not getting anywhere with it.

debbiewest0 · 25/04/2023 13:13

Thanks Abbs1.
I had felt it said in your post that you were unhappy with his help and treatment (understandable as the waiting times are shocking for ent appointments) but also unhappy that he was sounding deaf like it was a bad thing. I understand what you meant now, thank you ☺️

I hope you get help soon - it is such a long process at such a critical time. my daughter had grommets and all sorts and it didn’t improve but her hearing aids mean speech can be formed well 👍 take care

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