This week check-up looks at Glue Ear
My six-year-old has had several middle ear infections since he started school last year. Why does he keep getting these?
Middle ear infections - otitis media - commonly affect children between the ages of six and 12 months and between five and six years. This type of ear infection usually follows a nose or throat infection such as the common cold. As a result viruses and bacteria travel up the short narrow Eustachian tube that connects the middle ear to the back of the throat.
When it becomes blocked, bugs can get trapped in the middle ear cavity causing an infection. Children with otitis media tend to complain of earache and can experience severe pain. The child may be irritable, have a temperature and feel unwell. You may also notice that he rubs or pulls at the affected ear and may have a blocked or runny nose.
I don't really like giving him antibiotics but is there anything else I can do to help him?
Recurrent otitis media can be very debilitating for a young child not to mention distressing for parents. You really need to bring him to your GP to be examined when it flares up. Antibiotics are the usual form of treatment, in addition to pain relief, and you may find steaming him with the addition of a decongestant helpful.
This helps unblock the nose and Eustachian tube and should bring about some relief. A blowing exercise where the nose is pinched and your son then blows his cheeks out forcefully while keeping his mouth sealed, can also help clear the blocked tube.
Even when he does not have an active ear infection I feel he is a little deaf. Is this possible?
Yes, children can experience partial deafness during ear infections, but a child with recurrent ear infections can go on to develop a condition known as glue ear. With a blocked Eustachian tube, a build-up of sticky glue-like fluid gets trapped behind the ear drum and cannot drain away.
Hearing problems and inattentiveness are not uncommon in a child with glue ear. Your doctor can arrange for him to have a special hearing test - an audiogram - to establish his level of hearing. Severe cases of glue ear are treated by the insertion of tiny tubes into the ears. Called grommets, they keep the Eustachian tube open, allowing fluid to drain away. This is a straight forward operation but does need to be performed under general anaesthetic.