‘Not naughty just struggling to hear!’ Milton Keyne’s ear specialist on a mission to get parents checking for common ear condition

Ahead of school starting again in September, Buckinghamshire based consultant ENT surgeon Miss Alison Hunt, who is based at The Saxon Clinic, is encouraging parents to look out for a common hearing condition that effects children, with symptoms presenting as ‘delayed speech’ or ‘bad behaviour.’ Easier to treat than you might think, Miss Hunt is encouraging parents to check whether their children are struggling with the condition. 

Glue ear is the term given to a condition where mucus becomes trapped behind the child’s eardrum. Though mostly harmless in children, the condition can persist for some time leading children to experience hearing problems and struggling to respond to instructions from teachers and parents. 

“The lining of the nose and ear are connected by a tube called the eustachian tube,” Miss Hunt explained.  

She went onto say, “the condition is caused by the body struggling to clear mucus naturally, making hearing more difficult. It feels a lot like having water in your ears.” 

Normally, air is pumped from the nose into the ear through the eustachian tube. In children this tube is less muscular and a different shape to adults, meaning that their body struggles to clear mucus in the middle ear. 

“In most children glue ear will clear within three months, however, some children need additional intervention to help treat the condition,” Miss Hunt explained.  

 
Qualifying in 1999 having graduated from Guys and St Thomas Hospitals in London, Miss Hunt has dedicated her career to supporting patients with Ear, Nose and Throat conditions, describing her work as critical to “improving quality of life.” She is now on a mission to support parents who may be concerned about their children ahead of the new school year starting in a matter of weeks. 

When asked about symptoms, Miss Hunt explained that children struggling with glue ear can often appear fidgety and are incorrectly labelled as naughty.  

“Children with glue ear often present with speech delay which can mean children struggle with the pronunciation of words. It can be really worrying for parents as children with glue ear can also appear fidgety and struggle to concentrate. It’s not always a behaviour issue, more often than not they simply cannot hear and are sadly labelled as being naughty,” Miss Hunt explained. 

She added, “hearing becomes even harder for a child with glue ear when there is a lot of background noise, like in a classroom for instance. Whilst glue ear isn’t painful it can have a serious impact on a child’s behaviour, educational attainment and speech.” 

Whilst for most children glue ear will disappear over time and does not necessarily lead to long-term hearing issues, Miss Hunt warns that transient hearing loss can last a long time and impact speech development 

“When we treat a patient suffering with glue ear we have several options. The most commons approaches include using an Otovent Balloon, hearing aids or surgical grommet insertion,” Miss Hunt explained.  

She continued, “This is where the child has a short operation to drain the fluid in their ear. The surgeon makes a small hole in the ear drum and a plastic stent, called a grommet, is inserted to keep the hole open so that more fluid does not recollect.” 

She concluded by saying, “Glue ear is really common, and grommet insertion is one of the most common procedures performed on children in the UK.” 

When asked why it’s important for parents to check whether their children are struggling with glue ear, Miss Hunt said:  

“Supporting a child’s development, especially at an early age, is really important. Hearing and language comprehension are crucial especially during early school years. Conditions like glue ear are common and can be treated.  If any parent has concerns or feels their children might have any of these symptoms, then the best thing to do is speak to your family doctor or an ENT surgeon. 

“The doctor can assess the child and examine the ears, throat and nose to check for signs of glue ear. If further treatment is needed, like a grommet insertion for example, the procedure is usually very quick with the child going home the same day.” 

Miss Hunt will be running a free talk for parents interested in learning more about glue ear on Wednesday 23rd September at 7.30pm. To sign up or find out more about the event, visit: Not Naughty, Just Not Hearing: Understanding Glue Ear