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Glue Ears and Hearing Loss School children often suffer from otitis media with effusion (OME) or glue ear. Glue ear is a build up of sticky fluid in the middle ear space of one or both ears. The fluid is often quite thin and runny but it may become thicker, like glue. The fluid stops the eardrum moving freely and so can lead to a more serious hearing problem. About four in every five children have at least one mild bout of glue ear in early childhood and it often clears up without treatment. Whilst any lasting damage from glue ear would be extremely rare, it can nonetheless impact a child's educational, behavioural and general development lasting over several years. It is therefore important that parents and teachers of children affected understand the condition and the steps that they can take to minimise its impact. If the condition does not resolve by itself than a grommet or a ventilating tube is inserted. Occasionally the adenoids and tonsils may also have to be removed at the same time.

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