How Can You Help Your Child When They Have Glue Ear?
Posted on: 10 November 2022
Most parents love the idea of their child exploring the world with few restrictions. If your little one suffers from glue ear, they'll experience a temporary reduction in their hearing. While that temporary reduction may not mean much to an adult, for children, it can have lasting effects. Glue ear is a condition where the middle part of the eardrum fills with fluid. It can affect one or both ears, making life a struggle for your child. Here are some ways you can support them, including effective medical interventions.
Liaise With Others
When you're not the only person caring for your child, it's important to make others aware of their condition. Everyone from other family members to teachers should be made aware that they're experiencing a temporary loss of hearing. By doing so, you make it easier for those people to adjust the way they approach your child. This is particularly important in educational settings, where your child may need adjustments to continue learning. You may want to provide your child's teachers with patient information leaflets. Such leaflets explain how a child's behaviour can change with glue ear so their teacher will know how to treat them fairly.
Communicate Differently
A lot of the frustrations your little one experiences with glue ear are due to communication barriers. Unlike an adult, they won't be able to give you instructions on better ways to communicate with them. Instead, they depend on you taking the lead and adjusting your approach to communication. As your child may not hear what you say initially, try touching them to get their attention before you start speaking. Doing so ensures they receive full messages and don't feel confused. Always speak to their face, use simple sentences, and try speaking louder if necessary. Over time, you'll find a communication method that works while your child recovers.
Child Grommets Surgery
In a lot of cases, glue ear resolves within a few months. However, you may feel that you don't want your child to struggle during those months. Additionally, if the symptoms of glue ear don't show signs of improvement, you may want to use a medical intervention. Child grommets surgery involves placing a small tube in the affected ear so that fluid drains away. It's a minimally-invasive procedure that has excellent results. Most grommets fall out naturally after a year when the glue ear resolves. In addition to hastening your little one's recovery, using this surgery makes it easier for them to enjoy the world around them.
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