What is glue ear?
For ears to work properly the middle ear needs to be kept full of air. The air travels through the Eustachian tube which runs from the middle ear to the back of the throat. In children this tube is not as vertical or as wide as it will be when they get older. This means that it often doesn’t work as well, particularly at times of coughs and colds. If the Eustachian tube is not functioning well, air cannot enter the middle ear. This causes the cells lining the middle ear to produce fluid. This is a runny liquid which can get thicker over time.
Glue Ear – Information for parents
