What causes glue ear?
Glue ear is the result of the middle ear (the air-filled space behind the eardrum) becoming filled with a glue-like fluid. This means the nerves receive smaller vibrations from the eardrum and small bones in the middle ear for the brain to interpret as sound – in effect this turns the volume down. There are many reasons this may happen but generally in your young child the shape of the tube means it’s more easily blocked. When your toddler has a cold or other infection, more mucus is produced in the throat and ear, and this can then block the tube.
