Our postage costs have all been calculated by weight and size, to ensure we offer you the most competitive rate possible. A small hole (perforation) of the eardrum occasionally persists in the eardrum after the grommet has come out. This usually heals without treatment but occasionally a small operation is needed to fix it. Minor damage and scarring to the eardrum may occur but this is unlikely to cause any problems. The main thing is to be aware that your child may have dulled hearing until the condition goes away or is treated. The following are some tips: Long-term follow-up studies after grommet insertion show a high rate of recurrence of glue ear, increased risk of a permanently perforated eardrum, and a high chance of hearing loss in the higher frequencies in later life. The child can breathe in without resistance and every time they breathe out it inflates the balloon a little bit more, increasing the pressure and helping to open the Eustachian tube to balance the pressure and help ventilate the fluid out of the middle ear.

As autoinflation has to be done several times a day, it's not usually recommended for children under 3 years old. The Valsalva maneuver is a breathing technique that your child can use to try to unclog their ears. To perform the maneuver, have your child pinch their nostrils and keep their mouth closed. Then tell them to try forcibly blowing air out through their nostrils. Your child may feel their ears “pop.” Otovent nasal balloonApproximately 200,000 children per year in the UK either attend GPs or are seen in the community per year with OME. There is a four in five chance a child will get an ear effusion in the first 10 years of their life.

The balloon needs to be inflated 3 times per day in each nostril, for example in the morning, after school and before bed. It is good to try and make blowing up the balloon part of your child's daily routine like when they are cleaning their teeth. If your child’s healthcare provider recommends testing, they’ll refer you to a specialist such as an audiologist or an ear, nose and throat doctor. This meant that about nine children need to be treated with the nasal balloon, for one extra child to recover normal hearing by three months (number needed to treat 9). This is a clinically important result. Williamson I, Vennik J, Harnden A, et al. Effect of nasal balloon autoinflation in children with otitis media with effusion in primary care: an open randomized controlled trial. CMAJ. 2015 Jul 27. pii: cmaj.141608. Surgery for glue ear involves placing tiny plastic tubes called grommets into your ear drum. These help drain out fluid from your middle ear. Your doctor may offer your child surgery if their glue ear is no better after three months and they have severe hearing loss in both ears. Surgery may also be an option if your child’s learning or development is significantly affected.

Other Remedies

A discharge (occasionally blood-stained) may occur for a couple of days immediately after the operation. After this time there shouldn’t be any discharge. If there is, you should see your GP for advice and antibiotic drops. Any prolonged discharge from the ear should be assessed by your ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor.