Glue Ears symptoms?????

[numnum]

Hi

As mentioned here about my son whos a bit of a handful, he's been referred for a hearing test. I don't think my son has a hearing problem but I did look into things to try and understand why he might be getting referred.

I found a lot of kids can have Glue Ears and this can cause behavioural problems. My son could tick a few of the boxes for this but he is a very good climber and has good co-ordination which a child with this wouldn't be very good at. But he is also quite violent, doesn't listen etc which could be a symptom of this

I wanted to know if anyones toddlers has had glue ears and what was there behaviour like?

[Sqad]

I have indeed had children, but none with glue ear and am thus speaking from a professional point of view rather than a personal one.

Behaviour problems are indeed associated with glue ear, but in my experience are not a common presenting feature which of course is hearing loss.
If a child is having difficulty in hearing, then he/she tends to be inattentive in class, loss interest and becomes disruptive. I have never known them become angry and aggressive, but this is quite possible.

I always had a rule of thumb that if the parents felt that the child's hearing was normal, then it invariably was and if they felt it was impaired, then it invariably was.....the parent being the best judge.

I hope this helped.

[numnum]

also, the websites i was reading, a lot of the toddlers had a history of ear infections which my son has never had. he's never been ill so he doesn't really tick those boxes and he doesn't hold his ears like childeren with this would do

i'll definately take him for the test. i remember my daughter had a bit of a cold once and i would never have thought it was her ears that were bothering her as it seemed to be a small sniffle and she wasn't holding her ears. turns out it was an ear infection and on antibiotics for a week.

[Sqad]

\\\\also, the websites i was reading, a lot of the toddlers had a history of ear infections which my son has never had. he's\\\\

Well my experience is just the opposite, in that a history of ear infections in glue ear cases is not characteristic.

[annie0000]

this is not an experience I have had with my own child, but someone I am acquainted with had real trouble with her son - he was older than yours but always in trouble and even broke a window at school, they fitted him with gromits in his ears and he totally calmed down and was really a very pleasant child to be around, so yes, I can see that it could cause behavioural difficulties.

[sherrardk]

Four of my child's have had glue ear, one really badly. The one who is worst affected had gromits fitted twice and both times they came out of their own accord. He is now 11 and still suffers with his ears. One of my children is still being referred for hearing tests as she is below normal. Another one is deaf as a post in the winter but fine in the summer. Their hearing has never seemed to affect their behaviour but all children are different. (The youngest has severe speech problems which can cause behavioural problems but he hasn't shown any such issues so far - touch wood.)

[annie0000]

must have calm genes sher :o)

[sherrardk]

Annie, they are very chilled kids to be fair to them.

[woofgang]

many years ago a close friend of our's son (about 4 years old) had speech problems and some behaviour problems including what appeared to be night terrors. The parents were excellent parents, they were going crazy trying to get their son sorted, then at what was then called child guidance, the specialist queried his hearing which had never appeared to be an issue so had never been tested. He turned out to have glue ear and gromits fixed all his problems. he had never shown any evidence of poor balance or co ordination, pain, discharge or any hearing impairment symptoms.

[numnum]

woofgand. thats very interesting about your friends son that has good balance and co-ordination and as sqad says about ear infections not being a sign. they could be onto something at the hospital. he might just be a badly behaved little boy but it will be really interesting to have the hearing test.

they did say he was at about 15 months for his speech but seemed to be ahead in the balancing. i cant remember the other things they mentioned, by that time there was madness in the room and i was only hearing bits of what was being said

did anyone have bother with there family believing them? im finding my partners side think we're being silly but they never see him in his own house and surroundings as they don't visit so i really dont think they should have much say in it

[ojread2]

from a professional POV, glue ear doesn't mean bad co-ordination but can, and often does, does present as behavioural issues

[numnum]

ojread2 - thanks, do you have any examples of what their behaviour would be like?

my son is naughty from the minute he gets up till he goes to bed. it starts at the breakfast table where he still throws his cup across the table, his plate gets tipped over at least once a day, it then can lead to him not wanting to get dressed or teeth brushed, he bites, spits, hair pulls, scratches

he pretty much wanted toilet trained at 18 months and uses peeing and pooing against us. if i'm putting him in his room he'll say pee, but i just put him back as i dont want him to start using it against us, then that will lead to him peeing or pooing in the room.

like the hospital said, he's very clever so he knows what he's doing but he just cant take a telling. even when they tried at the hospital they had no luck.

the list goes on, he gets out his car seat, opens the window, has ended up in the boot. he has climbed out the livingroom window.

[ojread2]

sorry for the late reply, but I have loads of examples, sadly

I've never seen glue ear cause co-ordination issues, but behavioural, yes
If a child can't hear properly, then how do they know what to do? If you're not going to get to their level and speak with them rather than at them, how does the child know it is them you are speaking to?

It can manifest in many different ways to hitting out to just general bad behaviour. Frustration is a key word used. Can't hear = doesn't understand

Has your son had a diagnosis of any sort?

[numnum]

we're just at the early stages of having our first referral to the hospital and thats where he's been referred to a hearing test and to see the speech department. this will all probably take a few months to all come through but there is a nursery for children with behaviour problems that they are putting us in touch with

we get down to speak to him but sometimes it can be difficult to even do that as he lashes out or goes for our face/hair. since reading about glue ear i have been trying to shorten my sentences to 'jacket on' or ' go car' to help him maybe understand if there is a problem with hearing.

i wouldn't say he's a bad boy just somethings not clicking with him.

its getting really sad as we just cant do anything with him , he doesnt sit on us, like cuddles, everything i a battle. visited friends today and we spent most of the hour visit running after him. he was up-rooting plants they had growing in the kitchen, jumping over the back of couches, climbing on the table, if my frind put her cuppa on the table and stood up, hed be up there as soon as she moved drinking it. shes a teacher and he wasn't taking a telling when she tried. he done lots more but my mind is just a blank now.

now we're trying to get him to bed and the escaping has started which can go on for 3 hours. he should be tired by now but he wont stay in bed. its been a year now and i've persisted with taking him back to the bed by the hand in silence and leaving the room. we cant even get in the bed with him as he doesn't like being cuddled. he keeps sying he needs a pee but he goes for one before bed and we know he doesn't need one and we take him one more time just in case but after that. its straight to bed

twice this week we've been caught out as hes pood himself

[woofgang]

I really dont think that any child is "just" badly behaved. Either he can control it and there is a reason why he doesn't or he cant control it and there is a reason for it which is illness/disabilty.
Imagine you are in a world where you don't know and can't predict what will happen next. other people can communicate with each other but you can't understand them or communicate with them more than a little...how scarey would that be?
I really really am not criticising you and hope you get some answers soon.

[cathfromsaron]

we sorted my daughter's painful ears and impaired hearing out with lactose free diet! she is an adult now but still 'doesn't listen', which is behavioural!

also smoking in homes with children is implicated in the glue ear subject!

[numnum]

none of us have smoked or around anyone or where that he would ever been in contact with smoke

i did mention to the hospital about diet and any food allergies or intolerances (spelling) but she didn't seem to want to go down that route and thought it was more behaviour.

thats him settled now after a 2 hour battle. phew. poor little chap. i just marched him back to bed each time but his face was beetroot with rage

hopefully we'll hear from the hearing department soon and can maybe rule that out or it maybe the problem

[ojread2]

at this stage, before diagnosis, consistency is definitely the key
Short sentences as you are doing is good.
Getting to his level when you can, and believe me I know just how difficult that can be!, is also good, but until you get a diagnosis you're at a point where there is nowhere forward and going backwards seems to be the only option
There is no reason why you cannot try a lactose/dairy free diet - dairy is known to cause irritate the mucous glands and this, of course, is all connected. It wont cure the glue ear but can lesson the build up further
Frustration can equal angry and aggressiveness
These averages of development are a very loose guide indeed. Just because his speech is a bit behind does not mean that some where he cannot understand you, and vice versa.
Hopefully, help is at hand, but my feelings are that there is a little more than glue ear going on here

[Sqad]

oj

\\Hopefully, help is at hand, but my feelings are that there is a little more than glue ear going on here\\


LOL....well said.

[ojread2]

:-)