Glue ear and gastric reflux

Deafness Research UK researchers at Newcastle University investigated the link between chronic glue ear and gastric reflux.

Glue ear is a condition that affects 4 out of 5 pre-school children, causing the build up of a sticky fluid ('glue') in the middle ear which can result in hearing loss of up to 50%.

Current treatment involves surgery to drain the fluid and to insert grommets (ventilation tubes) into the ear drum. The occurrence of glue ear at the critical nursery and primary school years has a detrimental effect upon a child's language learning, reading ability and behaviour, which can last into adulthood.

Our Newcastle team, led by Professor Jeffrey Pearson, showed that gastric reflux (stomach juices which come up into the throat) can reach the middle ear more easily in children through a connection called the Eustachian tube. Once in the middle ear, the gastric juices cause damage which leads to inflammation that is thought to trigger the production of the glue.

The team attempted to elucidate the exact role of gastric juice components in glue formation, by measuring the levels of these factors in the glue from children on their second or third operations for grommets, and also to further understand the molecular basis for the inflammation caused by gastric reflux.

This research could lead to the development of alternative treatments for glue ear that do not rely upon surgery. These treatments would minimise the risk of recurrences, which leave those currently affected by chronic glue ear at risk of spending critical years of their lives with impaired hearing, as well as removing the risk of damage to the ear drum caused by surgery.

Progress report

The team identified specific molecules that should be targeted, which has helped prepare the background for new non-surgical treatments for glue ear.