A glue ear develops when phlegm and mucus from the nose pass up the thin Eustachian tube into the middle ear. It is difficult for these thick, sticky secretions to escape through the Eustachian tube to the back of the nose, particularly if the adenoids which surround the opening of the tube in to the nose are swollen.
There is a feeling of blockage in the affected ear similar to that felt when descending (more common) or ascending a mountain. Glue may also be responsible for a middle ear infection (Otitis media) and deafness.
Examination of the ear by an otoscope (magnifier and light) shows an opaque and bulging ear drum and special instruments can measure the pressure in the middle ear. The surgical insertion of a small tube (grommet) through the ear drum to relieve the pressure is often necessary. Recurrent cases may require the surgical removal of the adenoids, which are lymph nodes surrounding the nasal opening into the Eustachian tube, There are very good results after appropriate treatment, but the problem may recur after the grommets fall out.