World Hearing Day, Sunday 3rd March

Published: 7 February 2024

World Hearing Day, Sunday 3 March and Glue Ear Together (GET)  

World Hearing Day is an annual global advocacy event for raising awareness regarding hearing loss and promoting ear and hearing care. This year we would like to raise awareness of Glue Ear.

Glue Ear is one of the most common childhood illnesses, and occurs when the middle ear becomes filled with sticky fluid. It’s usually temporary and often linked with ear infections, but long-term glue ear can affect children’s hearing and speech development. 1 in 5 pre-school children have glue ear at any one time and 8 out of 10 children will experience glue ear before the age of 10.

Information and Advice for parents/carers 

• The new Glue Ear Together website provides clear information about the causes of glue ear, common signs and symptoms, impacts on development and interventions. This website will increasingly be recommended by clinicians and other professionals for families to promote understanding. Ways to help support a child with glue ear — Glue Ear Together
• The National Deaf Childrens Society also have some clear and useful advice for parents who are concerned about possible Glue Ear and treatment Causes of glue ear | Information about glue ear (ndcs.org.uk)

Information and Advice for school staff – what you can do

• Creating good listening environments will benefit children with glue ear. Good listening conditions will improve learning and retention of information and improve behaviour in the classroom for all children. Take a look at this guidance from the National Deaf Children’s Society - Creating good listening conditions | Information for professionals (ndcs.org.uk)
• Some common signs of glue ear/ hearing loss include: not responding when called, constantly saying ‘what?’, often misunderstanding or ignoring instructions. Take a look at the full list of common signs and what to do if you suspect a hearing loss - https://www.ndcs.org.uk/information-and-support/professionals/signs-of-hearing-loss/
• STePS Deaf / Hearing Impaired Team have produced a simple, quick and easy to read guide on Acoustics and listening conditions (see section 5.1 in the STePs Mini-Guides Resource) - Mini guides - Schools' Information Portal (derby.gov.uk) (password SENCO2023)

Check your own hearing

Have you considered checking your own hearing? The world health organization (WHO) have developed a mobile and web-based software app for hearing screening. It’s free and you can download it to your phone - https://www.who.int/teams/noncommunicable-diseases/sensory-functions-disability-and-rehabilitation/hearwho 

For more information contact Eleanor Moore at Eleanor.moore@derby.gov.uk 

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