Glue ear or otitis media with effusion (OME) is a condition where the fluid inside the middle ear gets trapped and becomes thick.
The Eustachian tube is a canal that connects the middle ear to the nasopharynx, which consists of the upper throat and the back of the nasal cavity
Because babies and young children have smaller Eustachian tubes, they get more middle ear infections than older children. During a cold, germs from the throat can travel up to the middle ear and cause an infection. Infections develop more easily in smaller tubes and it is not uncommon for young children to have lots of ear infections in one year, sometimes as often as once every month.
Every time a middle ear infection happens, fluid collects behind the ear drum. This fluid usually slowly clears by itself, but children who get frequent infections may have fluid accumulated behind the eardrum for longer.
It is not known why it happens, but glue ear involves the fluid becoming more sticky, maybe due to a lack of drainage via various channels, including the Eustachian tube.
Glue ear may last for many weeks or months, generating hearing loss. Occasionally, glue ear can temporarily affect language development.
The good news is that, with Bowen Therapy, many practitioners have reported children recovering from this condition and avoiding the need for grommets or T-tubes
Fluid drainage is stimulated using the Upper Respiratory and TMJ (Temporomandibular joint) Procedures, where the Bowen work is done around the temporal area.