A simple procedure using what’s known as a “nasal balloon” can treat hearing loss in children with a common middle-ear problem, preventing unnecessary and ineffective treatment with antibiotics, according to a new study.
Many young children develop a condition in which the middle ear fills with thick fluid — so-called “glue ear.” Often, children have no symptoms and parents seek medical help only when they notice that youngsters have hearing problems.
Dr. Jordan Josephson is an ear, nose and throat specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. He said that kids are much more prone to glue ear because “the eustachian tube — which is the tube that connects the ear to the back of the nose — gets clogged,” often during a sinus infection, allergy or even pollution-linked inflammation.