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In more difficult cases, like that of my daughter, it may produce symptoms but most doctors are not skilled enough to recognize the subtle changes in the appearance of the ear drum that indicate a problem. Despite specifically having her checked for fluid in the ear my daughter went undiagnosed until she was 2 1/2 not walking or talking and we took her to an extremely skilled ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist.
Fluid in the ear typically occurs at a time in a child’s development when they are normally developing speech. What is so discouraging is that this problem can persist even after fluid in the ear has been treated and there is currently no cure. Whilespeech therapyis beneficial for many of these children developmental delay can be significant. That’s why I was so excited to come across a story about an adult who suffered developmental delays as a child from fluid in the ear and how she overcame these challenges.
The news story, as it appeared in theHastings and Saint Leonard’s Observerin England,is about Hannah Scott who was born with fluid in the ear but went on to earn her Ph.D. As a child Scott was placed in a special education school due to her severe speech delays, she didn’t let it stop her though and went on not only to earn a Ph.D but to help others with disabilities. Dr. Scott said: “It has really been a battle for me and I have been fighting all the way to overcome these obstacles. Rather than accept them, I retaliated, became obstinate and fought against them.” The 34-year-old woman who lives in England now lectures part time at a University to help students training to teach people with disabilities.
If you would like more information on Fluid in the Ear you may wish to read:
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2 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Ear Infections in Children.Steele DW, Adam GP, Di M, Halladay CH, Balk EM, Trikalinos TA.Effectiveness of tympanostomy tubes for otitis media: a meta-analysis.Pediatrics. 2017;139(6):e20170125. doi: 10.1542/peds.2017-0125
2 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Ear Infections in Children.Steele DW, Adam GP, Di M, Halladay CH, Balk EM, Trikalinos TA.Effectiveness of tympanostomy tubes for otitis media: a meta-analysis.Pediatrics. 2017;139(6):e20170125. doi: 10.1542/peds.2017-0125
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Ear Infections in Children.Steele DW, Adam GP, Di M, Halladay CH, Balk EM, Trikalinos TA.Effectiveness of tympanostomy tubes for otitis media: a meta-analysis.Pediatrics. 2017;139(6):e20170125. doi: 10.1542/peds.2017-0125
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Ear Infections in Children.
Steele DW, Adam GP, Di M, Halladay CH, Balk EM, Trikalinos TA.Effectiveness of tympanostomy tubes for otitis media: a meta-analysis.Pediatrics. 2017;139(6):e20170125. doi: 10.1542/peds.2017-0125
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