Taking a careful history is important to identify risk factors for developing OME. Additionally, those with chronic Eustachian tube dysfunction and OME are at risk for structural damage of the tympanic membrane. 9 Because hearing loss in young children may delay or permanently change their communication skills and may lead to behavioral and educational difficulties, 10 there has been concern about the possible role of OME on these outcomes. This hearing loss is often mild (i.e., worsened or with hearing threshold elevated by about 10 dB), but in some cases moderate or severe hearing loss can occur. Temporary hearing loss is common among OME patients. Patients with OME are also prone to episodes of acute otitis media (AOM). OME can be associated with discomfort and a feeling of fullness in the ear. The incidence of prolonged OME in adults is not known, but it is much less common than in children.
3 These include exposure to secondhand smoke, attending child care, and having environmentally induced allergies.Īlthough rare, OME also occurs in adults, usually developing after a severe upper respiratory infection such as sinusitis, severe allergies, or rapid change in air pressure (barotrauma) after a plane flight or a scuba dive. There are several predisposing environmental factors that are associated with an increased risk of developing OME.
In addition, children with existing hearing loss will be affected more dramatically by the secondary conductive hearing loss that occurs with OME. 6 Individuals of American Indian, Alaskan, and Asian backgrounds are believed to be at greater risk, 7 as are children with adenoid hyperplasia. Those with cleft palate, Down syndrome, and other craniofacial anomalies are at high risk for anatomic causes of OME in addition to worsened function of the Eustachian tube. 1,4,5 Additionally, some subpopulations of children are disproportionately affected by OME. 2,3 Many episodes of OME resolve spontaneously within 3 months, but 30 to 40 percent of children have recurrent episodes and 5 to 10 percent of cases last more than 1 year.
2 As many as 90 percent of children (80% of individual ears) will have at least one episode of OME by age 10, with the majority of cases occurring between the ages of 6 months and 4 years. OME is one of the most commonly occurring childhood illnesses in the United States with more than 2.2 million diagnosed cases each year at an estimated annual cost of 4 billion dollars. When this happens, pressure changes occur in the middle ear and fluid can accumulate. 1 It typically arises when the Eustachian tubes are not functioning normally. Otitis media with effusion (OME) is defined as a collection of fluid in the middle ear without signs or symptoms of ear infection. Background and Objectives for the Systematic Review
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