Saturday, August 1, 2015

Fixing Ear Problems with Balloons

Many children suffer from ear problem, mostly Otitis Media with effusion or most commonly known as Glue Ear. Other than treating the children with antibiotics, there's a simpler way, a balloon. A clinical trial that included 320 children, that varied from the ages of 4- 11, used a nasal balloon, that assisted in any ear fluid build up. "49.6 percent of children using the balloon cleared up the fluid, compared with 38.3 percent of children in the control group."  This balloon isn't the typically birthday balloon, its a nasal balloon. "The nasal balloon device is a balloon with a short, tubelike nozzle; children block one nostril and blow into the nozzle through the other nostril to inflate the balloon and then switch nostrils. The practice, called Autoinflation, opens up the Eustachian tube that connects the middle ear and the back of the nose, introducing air into the middle ear and allowing the fluid to drain better." The clinical trial continues but it continues to show great results if the device is used on a daily basis. 
When I was working in a daycare, many children would have to leave early or they wouldn't come in at all because of glue ear. If this balloon would get approved after the trial, this would be a benefit to many children who suffer with this. 


http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/07/30/a-balloon-to-treat-glue-ear-a-common-childhood-problem/?ref=health 

1 comment:

  1. I love how a medical problem such as glue ear can be solved with such a simple solution. Simple responses are often the most effective and trustworthy, with room for adjustment if needed. And nothing gets simpler than blowing into a balloon.

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