Effective Nasal Balloon Recommended for Wider use in Children With Glue Ear

POOLE, England, September 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Health Technology Assessment^[1] finds autoinflation with easy-to-use nasal balloon, Otovent, an effective treatment for otitis media with effusion (commonly referred to as Glue Ear).  The report also finds the method to offer good value for money to the NHS and recommends its wider use in children with Glue Ear.  

Otovent, from Kestrel Medical, offers a simple and non-invasive alternative to antibiotics and surgery in treating Glue Ear by using pressure from a balloon to help drain fluid that gets trapped in the ear and causes hearing problems.

The report, based on an open randomised study, undertaken by Dr Williamson at the University of Southampton, found autoinflation in young children to be feasible in primary care, with most children able to perform the technique appropriately.  The method was effective for clearing the middle ear fluid and also improved quality of life in children with otitis media.  The study involved 320 children aged 4 to 11 years who had recent histories of glue ear in one or both ears. The children who used Otovent experienced fewer days with any Glue Ear related symptoms at both one and three months, compared to those that didn't.

Glue ear is a common condition that affects around 200,000 children every year in the UK^[2],[3] and is most common in children under the age of ten. It's caused when a sticky, glue-like fluid fills the middle ear and causes the child to develop hearing difficulties.

For further information about glue ear and Otovent please visit http://www.gluear.co.uk.  

About Otovent

Otovent is the only clinically proven, non-surgical and drug free treatment for glue ear. Available from pharmacies nationwide and costs £7.84 and and online at http://www.gluear.co.uk.

Otovent is a proven effective form of treatment for reducing the symptoms of glue ear (Otitis Media with Effusion). It is the only clinically effective, non-surgical and drug free treatment for glue ear.

Otovent is a small balloon which the child blows-up through their nose. The act of blowing up the balloon helps to open up the Eustachian tube, making it easier for fluid to drain from the middle ear. The Otovent balloon equalises the pressure to relieve the symptoms in the middle ear.

Otovent needs to be used three times a day until all the fluid has drained away. Results can often be seen as early as a few days into using it.

National Institute for Health Research  

NIHR research provides the evidence base for policy making and guidance development, as well as improving practice in the NHS and by service providers, and it can help patients and the public make informed decisions about the treatments and care they receive.

NIHR invest in Horizon Scanning so that policy makers and decision-makers in the NHS have timely information about emerging health technologies that may have a significant impact on patients or the provision of health services in the near future. The NIHR Journals Library publishes full and complete accounts of research funded through our programmes and our Systematic Reviews programme and Research Schools publish databases of research.

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1. Williamson I, Vennik J, Harnden A, Voysey M, Perera R, Breen M, et al. An open randomised study

of autoinflation in 4- to 11-year-old school children with otitis media with effusion in primary care.

Health Technol Assess 2015;19(72).

2. Williamson I, Benge S, Mullee M, et al. Consultations for middle ear disease, antibiotic prescribing and risk factors for reattendance: a case-linked cohort study. Br J Gen Pract 2006;56:170-5.

3. Surgical management of otitis media with effusion in children. London (UK): National Collaborating Centre for Women's and Children's Health; 2008.