If the ear tubes don't fall out, your doctor may let them stay in place for a few years before removing them. Ear tubes require little to no care at all. You need to attend follow up appointments with your child's ear, nose and throat specialist. You should also see the specialist if your child has lots of frequent ear drainage or if your child's pediatrician cannot see the tube in your child's ear.
A child with ear tubes does not need to wear earplugs routinely if he or she plans on going swimming. You may choose to use earplugs if your child is sensitive to water entering the ear or if your child is swimming in untreated water such as in a lake or a pond. If you choose not to get ear tubes for your child, you may be able to reduce your child's risk for ear infections by performing good hand hygiene and eliminating secondhand cigarette smoke exposure.
Your child might also be at a higher risk for ear infections if they attend daycare. As a result, ear infections become less frequent as the child ages. Children's Health offers the largest group of ENT pediatric doctors in North Texas, which gives parents and patients access to expertise, support and services not available anywhere else.
Learn more about Pediatric Ear, Nose and Throat program. This keeps it from building up. Children are most likely to get tubes between 1 to 3 years old. By age 5, most children have wider and longer eustachian tubes. The eustachian tubes are canals that link the middle ear with the back of the nose. This lets fluid drain better from the ears. Fluid in one or both ears for 3 or more months and problems related to having fluid.
These issues may include trouble with balance, ear pain, problems in school or with behavior, and frequent ear infections. Children's behavior, sleep, and communication may be better if ear infections were causing problems. Sometimes the tubes leave a small hole in the eardrum after they come out.
Your child may need surgery to fix this hole. The tubes should fall out in about 1 year. If your child gets ear infections after the tubes fall out, the tubes may need to be replaced. After the tubes come out, they may leave a small scar in the eardrum.
Flint PW, et al. Acute otitis media and otitis media with effusion. Elsevier; Mayo Clinic; Otitis media Chronic suppurative. Merck Manual Professional Version. Black SA, et al. General anesthesia in neonates and children: Agents and techniques. Gropper MA. Pediatric anesthesia. In: Miller's Anesthesia. Preparing for surgery: Kids' checklist. American Society of Anesthesiologists. Anesthesia and your child: The day of the procedure.
American Academy of Pediatrics. Related Children's swimming Cleft lip and cleft palate Ear infection middle ear Middle ear Stickler syndrome Tympanostomy tubes Show more related content. Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Recurrent ear infections are defined as 3 episodes in 6 months, or 4 episodes in a year. Unless a hearing deficit is noted which could impact speech development , even children with persistent fluid behind the middle ear may not need ear tubes.
For children who do require ear tubes, placement is an outpatient procedure that usually takes about 15 minutes.
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