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. This may cause some hearing loss. Tell the surgeon about any medicines your child takes. This includes prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, herbs, and other supplements. In an age-appropriate way, tell your child what is going to happen. Some children's ears will pop when they burp, yawn, or chew. This should go away as the eardrum heals. Ear tubes help prevent ear infections by allowing air into the middle ear.
Other substances, such as water, may sometimes enter through the tube, but this is rarely a problem. Your surgeon might recommend earplugs for bathing or swimming. It's OK for your child to travel in airplanes after having ear tubes placed. The ear tubes will help even out air pressure inside and outside the ear. Ear tubes won't prevent all ear infections, but they can make them milder and happen less often. In some cases, the tubes might need to be put in again.
In most cases, surgery to remove an ear tube isn't necessary. The tube usually falls out on its own, pushed out as the eardrum heals. A tube generally stays in the ear anywhere from 6 months to 18 months, depending on the type of tube used.
If the tube stays in the eardrum beyond 2 to 3 years, though, your doctor might choose to remove it surgically. This is a very common and safe procedure, although there are risks with any surgery, including infection, bleeding, and problems with anesthesia. Rarely, the hole in the eardrum does not close after the tube comes out, and might need to be fixed surgically. See the doctor right away or go the emergency room if there is a lot of blood in the ear drainage or if the ear pain is severe.
Reviewed by: Patrick C. Barth, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Is Ear Tube Surgery? In many cases, the tubes simply fall out on their own, without any type of removal surgery needed. Ear tubes are often recommended if a person is prone to getting painful ear infections because fluid has built up within the ears or due to inflammation. Children who have chronic ear infections may have Eustachian tubes that are simply too small to allow fluids to drain properly.
Eustachian tubes run between your middle ear and upper throat. By placing this small, straw-like, plastic tube into the eardrum, the ears become more ventilated so air can move more easily in and out of the ear. This allows for better drainage and reduces pressure within the ears. Ear tubes in Phoenix are not typically the first line of treatment for ear infections. Antibiotics may be recommended if the ear infection is persistent — they often clear up on their own.
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