For many, ear infections are a part of childhood. According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 80% of all children will suffer at least one ear infection before turning 3 years old. While many ear infections go away on their own, antibiotics might help when it’s a bacterial infection that’s severe or lingering. In some cases, ear tube surgery becomes necessary.
Without proper treatment, ear infections in children can have negative consequences. Hearing loss, poor school performance and speech or behavior issues are a few of them. In adults, they can also lead to hearing and balance issues and structural damage to the eardrum. Therefore, recognizing an ear infection and receiving proper treatment is essential.
What Are Early Symptoms That May Lead to Ear Tube Surgery?
At the end of the ear canal rests the eardrum behind which is the middle ear with three small bones that conduct sound. Inside the middle ear is a thin canal known as the eustachian tube that connects the back of your nose to the ear. This tube drains fluid from the middle ear and maintains proper pressure in your ears. When blocked by allergies, infections, mucus or other factors, the tube allows fluid to build up. The result is often an infection, which causes uncomfortable, unwanted symptoms.
Common symptoms of a middle ear infection include the following:
- Fever
- Ear pain or fullness
- Atypical irritability or fussiness
- Tugging at or rubbing the ear
- Difficulty sleeping
In most cases, symptoms go away on their own without visiting a doctor. But certain symptoms shouldn’t be ignored. Seek medical attention for these symptoms:
- A fever that reaches 102.2 degrees F or above
- An ear infection that lasts more than two or three days with a fever and pain
- Fluid, pus or other discharge coming from the ear
- Loss of hearing or balance
- Swelling or pain behind the ear
Frequent ear infections may indicate the need for surgical intervention. In general, doctors may prescribe ear tubes in the following situations:
- A child, 6 months old or older, experiences three or more ear infections within six months or four or more within a year
- Fluid in the middle ear after an infection that lasts for over three months
- A persistent infection with speech and language delay
- A child or adult with an ear infection that doesn’t resolve with less invasive medical treatment
What Happens During Ear Tube Placement?
Ear tube surgery has traditionally been performed on children under general anesthesia. This means the patient is fully unconscious throughout the procedure.
Now, adults and young children may undergo the procedure with local anesthesia. With this type of anesthesia, only the eardrum is numbed. Once the anesthesia is administered, the surgeon makes a tiny incision in the eardrum. Any fluid from the middle ear is drained, and the surgeon inserts small ear tubes made of plastic or metal. These tubes are left in place. Their purpose? To maintain normal air pressure in the middle ear, keep it from clogging and prevent future infections.
What to Expect After Ear Tube Surgery
Most patients return home the same day of the procedure. Antibiotic ear drops may be prescribed, and the patient may need to keep their ears dry for a few days afterward. Minor earache or vomiting the day of the procedure is common, as is ear popping when chewing, burping or yawning. Thankfully, these side effects last only a short time, while the success of ear tubes last much longer.
Though ear tubes prevent many ear infections, they don’t stop them all. Ear infections experienced after the placement of ear tubes are typically milder and less frequent. They usually are identified by drainage form the ear. Within 18 months, most ear tubes fall out on their own. Should they stay in the ear for two or three years, they may need to be surgically removed.
How Many Sets of Ear Tubes Are Too Many?
On occasion, ear tubes aren’t successful the first time around. Should frequent ear infections start up again after the ear tubes fall out or get removed, another set of ear tubes may help. Based on the patient’s specific case, surgeons may place ear tubes multiple times in the hope of providing relief.
In the event ear tubes don’t prevent infection, it may be time to remove the adenoids. Located behind the nose, adenoid tissue can become swollen and infected due to respiratory infections that spread to the ear. By removing the adenoids, the source of the problem is taken away and future infections are prevented. As with ear tube surgery, adenoid removal (adenoidectomy) is an outpatient procedure.
How Can I Avoid Needing Ear Tubes?
The best way to avoid needing ear tube surgery is to prevent ear infections. Because bacteria and viruses cause many ear infections, practicing good hygiene is a step toward prevention.
To prevent infection, do the following:
- Avoid people who are sick with a viral or bacterial illness
- If your child needs daycare, choose one with the fewest children
- Get an annual flu shot
- Receive other vaccinations as recommended – both kids and adults
- Wash your hands before and after eating, after using the restroom, after touching shared or public surfaces, and before touching your eyes, nose, mouth or face
Additionally, to keep young children from suffering ear infections, never put them to bed with a bottle and wean them off a pacifier as soon as possible. And if you smoke, stop. Smoking and secondhand smoke increase the risk of ear infections for adults and children alike.
