Many children suffer from ear infections, often between six months and two years of age. Lifestyle factors may lead to more frequent ear infections in some cases, like attending group daycare or secondhand smoke exposure. Doctors may recommend ear tube surgery for children with chronic or recurrent ear infections, hearing loss, or speech delays caused by fluid behind the eardrum.
“If your child has had three or more ear infections in the last six months, or four or more infections in the last year, with the most recent one being in the past six months, they may be a candidate for ear tube surgery,” says Dr. Kevin Huoh, a pediatric otolaryngologist at CHOC. Consult your pediatrician and ask about a referral to a pediatric ear, nose and throat specialist.
Ear tube surgery can improve hearing in children with chronic fluid behind the eardrum, says Huoh. Doctors may recommend tubes earlier for children with speech delays or learning risks.
Along with improved hearing, parents and caregivers may notice increased development of speech and language abilities. For children with frequent ear infections, ear tubes will decrease the incidence of these infections.
Ear tubes are tiny cylinders about 1 millimeter long, about the size of a grain of rice. Surgeons place them in the eardrum to ventilate the middle ear and prevent fluid from building up behind the eardrum, says Huoh. Providers perform audiograms, which are noninvasive hearing tests, before and after the procedure.
“After ear tube surgery, we often see patients experience an improved quality of life, including improved sleep and decreased fussiness, improved balance and improved school performance,” says Huoh.
Recovery from the routine procedure is usually very easy, he adds. Children are usually back to their normal selves within a day. Biannual checkups help care teams monitor the status of the ear tubes.
Typically, ear tubes remain in place for six-12 months before falling out on their own. If they come out prematurely, the ears will be observed for return of infections, or fluid that may require replacement.
CHOC Children’s perform this common procedure hundreds of time per year, says Huoh.
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Learn more about CHOC’s otolaryngology program
At CHOC, our pediatric otolaryngologists provide comprehensive care for children of all ages – from newborns to teens – with conditions of the ears, nose, throat (ENT).
