How do tubes help treat ear infections?

Question

My young son keeps getting ear infections. The otolaryngologist want to perform surgery to put tubes in his ear drums. How does putting a tube in the ear drum help with the ear infections?

Answer 1

Ear tubes do many things to help ear infections. The most important things they do are draining the ear of fluid and ventilating the ear. Overall, this will help your child hear better. The tubes also stop fluid from building up behind the ear drum, which should help prevent the ear infections.

Stuff to watch out for

There is always the possibility of ear infections coming back after the 6-12 months that the tubes will be in. There is also a minor chance of hearing loss because of scarring of the ear drum. The tube can become blocked, stopping it from working. To help prevent these complications, you will have to routinely visit the doctor for a systems check.

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