Do you notice that your child has frequent ear infections? Do you feel as if your child is constantly complaining about pain their ears? It could be that your child requires tubes in their ears. These tubes, also called tympanostomy tubes, are commonly used to assist children with frequent ear infections. Curious about how tubes may benefit your child's ears? These tips will help.
What Does Ear Tube Surgery Look Like?
The procedure of inserting ear tubes, called myringotomy, involves making a small incision in the ear drum. The doctor then inserts the tube, sometimes called a PE tube, to drain fluid in the ear and relieve pressure. In most cases, tubes fall out when the incision heals. Sometimes, a doctor needs to remove the tubes. The healing process is not long, and your child will not be in severe pain.
How Do I Know My Child Needs Surgery?
One sign your child may need ear tubes is a chronic or persistent ear infection. When your child's ear fails to drain regularly, it can swell up a lot, leading to infection. Untreated ear infections can lead to hearing loss, so treating them is important.
Additionally, some children have irregular or underdeveloped Eustachian tubes in their ears. These are the tubes that run from the middle ear to the throat, and our bodies use them to regulate the pressure inside the ear. PE tubes can help heal treat these problems.
Some children also need the tubes because they have experienced barotrauma, which is trauma that has happened to the ears linked to a change in air or water pressure. If the pressure never goes away, your child may need some extra help with these tubes.
Finally, some children are experiencing issues with balance based on problems with their ears. Children in this situation may need some extra help with relieving pressure in the middle ear. That's where tubes come in.
What Should You Do Next?
Pediatricians can help you determine if your child is in need of ear tubes or another treatment to help his or her hearing. Your child's hearing is important, and failure to treat these issues can lead to hearing loss and other long-term issues. The earlier you act, the better the results may be.
Make sure that you contact your child's pediatric physician today. You can discuss your child's hearing and ear issues with somebody who has seen many similar issues in the past.