From the moment you learn you are going to be a parent you begin to think about what your child will be like. You may wonder about what color hair they will have; what color eyes they will have; who they will look more like; if they will have hair when they are born; what the gender of your baby will be; and so much more. Most expecting parents do not think about the medical needs their child will have during their childhood. One medical procedure that probably does not cross your mind as your dreaming about your child is whether or not they will need tubes put in their ears. Each year over 500,000 thousand child have ear tubes surgically implanted in their ears. Your child may be one of them.
If your child needs ear tubes put in their ears you can rest well knowing that this is an extremely common childhood surgery with large benefits and minimal risks. The formal name for the surgery is tympanostomy tube insertion surgery. You probably most often hear people refer to it as having tubes put in their child’s ears. Tiny cylinders are surgically inserted into your child’s eardrum. This allows air to flow in and out of the middle ear. When air can flow properly in and out of the middle ear it improves the health of the middle ear.
How do you know if your child needs tubes in their ears? Your child may be a candidate for this surgery if they suffer from frequent ear infections. Most children will have an ear infection here or there as they grow but if it becomes a chronic issue you will want to ask your doctor about having tubes put in your child’s ears. If your child has had three or more ear infections within a six-month period you will want to talk to your doctor. Your child may also be a candidate because the fluid in their ears did not go away in between ear infections or they suffer from hearing loss that is caused by the build-up of fluid in their ears. Having tubes surgically inserted can help with this problem.
Your next question may be how will I know if they have an ear infection? There are several warning signs that your child may have an ear infection. If your child is tugging at their ears excessively; has a fever; trouble hearing; trouble sleeping; fussiness; problems with balance; or fluid draining from their ear they may have an ear infection. Some kids will complain about their ear hurting right away while other kids have a higher tolerance for pain and may not ever say anything about it to you.
If your child comes to see one of our amazing doctors here at ENT Specialists for consistent ear infections we will carefully examine your child and review their medical history to see if they are a candidate for ear tubes. The surgery will be carefully explained to you so that you and your child will know what to expect during and after the procedure. We perform this surgery on a regular basis and will make sure that your child is well taken care of. Contact us to schedule an appointment today.
