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Drain in the eardrum
On this page you will find information about installing a drain in the eardrum
Placing a drain in the eardrum is a treatment where, by placing a small tube in the eardrum, your child's symptoms of fluid in the middle ear can be alleviated. A drain is placed if your child is bothered by pain, restless sleep, has delayed language development due to hearing loss or has recurring acute otitis media with fever and pain.
Fluid in the middle ear
The middle ear is a cavity on the inside of the eardrum and lies between the outer ear and the inner ear. In the middle ear are the body's three smallest bones which conduct the sound from the eardrum to the inner ear. There must be air in the middle ear. If there is no air in the middle ear, but fluid or inflammation, this means that the eardrum does not move freely and the hearing deteriorates. This also causes pain when the child is lying down. These nuisances can be removed by placing drains in the eardrum.
Most children experience fluid in the middle ear in connection with a cold. In most cases this is temporary, but in some children the fluid in the middle ear does not disappear on its own and these children may benefit from having a drain placed in the eardrum.
As the condition often goes away on its own, you will typically be offered an observation period before you are offered a drain. In some children, the fluid in the middle ear is due to the eardrum (the Eustachian tubes) being closed due to children's polyps. In these cases, the child may benefit from having the children's polyps removed. However, this requires that the child is older than two years and weighs more than 12.5 kg.
symptoms of fluid in the middle ear
- Crying when the child is lying down.
- Problems falling asleep and quick awakening when the child has fallen asleep.
- Frequent awakenings at night.
- Delayed language development.
- Takes to the ear.
- Tumbles and falls, poor balance
about the operation
The installation of the drain itself takes place while the child is under full anesthesia and only lasts a short time. When the child has been discharged from the recovery, you can go home again and the child can enter the institution the day after the drainage installation.
What is tympanic membrane drainage
Eardrum drains are small tubes inserted into the eardrum to help drain fluid out of the middle ear and improve ventilation.
The drains are often used for children, but adults may also need them, especially if they have recurrent otitis media or fluid accumulation in the middle ear that affects hearing or causes discomfort.
Purpose of tympanic membrane drainage
Tympanic membrane drainage helps with:
- To prevent fluid accumulation: Persistent fluid in the middle ear can lead to hearing loss and infections.
- To reduce the risk of otitis media: Otitis media can be painful and drains can reduce their frequency.
- To improve hearing: Fluid in the ear can muffle sounds and the drain can help restore normal hearing.
How should we behave after the operation
AFTER DRAINAGE
After drains have been laid, these must be checked every 6-12 months. month by a short consultation, where it is ascertained whether the drains continue to function as they should.
Swimming pool:
Children with drains are welcome to go to the swimming pool and do not have to use earplugs. However, we advise against the child diving below one metre. We recommend that you wait to enter the swimming pool until one week after the operation.
My child has had a drain and now the ear is flowing...
After laying a drain in the eardrum, a passage is established which allows the fluid to escape and air to enter the middle ear. This is the desired effect of the drain.
However, it often happens that when the child catches a cold, snot forms in the middle ear, so to speak, and runs out through the drain. This is usually not bothersome for the child, but can mean that the child cannot go to the institution and can be bothersome for everyone else, as the secretion can be smelly and stick to the hair and clothes.
We therefore recommend that as soon as the ear begins to flow, you start to drip the ear with ear drops containing antibiotics that you have been prescribed on the day of the operation.
If the ear canal is completely filled with secretions, this must be rinsed clean before the ear is dripped - but you will be informed about all this both verbally and in writing, in connection with the operation, so that you are never in doubt about how your child with new drains will be treated best possible.