When a child is prone to ear infections, an Ear Nose And Throat Doctor in Bethlehem may recommend the surgical insertion of ear tubes. Doctors recommend this procedure for several reasons. The most obvious one is that ear infections tend to be extremely painful. Bacterial infections can be cured fairly quickly with antibiotic medicine, but viral infections must run their course.
Youngsters with ear infections typically can’t go to school because they feel so terrible. Chronic ear infections can cause longer-lasting and even permanent problems that are more serious than temporary discomfort. Repeated infections may cause hearing loss to a certain degree. In addition, some kids deal with chronic fluid in the middle ear, which can make it more difficult to hear. That often leads to poor academic performance, social difficulties, and issues with speech.
The tubes are tiny cylinders, usually made of plastic, although some are metal. They allow air into the ear and fluid to drain as it should. This means significantly fewer ear infections if any. If an infection does occur, it heals more rapidly because the fluid can easily drain.
The insertion of the tubes by an Ear Nose And Throat Doctor in Bethlehem is a short surgical procedure, medically known as a myringotomy. It’s commonly performed under general anesthesia at a clinic such as Allen ENT unless the child is older and is willing to be perfectly still. However, most little ones need the ear tubes before age 4. Visit the website Allen-ent.com for more information.
First, the doctor removes any fluid from the middle of the ear with a suction device, then places the tubes. The children nearly always can go home within a couple of hours. There may be some relatively minor discomfort after the operation, but actual pain is rare. They’ll need antibacterial medicine at home for a designated time frame to prevent infection. Parents naturally worry about their youngster undergoing a surgical procedure, but they may feel reassured knowing how frequent ear tube insertion is done. Around half a million children have ear tubes inserted each year since it the procedure offers such substantial health benefits.
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