What are ear tubes?
Ear tubes are known by many names, including tympanostomy tubes, ear ventilating tubes, or, most often, PE (pressure-equalizing) tubes. The tiny hollow tubes are made of soft plastic and are often shaped like small sewing bobbins. These tubes are placed in your child’s eardrums and reduce the number of ear infections by letting air into the middle ear while draining fluid out. Keeping this fluid out of the middle ear can help bring back normal hearing. The tubes do not cause hearing loss or long-term damage to the eardrum.
The common treatment to otitis media is proper medication, however, sometimes medication is not enough. Persistant infections may require a means to drain fluid and pressure from behind the ear drum by placing tubes in the ear. Ear tubes are tiny cylinders placed through the ear drum (tympanic membrane) to allow air in the middle ear. They may also be called tympanostomy tubes, myringotomy tubes, ventilation tubes, or PE (pressure equalization) tumbes. The tubes are plastic or metal tubes similar in shape to an empty spool of thread. Theare two types of ear tubes: short term and long term. Short-term tubes are smaller and generally stay in place six months to a year before falling out on their own. Long-term tubes are larger and have flanges that secure them in place for a longer period of time. Long-term tubes may fall out on their own but surgical removal is often necessary. Children are the most common patients for ear tubes however ear tubes may also be needed in older patients as
