Why do people get tubes in their ears?
Dear Jenni: Sometimes children have a condition called middle ear fluid. This is when a watery, or mucuslike, fluid collects behind the eardrum. A past ear infection, a blocked eustachian (you-STA-shun) tube (the tube that connects your middle ear to your throat), or a cold can cause fluid to collect. Sometimes a child with middle ear fluid does not hear well. There are several ways to treat middle ear fluid. One way is to put a tube in each ear. Inserting the tubes requires minor surgery. A doctor makes a small cut in the child’s eardrum. The fluid in the middle ear is gently sucked out. Then a small plastic or metal tube is put into the slit in the eardrum. When the fluid is removed, the child’s hearing returns to normal. Ear tubes…
