{"id":1801,"date":"2022-02-10T23:46:55","date_gmt":"2022-02-11T05:46:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/redriverent.com\/?p=1801"},"modified":"2022-04-13T15:36:00","modified_gmt":"2022-04-13T20:36:00","slug":"at-what-point-does-a-child-need-ear-tubes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/redriverent.com\/at-what-point-does-a-child-need-ear-tubes\/","title":{"rendered":"At What Point Does a Child Need Ear Tubes?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>If you\u2019re a parent, the thought of your child needing any kind of surgical procedure is understandably a scary one. However, if you have a <a href=\"https:\/\/redriverent.com\/pediatrics\/ear-infection\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">child that is experiencing frequent ear infections<\/a>, ear tubes might be the best option to get them feeling well again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"when-are-ear-tubes-recommended\">When Are Ear Tubes Recommended? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"853\" src=\"https:\/\/redriverent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3755514-1280x853.jpg\" alt=\"Mother reading a story with her daughter.\" class=\"wp-image-1804\" srcset=\"https:\/\/redriverent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3755514-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/redriverent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3755514-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/redriverent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3755514-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/redriverent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3755514-scaled.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Your child\u2019s doctor will consider several factors when deciding whether or not to recommend ear tubes (also known as tympanostomy tubes) which include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Frequency of infection. There are no hard guidelines, but three or more infections in six months, or four within the last year may warrant surgery.<\/li><li>If fluid is present in the ear and has been for months.<\/li><li>Infections that are especially painful and\/or don\u2019t respond to antibiotics.<\/li><li>Whether or not your <a href=\"https:\/\/redriverent.com\/pediatrics\/hearing-loss\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">child experiences temporary hearing loss<\/a> or other health problems because of ear infections.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"how-does-it-work\">How Does It Work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The surgery, known as a myringotomy, is an outpatient procedure in which the ear tubes (which are tiny plastic cylinders) are surgically inserted into the eardrum. It\u2019s performed under general anesthesia and the entire process is usually finished within 15-30 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The tubes provide ventilation to the ear and allow fluid to drain which reduces the risk of future infections. They will remain in your child\u2019s ears for anywhere from six months to several years. After that point, they will either fall out on their own or need to be surgically removed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A myringotomy is a common and safe procedure, and complications are rare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"what-are-the-benefits\">What are the Benefits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Studies have shown an <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/0194599814525576\">improved quality of life for children<\/a> who got ear tubes. Some of the things tubing can do include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Reduce infection risk<\/li><li>Reverse hearing loss caused by fluid in the middle ear<\/li><li>Help correct speech and balance issues caused by infections<\/li><li>Help your child sleep through the night<\/li><li>Improve your child\u2019s general mood and behavior<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Getting ear tubes can improve your child\u2019s health and let them focus on being a kid again. They can get back to doing things like playing with their friends and taking trips to the <a href=\"https:\/\/alexandriapinevillela.com\/places\/t-r-e-e-house-childrens-museum\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">T.R.E.E House Children\u2019s Museum.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To learn more about this safe and effective procedure, or to schedule an appointment with one of our experts, call <span class=\"company-name \">Red River ENT Associates<\/span> today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><ul class=\"related-posts\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/redriverent.com\/what-to-know-about-retracted-eardrums\/\" class=\"related-post\">What To Know About Retracted Eardrums<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/redriverent.com\/common-reasons-for-ear-pain\/\" class=\"related-post\">Common Reasons For Ear Pain<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/redriverent.com\/what-should-you-do-if-your-child-gets-something-stuck-in-their-ear\/\" class=\"related-post\">What Should You Do If Your Child Gets Something Stuck In Their Ear<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019re a parent, the thought of your child needing any kind of surgical procedure is understandably a scary one. However, if you have a child that is experiencing frequent ear infections, ear tubes might be the best option to get them feeling well again. When Are Ear Tubes Recommended? Your child\u2019s doctor will consider&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1804,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"If you have a child that is experiencing frequent ear infections, ear tubes might be the best option to get them feeling well again.","_seopress_robots_index":"","schema":"","fname":"","lname":"","position":"","credentials":"","placeID":"","no_match":false,"name":"","company":"","review":"","address":"","city":"","state":"","zip":"","lat":"","lng":"","phone1":"","phone2":"","fax":"","mon1":"","mon2":"","tue1":"","tue2":"","wed1":"","wed2":"","thu1":"","thu2":"","fri1":"","fri2":"","sat1":"","sat2":"","sun1":"","sun2":"","hours-note":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/redriverent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1801"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/redriverent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/redriverent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redriverent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redriverent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1801"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/redriverent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1801\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redriverent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1804"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/redriverent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1801"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redriverent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1801"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redriverent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1801"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}