If your child is scheduled to have ear tube surgery, it isn’t uncommon for you to feel anxiety over the procedure. It isn’t that you don’t trust the doctor or that you’re worried about the procedures, you just don’t like the idea of your child having to go through any type of surgery – even if it means their condition can improve.
The tubes, PE Tubes, PETS or pressure equalizing tubes are all referring to the same thing that will allow air to get into the ear space behind the ear drum. This is important for optimum ear health as it allows the eardrum to move. Normally, there are already tubes in the back of the throat that will do this, but in a number of children the Eustachian tube isn’t fully developed and therefore cannot do its job properly.
Without that crucial air in the ear, fluid can build up or infections can start. The worst situation is the occurrence of both, causing severe discomfort for your child and making ear tube surgery even more crucial. Once tubes are placed in the ears, the child no longer has fluid and air can move freely. It doesn’t guarantee infections won’t ever set in, but when they do they are likely to be much less intense.
Often, recurrent ear infections are a key indicator that a child may need the procedure. Middle ear infections can occur time and again, which are often treated with long-term antibiotics. This approach is not always productive and can lead to an increased tolerance to antibiotics, making the medication useless in the future. Every situation is certainly different, but more and more doctors are moving to ear tube surgery in the best interest of the child.
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