How to care for ear tubes

Doctors often receive questions about ear tubes, which are surgically put in place to help with recurrent ear infections. Maithilee Menezes, MD, a Washington University pediatric otolaryngologist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, talks about three important pieces of information you need to know when your little one has ear tubes.
• Ear tubes are pretty low-maintenance, but your child should use ear plugs when swimming in freshwater areas like ponds, lakes and rivers, which have higher bacteria counts.
• Tubes typically last 12 to 16 months. The ear canals will slowly push out the tubes. Because they’re so small, it’s likely you won’t see them when they fall out.
• Your ENT will continue to follow up with your child until the tubes fall out. Your child will have a follow-up after surgery, usually a month after the procedure, and another hearing test.
If you have any concerns about your child’s ear tubes, talk to their doctor.
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The St. Louis Children’s Hospital RUclips station is intended as a reference and information source only. If you suspect you have a health problem, you should seek immediate care with the appropriate health care professionals. The information on this website is not a substitute for professional care, and must not be used for self-diagnosis or treatment. For help finding a doctor, St. Louis Children's Hospital Answer Line may be of assistance at 314.454.KIDS (5437). The opinions expressed in these videos are those of the individual writers, not necessarily St. Louis Children's Hospital or Washington University School of Medicine. BJC HealthCare and Washington University School of Medicine assume no liability for the information contained in this website or for its use.