How Is Fluid in the Ear Treated?
Sometimes, fluid remains in the middle ear even after the infection is gone. For most children, this fluid goes away without treatment in 3 months or less. If the fluid persists, doctors may recommend additional courses of antibiotics. However, long-term antibiotic treatment can have unwanted effects, such as side effects of the drug, inconvenience, and cost. It may also play a role in the development of new strains of bacteria that are resistant to the drug. This means that the bacteria no longer are killed by it and so are harder to treat. If fluid stays in the middle ear for longer than 3 months, and if it is causing a hearing loss, doctors may suggest an operation to insert tiny tubes through the eardrums. In this operation, a small slit is made in the eardrum, and the fluid in the middle ear is drained out. Then a tube is placed in the slit, letting air get into the middle ear and reducing the risk of future ear infections. Most such tubes come out of the eardrum on their own in a
