Clinical Reference Systems: Pediatric Advisor 10.0
Illustration
Middle Ear Fluid
What is ear fluid?
Fluid is normally produced in the middle ear (the space
behind the eardrum) in small amounts. Usually the fluid
drains out of the ear though the eustachian tube into the
back of the nose. Ear fluid can cause a problem when it
builds up in the middle ear. This condition is called
otitis media with effusion, or secretory otitis media.
What causes ear fluid to build up in the middle ear?
After an ear infection, the eustachian tube may be
temporarily blocked and fluid will build up in the middle
ear space instead of draining out normally. After taking
antibiotics for the ear infection, your child may still have
fluid left in the middle ear, but it is no longer infected
fluid.
If there is fluid in the middle ear, your child will
probably have:
- a full, congested sensation in the ear
- mildly reduced hearing (temporary).
There is no earache or fever.
How long will it last?
Because the middle ear fluid clears up by itself in 90% of
children, no treatment is needed for most children. The
fluid will slowly go away.
- By 1 month, 50% of children will still have fluid.
- By 2 months, 20% of children will still have fluid.
- By 3 months, only 10% of children will still have fluid.
If there is still fluid in the ear after 3 to 4 months, your
child will probably need ventilation tubes or special
medicines because the fluid will most likely not clear up by
itself.
What is the treatment?
- Help your child with temporary hearing loss
Most children with middle ear fluid have a mild hearing
loss (20 to 30 dB). If your child temporarily loses hearing
before age 2, it can interfere with normal speech
development. Although the fluid will probably clear in 1
to 2 months, help your child deal with limited hearing.
Keep in mind that most children's speech will catch up
following a brief period of incomplete hearing.
When you talk with your child:
- Get close to your child, get eye contact, and get his
full attention. Occasionally check that he
understands what you have said.
- Speak in a louder voice than you normally use. A
common mistake is to assume your child is ignoring you
when actually he doesn't hear you.
- Reduce any background noise from radio or television
while talking with your child.
If your child goes to school, be sure he sits in front
near the teacher. Middle ear fluid interferes with the
ability to hear in a crowd or classroom.
- Restrictions
Your child doesn't have any restrictions because of ear
fluid. Your child can go outside and does not need to
cover the ears. Swimming is permitted unless there is a
perforation (tear) in the eardrum, ear tubes, or drainage
from the ear. Air travel or a trip to the mountains is
safe; just have your child swallow fluids, suck on a
pacifier, or chew gum during descent.
- Medicines
Your child doesn't need any medicines unless he has
allergies or an ear infection.
- Ear recheck
Your child needs to be checked again to be sure the ear
fluid doesn't last longer than 3 months and that it
doesn't affect speech development. Your child's next
appointment is ____________________________.
How can I help prevent ear infections?
As long as there is fluid in the middle ear, your child is
at risk for having another ear infection. The following list
includes ways to help prevent getting ear infections.
- Avoid tobacco smoke. Protect your child from secondhand
tobacco smoke. Passive smoking increases the frequency
and severity of infections. Be sure no one smokes in your
home or at day care.
- Avoid excessive colds. Reduce your child's exposure to
children with colds during the first year of life. Most
ear infections start with a cold. Try to delay the use of
large day care centers during the first year by using a
sitter in your home or a small home-based day care.
- Breast-feed. Breast-feed your baby during the first 6 to
12 months of life. Antibodies in breast milk reduce the
rate of ear infections. If you're breast-feeding,
continue. If you're not, consider it with your next
child.
- Avoid bottle propping. If you bottle-feed, hold your baby
at a 45-degree angle. Feeding in the horizontal position
can cause formula and other fluids to flow back into the
eustachian tube. Allowing an infant to hold his own
bottle also can cause milk to drain into the middle ear.
Weaning your baby from a bottle between 9 and 12 months
of age will help stop this problem.
- Control allergies. If your infant has a continuously
runny nose, consider allergy as a contributing factor to
the ear infections. If your child has other allergies
such as eczema, your physician will check for a milk
protein or soy protein allergy.
- Adenoids. If your toddler constantly snores or breathes
through his mouth, he may have large adenoids. Large
adenoids can contribute to ear infections. Talk to your
physician about this.
Call Your Child's Physician During Office Hours If:
- Your child develops an earache.
- Your child's speech development is delayed.
- You have other questions or concerns.
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