\u201cNo one wants to see a child in pain,\u201d said renowned pediatrician and parenting expert Dr. Jen Trachtenberg<\/a>. \u201cThe main reason to get the tubes is that it helps with hearing loss. When you have the tubes, all that fluid and pus comes out of the ear, therefore, you don\u2019t have the pressure and the temporary hearing loss.\u201d<\/p>\n Although ear tube surgery may be among the most common surgeries for children, Trachtenberg says the number of such procedures being performed is excessive (\u201cdoctors are doing too many,\u201d she says) and that parents should think twice before they \u201cjump the gun\u201d and opt for ear tubes.<\/p>\n Dr. Jen Trachtenberg, expert pediatrician in NYC<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cI never take it lightly,\u201d says Trachtenberg. \u201cI would never jump to just doing tubes surgery on a child. That said, not all infections need to be treated with antibiotics.\u201d<\/p>\n Doctors say that ear infections are one of the most common childhood ailments, with eighty percent of kids experiencing at least one instance of infection by they time they turn three years of age. Ear infections also account for more than 30 million doctor visits a year, so the potential for excessive use of the ear tube procedure would seem to be possible.<\/p>\n What, then, should a conscientious parent do if he or she is considering ear tube surgery for his or her child?<\/p>\n First, remember that, if left untreated, otitis media (the common ear infection) can lead to loss of hearing in your child and delays in terms of speech development. Dr. Trachtenberg says it\u2019s more important to focus on the length of a child\u2019s ear infection,\u00a0in terms of how long the fluid remains in the ear rather than\u00a0 just the number of ear infections that may occur. \u201cThis is why continuity of care and having a primary pediatrician is so helpful,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology (A.A.O.), parents should not opt for ear tube surgery in otherwise healthy children who have had just one episode of ear fluid lasting less than three months<\/a>. On its website, the A.A.O. says that infections of \u201cshort duration\u201d will probably go away on their own.<\/p>\n However, if there is evidence of speech delay, then opting for ear tube surgery could be the right decision for your child. As for how much hearing loss\u00a0is required before parents should consider themselves to have reached this point, some\u00a0physicians say that early ear tube surgery can be considered in kids who register a hearing loss of forty or more decibels.<\/p>\n As for signs of what parents should look for, Trachtenberg says that persistent fluid and persistent hearing loss would mean that parents or caregivers should ask their pediatricians about referring them to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor, who specializes in the ear tube procedure.<\/p>\n If it does come to getting the surgery, doctors say parents should be aware that the procedure involves general anesthetic, but is also generally an easy one to carry out.<\/p>\n \u201cAbout\u00a0fifteen minutes,\u201d says Tranchtenberg, when asked how long the surgery lasts. \u201cKids in general tolerate it very well. Not much pain. Your child may get antibiotic drops for the ear. Generally they do really well.\u201d<\/p>\n photo credit: Doctor Aunt<\/a> via photopin (license)<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"Dr.](\"https:\/\/www.speechbuddy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/drjen-196x300.png\")
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