Tympanic drains 2026

Serous otitis is called when mucus forms in the middle ear: these secretions make it difficult for the child to hear. And the current solution to this problem is to place a tympanic drain.

Serous otitis

The formation of mucus in an area where there should only be air can have several causes: allergies, repeated colds, ear infections, etc., which, normally combined with a dysfunction of the Eustachian tube, generate mucus in the middle ear.

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At first it is a clear liquid that over time becomes thick, even gelatinous. And it can affect hearing to varying degrees.

As it does not manifest itself with pain, fever or external symptoms, it can go unnoticed for a long time. Normally it is the child's attitude that alerts us and makes us go to a specialist: he plays the TV very loud, sometimes he does not respond when we talk to him, he seems distracted, he does not attend school... At the ENT office, once the presence of this fluid is confirmed, a test called audiometry can inform us of how it has affected the child's hearing.

Is it cured?

• Most serous otitis media subsides without treatment: the fluid in the ear is reabsorbed on its own over time. It occurs in 60 percent of cases at 3 months and in 85 percent of total cases at 6 months.
• Therefore, the first measure is to remain alert, without specific treatment.
• At that time, the cause of the formation of mucus behind the eardrum is sought because if the original problem is not resolved, no other measure will provide a definitive solution.
• If there is still mucus in the ear after six months, there is the possibility of performing a simple operation in which tympanic drains are inserted into the ears. This intervention is performed under general anesthesia, and has its defenders and detractors.

What does the operation consist of?

The operation begins with a puncture in the eardrum. Then the doctor aspirates the mucus and places a tiny diabolo-shaped tube (tympanic drainage) that will allow air to enter the middle ear for a time.

This balances the pressure inside the ear and allows fluid to drain out. The little tube falls out on its own in a few months or a year, during which time the true cause of the mucus formation can be sought and treated.

If this is not resolved, the mucus will reappear and, with it, the hearing problems will reappear.

In favor…

• Doctors who are in favor argue that it is a good measure to restore the child's hearing while solving the root cause.
• According to defenders of drainage, the first advantage is that in children under two years of age it prevents hearing loss from hindering or delaying language acquisition.
• In addition, the tube serves to prevent this mucus from solidifying or giving rise to other problems that could arise from it.
• Among its immediate advantages we find that the fluid in the middle ear disappears immediately and the ear soon returns to normal.

Against…

Therefore, as we can see, there is no ideal remedy, but rather an individual solution, depending on each child. Let's talk to the doctor and decide with him the best strategy for our child.

Advisor:Dr. F. Hernández, head of the Otorhinolaryngology section of the Maternal and Child Hospital of Malaga.