With chronic ear infections, the physical structure of a child's ears, nose, and throat may be the problem. In these cases, your doctor may recommend one of two safe, effective, and proven procedures: ear ventilation tubes or removal of the adenoids – a clump of tissue in the upper throat, behind the nose.

Most ear infections go away on their own within a few days. That's why experts recommend that doctors wait two to three days before prescribing antibiotics in certain cases of an acute ear infection.¹

Depending on your child's condition, your doctor may recommend medical or surgical treatment. Ear infections are the most common cause of hearing loss in children, which can interfere with learning and speech development. This hearing loss can be permanent.

Medical Treatments

If the infection is from bacteria, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics (antibacterial drugs). If the infection is from a virus, antibiotics won’t help. Using antibiotics when they aren't necessary is harmful and creates bacteria that are difficult to treat.²

Your doctor may prescribe pain medicine to help make you or your child more comfortable while the virus runs its course.

Surgical Treatments

If the ear infection keeps coming back or lasts for a long time, your doctor may suggest surgery.

Surgical treatments include the insertion of an ear ventilation tube (vent tube) in the eardrum to let fluid drain, or the removal of swollen or inflamed adenoids (adenoidectomy) where bacteria can breed and block natural drainage into the throat.

Next: About Ventilation Tubes and PAA