PE Tubes

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Q

My son has had his PE tubes for three years. I recently read that leaving the tubes in for more than two years may result in scarring or damage to the eardrum. Can you give me any additional information?

drgreene

The average length for most types of PE tubes to stay in is about nine months, but this length varies depending on the kind of tube used. They sometimes stay there a good bit longer.

Generally, the tubes should be allowed to fall out on their own. If they don't, they may have to be removed. Most ear specialists wait at least 2 years before considering surgical removal of a tube.

About 15 percent of kids who have tubes in for several years will have a small hole left that takes a while to close on its own. About 1 or 2 percent will have a hole that doesn't close. Some of them need a simple surgery to close it.

The scarring that people talk about is cosmetic and inside the ear. It doesn't generally affect hearing at all.

Reviewed By: 
Khanh-Van Le-Bucklin M.D. & Raanan Odom M.D.
Last Reviewed: 
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Comments

Anonymous's picture
Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 2010-08-30 19:58.

Is there a natural approach to draining fluid in ears ?

My son is eight years old and has had multiple ear infections throughout his life. He also has asthma, but it only comes when he has a cold or virus or upper respiratory infection. I took him to an allergist and he does have allergies to pollens, molds, and roaches. He has been given oral steroids multiple times now due to the severity of these asthma attacks. I recently had him to a ENT doctor and he quickly suggested adenoid removal and tubes in the ears. I didn't have either one of these done. I would rather take a natural, holistic approach to this rather than put him through surgery. What i wanted to know is if there are natural ways to drain the ears. And also, do you think its the allergies that are most likely causing the ear infections and asthma.