Fluid in the ear is not an ear infection and the fluid trapped inside the ear doesn't usually contain germs. So your child is unlikely to get pain or a high temperature.

But if you suspect your child cannot hear properly and may have fluid in the ear, you should take him or her to your doctor.

Your doctor will probably want to know:

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Byington CL.
The diagnosis and management of otitis media with effusion.
Pediatric Annals. 1998; 27: 96-100.

 

 

 

 

 

¹

Your doctor will also want to speak to your child to find out if he or she has any problems hearing.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Byington CL.
The diagnosis and management of otitis media with effusion.
Pediatric Annals. 1998; 27: 96-100.

 

 

 

 

 

¹

Your doctor will look inside your child's ears using a tool called an otoscope, which is like a microscope. This allows the doctor to look for signs of fluid inside the ear. He or she will check to see if your child's eardrum looks dull (a healthy eardrum looks shiny). He or she will also check for any air bubbles or fluid behind the eardrum. However this test does not always detect fluid in the ear. Even if the eardrum looks normal, your child could still have fluid in the ear.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Byington CL.
The diagnosis and management of otitis media with effusion.
Pediatric Annals. 1998; 27: 96-100.

 

 

 

 

 

¹

Your doctor may also carry out a test called a tympanometry (a test that measures how much the eardrum moves), so they can know for certain if your child has fluid in the ear.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
American Academy of Pediatrics.
Managing otitis media with effusion in young children.
Pediatrics. 1994; 94: 766-773.

 

 

 

 

 

² For more information about this test, see More about tests for fluid in the ear.

There is also a special type of otoscopy, called pneumatic otoscopy, to see how well each eardrum is working. The test changes the pressure inside the ear canal and lets the doctor see if the eardrum responds by moving. If the eardrum is not moving very much, it suggests there is fluid inside the ear.

Pneumatic otoscopy is very accurate when done by a doctor who is specially trained in this test. Guidelines for doctors say that pneumatic otoscopy is the best way to find out what is happening in your child's middle ear.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
American Academy of Pediatrics.
Managing otitis media with effusion in young children.
Pediatrics. 1994; 94: 766-773.

 

 

 

 

 

²

If your child has fluid in the ear for a long time, or it keeps coming back, your doctor may decide he or she should see a specialist to find out more and to see if he or she needs treatment. A specialist can carry out more tests to find out for certain if your child has fluid in the ear and to find out how bad the hearing loss is. Your child may either be referred to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor or hearing specialist (audiologist).

To learn more, see More about tests for fluid in the ear.

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