Read up on Ear infection with fluid treatment options at Consumer Reports Health.

Ear infection with fluid

Key points about treatments

The good news about fluid in the ear is that in most children it clears up without needing treatment, usually within a few weeks or months. This is why doctors normally suggest a period of "watchful waiting" for fluid in the ear, to see if it gets better by itself.

But if your child has fluid in the ear for a long time and it is clearly affecting his or her hearing, your child may need treatment. The main treatment for fluid in the ear is surgery to put in tubes.

Key points about treating fluid in the ear

Your doctor will probably suggest "watchful waiting" for fluid in the ear. Watchful waiting is when your doctor regularly checks on your child rather than recommending a treatment.
Getting your child to blow up a special balloon with his or her nose may open the tubes leading from the middle ear to the back of their throat (the eustachian tubes) and improve your child's hearing. But your child needs to keep doing this. Young children may find the balloon hard to use.
If your child's fluid in the ear does not go away, or if it keeps coming back, your doctor may suggest an operation to put in tubes. Tubes are not a cure for fluid in the ear. But they may improve your child's hearing until he or she grows out of it.
Tubes allow the fluid that has built up in the middle ear to drain away. They also prevent fluid from building up if your child gets any more ear infections. But, they can cause side effects.
Antibiotics, antihistamines and decongestants are unlikely to help clear up glue ear or improve hearing. Antibiotics also have side effects.

This information was last updated on May 11, 2009

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.

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