Statistics show that every year almost half a million children undergo surgeries under anesthesia in which ear tubes are inserted into their eardrums.

The surgery is performed under general anesthesia and is carried out to remove any fluid that may have become trapped behind the eardrum and to prevent recurrent ear infections.

A few other reasons exist, but these two are most common.

The purpose of the tube is to ensure that the pressure reaches the same value on both sides of the eardrum; hence preventing the fluid from building up in the child’s middle ear, preventing loss of hearing and significantly reducing the risk of any ear infections. This procedure is also carried out if an infection persists despite antibiotic therapy.

Changes in Guidelines

Previously, it was recommended that those children who had these tubes inside their ears, had to wear ear plugs whenever involved in any water activities, including when taking a shower, bath, or swimming.

Following these guidelines, many children wore earplugs, especially when swimming to keep the water out of their ear canal as well as out of the tube itself. It has been found that the water typically does not enter the tube during swimming, leading to a change in the guidelines for children with tympanostomy tubes.

It is now a fact that the majority of children need not to wear earplugs when swimming. Nonetheless, it is still recommended that they do so under the following conditions:

  • When experiencing discomfort or pain or discomfort if water enters their ear canal
  • If a discharge/drainage is seen from their ear canal
  • If there are frequent or extended episodes of drainage from ears

There are other instances where earplugs may be required for use by children when:

  • They are swimming at a depth of more than 6 feet
  • They are swimming in non-chlorinated pools or lakes
  • They are dunking their head in the bathtub (problems can be caused due to soapy water)

With that said, the individual case should be observed and the child should be allowed into the water without earplugs only if the above situations do not exist.