What to expect after ear tube surgery The following symptoms are common after surgery
* Pain: a mild earache is common, treat it with Tylenol or Ibuprofen. Severe ear pain or pain not getting better with medicine is unusual so notify the doctor. * Upset Stomach/Vomiting: may occur but goes away within a day of surgery. If vomiting continues, notify your doctor. * Ear Drainage: for a few days, drainage that is clear or contains a small amount of blood is normal but gets less each day. If it continues, increases in amount or gets foul smelling and/or changes color to green or yellow, notify your doctor’s office.
The following symptoms are not common. If these symptoms are present, the doctor should be notified as soon as possible
* Fever > 101 * Severe pain * Dizziness
How do I take care of ear tubes?
Simply return to usually daily activities but * Keep scheduled doctor’s appointment * Watch for drainage or foul discharge * Report all changes
Water precautions You may hear about staying out of the water. In the past, we thought it prevented infection but experience shows that children can swim without earplugs just fine!
If you feel safer protecting their ears, use a simple and cheap method: * Apply Vaseline * Place cotton ball in the outer ear canal * Purchase earplugs at a pharmacy * Check on custom ear molds by asking the doctor (caution: they are a very expensive item with questionable value)
Ear Drops Ear drops are often prescribed for ear drainage that is a sign of infection.
How do I use ear drops? * Place child on his/her side, then position head so it is turned with the ear pointing toward ceiling. * Gently pull ear lobe (the bottom, soft fleshy part) away from the head and slightly forward to open and straighten the ear canal * Instill correct number of drops into the ear canal, gently wiggle ear lobe to get drops down on to eardrum * Place a cotton ball in the ear canal for a short time to prevent the drops from seeping out
What if… * The ear drops cause pain? It is normal to have a mild sting or burn. Try warming medicine to room temperature. If this still causes severe pain, contact your doctor, a different medicine may be needed. * The ear becomes red and swollen? Stop using drops, and see a doctor: this may be a sign of allergy or worsening infection. * The drainage doesn’t improve? See a provider: the infection is probably not improving.
ANMC phone numbers to call: Monday-Friday 8:00-4:30 Pediatric Clinic: (907) 729-1000 After hours or on weekends |
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