Many young children suffer recurrent ear infections. The middle ear is an open space connected to the back of your throat by the Eustachian tube. Fluid produced in the middle ear flows down the Eustachian tube to be swallowed with saliva.
Young children have narrow diameter Eustachian tubes that are easily blocked.
Irritation or infection can swell the back of the throat and block the eustachian tube, causing fluid to collect in the middle ear so some children miss various sounds and are slow to develop hearing and speaking skills. Surgeons make a hole in the tympanic membrane that separates the middle ear from the outside and place a tube in it so excess fluid can flow to the outside. 18 months after having ear tubes, children have no better verbal or social skills than children who were treated just with watchful waiting. It appears that too many children are having ear tubes to treat a condition that is usually self limiting. However, the concern that ear tubes would allow water to carry bacteria into the ear and cause serious infections is not supported.