Otitis media with effusion is a fairly common inflammation in children and is the most common cause of hearing loss in this age group.
The main symptom is hearing loss, sometimes there may be ear pain and a feeling of overflowing. It is often asymptomatic – without ear pain or other ailments, and the hearing loss may be mild and unnoticed by other people.
In most children, otitis media with effusion resolves spontaneously. Unfortunately, in some children it does not subside, and the long-term effects of untreated chronic otitis media with effusion may be unfavourable. The child may show delayed speech development, behavioural disorders, and concentration disorders. Late consequences include permanent hearing loss due to tympanosclerosis, the development of the so-called retraction pockets, and even ossicular necrosis or cholesteatoma.
Diagnosis – it is made based on ear otoscopy, preferably with multiple magnification. Additional tests include tympanometry and audiometry, which provide information about, a.o., the pressure in the tympanic membrane and the degree of hearing loss.
Initially, otitis media with effusion can be observed, although conservative treatment is usually used. In cases of prolonged effusion behind the eardrum, the basic procedure is surgical treatment consisting of performing a myringotomy, i.e. incising the eardrum and installing a middle ear drain. This procedure can be performed simultaneously with tonsils surgery.
The drainage lasts in the ears for several months, even up to a year. Then, the drains most often fall out of the eardrums on their own. If the drains do not fall out for more than a year, the doctor decides on further action.
