• Home

Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)

Toggle: English / Spanish

Otitis media with effusion

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

OME; Secretory otitis media; Serous otitis media; Silent otitis media; Silent ear infection; Glue ear

Treatment:

In otherwise healthy children, the first line treatment for OME is to adjust environmental factors if possible (encourage breast-feeding, avoid cigarette smoke, reconsider group day care). If allergies are present, avoiding the allergens can be effective (e.g., house dust). Most often the fluid will clear on its own, and suggested treatment might be either to wait and observe, or to try a single round of antibiotics.

If the fluid is still present after 6 weeks, treatment might include further observation, a hearing test, and/or a single trial of antibiotics (if not given earlier).

If the fluid is still present at 12 weeks, hearing should be tested. If there is significant hearing loss (> 20 decibels), antibiotics or ear tube placement (grommets) might be appropriate.

If the fluid is still present after 4 to 6 months, tubes are probably indicated even if there is no significant hearing loss. Laser myringotomy is a newer alternative to ear tube surgery.

Sometimes adenoid removal is necessary to restore proper functioning of the Eustachian tube.

Expectations (prognosis):

Otitis media with effusion usually resolves on its own over weeks or months. Treatment may accelerate this process. As long as fluid is present in the middle ear, hearing will be impaired. This can interfere with language development in children. The disorder is usually not a threat to life but may result in serious complications. Glue ear is less likely to clear in a timely fashion than OME with a thinner effusion.

It is normal to have OME (fluid) for several weeks following treatment of an acute ear infection .

Complications:

• Temporary hearing loss
• Permanent damage to the ear with partial or complete deafness
• Speech or language delay
• Cholesteatoma
• Tympanosclerosis
• Acute otitis media

Although fluid can go unnoticed, it can cause significant hearing problems in children. Any fluid that lasts longer than 8-12 weeks is cause for concern -- in children, hearing problems may cause speech to develop slowly. Permanent hearing loss is rare, but the risk increases the more ear infections a child has.

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider if you suspect you or your child might have otitis media with effusion. Continue to monitor the condition until the fluid has disappeared.

Call your health care provider if new symptoms develop during or after treatment of this disorder.

• Review Date: 5/10/2006
• Reviewed By: Daniel Rauch, MD, FAAP, Director, Pediatric Hospitalist Program, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process . A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2007 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.