Adenoids are soft tissue behind the nose that helps your child fight infection. As a result, fluid can build up behind the eardrums. This can cause pain and hearing loss.

During ear tube insertion, your child’s healthcare provider places a tiny tube into the eardrum to let fluid leave the middle ear. It also lets air enter the middle ear through the eardrum. By the time these tubes come out, the body’s natural passageway from the middle ear to the back of the nose may be working better.