Grommets

What to expect

Most children recover very quickly and can usually go back to school or day care the next day. If there is ear discomfort, paracetamol or ibuprofen can be used.

Ear drops

Ear drops are usually prescribed postop to reduce the chance of the grommets getting blocked or postop infection.

Bleeding / discharge

There may be a small amount of bleeding from the ear, which should settle quickly. If there is infection the ear may discharge mucky fluid – this should settle with the drops but if it persists beyond the first week, please contact my rooms to arrange an appointment.

Swimming and infections

Try to keep the ears dry for the first week – this can be achieved with ear plugs, blu tac in the bowl of the ear (not down the ear canal) or cotton wool coated in Vaseline.

There is a risk of ear infections with swimming but this is relatively uncommon and after the first week most kids can swim without needing ear plugs, particularly younger kids.

If there is an infection, there will be discharge from the ear and occasionally pain – if this occurs, see your GP or contact our rooms for treatment.

Infections with grommets in place can occur from colds and viruses as well as from swimming. If your child is having problems with ear discharge related to swimming, ear plugs should be used, generally with a head band or swimming cap to keep them in place. In general, older kids are more likely to have problems due to diving to the bottom of the pool or spending a lot of time in the water for example with squad training.