Question
A one-year-old child has had ear drainage. The parent wants to know if the child can fly after the drainage? If not, how long should there be between the drainage and flying?
Answer
When ear drainage is mentioned, it is due to the malfunctioning of the eustachian tube, leading to secretory otitis media. If the function of the eustachian tube does not improve, simple drainage is unlikely to resolve the issue. Due to the malfunctioning eustachian tube, flying can cause middle ear pressure, leading to acute otitis media. Therefore, it is recommended to fly only when the eustachian tube function is normal or after tympanic membrane tube placement, when there is balance in the pressure between the middle ear and the outside.