Grommets

Grommets are small ventilation tubes used to ventilate the middle ear in cases where the Eustachian tube is not working. If the Eustachian tube is not ventilating the middle ear it can lead to an inability to equalise, a feeling of ears being blocked, pain, hearing loss, fluid in the middle ear and later retraction pockets. Grommets are made out of various materials and can be different shapes. These shapes determine how long they will stay in place. Grommets are designed to be temporary and get extruded as the skin of the eardrum rejuvenates itself. In children a general anaesthetic is needed to insert them as the ear canal can be very sensitive. In adults it can be done under local anesthetic – if the ear canal is wide enough. If more than one set of grommets are needed, one can consider dilating the eustachian tubes.