Secretory otitis media is the most common cause of hearing loss in children. About 90% of children have had secretory otitis media, mostly between the ages of 6 months and 4 years after birth. The condition resolves spontaneously in most children within 3 months, but in some children it can last for a long time, even up to 1 year or more. Often there are no symptoms of otitis media, and sometimes it is discovered occasionally during a hospital checkup for other diseases or during a physical examination. What is secretory otitis media? Secretory otitis media is the presence of fluid in the middle ear cavity without symptoms of fever, ear pain, or ear discharge. The fluid in the middle ear cavity can be as thin as water and is usually a little yellowish in color. It may also be very thick and rubbery like water if it is prolonged. What are the causes of secretory otitis media? After a child with acute otitis media (ear pain and fever) has healed, it may linger to form a secretory otitis media. Even after the symptoms of acute otitis media have disappeared, the fluid in the middle ear may continue for weeks or months. Secretory otitis media is also common in children with colds or other upper respiratory infections; factors such as breastfeeding in the flat position, exposure to other children with upper respiratory infections, and passive smoking can all increase the likelihood of developing secretory otitis media in children. Other factors that may contribute to secretory otitis media include abnormal immune function and hyperplasia of the proliferating bodies. Can secretory otitis media be caused by water in the ear during bathing or swimming? When you have secretory otitis media, fluid appears in the middle ear cavity, which is on the inside of the eardrum (commonly called the eardrum). Water inside the ear during bathing or swimming will not cause secretory otitis media, but may cause acute otitis media. Is secretory otitis media contagious? Secretory otitis media is not contagious, but upper respiratory tract infections can be contagious. Reducing the chance of upper respiratory tract infections can effectively prevent secretory otitis media. What are the symptoms of secretory otitis media? There are usually no obvious symptoms of otitis media. Older children may tell their parents that their ears are stuffy, like something is blocking them, their ears are buzzing, they are losing their hearing, they are not doing well in school, and they have trouble concentrating. Some infants and toddlers are unresponsive to sounds around them, such as not turning their heads toward the source of the sound, delayed speech development, and so on. When these symptoms are detected, parents should take their children to the hospital for examination to rule out the possibility of secretory otitis media. How to treat secretory otitis media?1. Since secretory otitis media can mostly heal on its own, there is no need to worry too much about it. Sometimes the doctor may give some antibiotics, glucocorticoids, antihistamines, decongestants and other medications according to the child’s condition. You should bring your child to the hospital frequently for review until the fluid in the middle ear cavity disappears.2. If the fluid in the middle ear cavity does not subside after 4-6 months and hearing loss (>20dB) occurs, you can consider tympanic membrane placement surgery; if there is inflammation or hypertrophy of the proliferators (lymphatic tissue located in the nasopharynx) and the child develops posterior nostril obstruction, snoring or breath-holding during sleep, the proliferators can be removed. After surgery, the chance of recurrence of secretory otitis media can be reduced.