An official website of the United States government
Here’s how you know
Official websites use .gov A
.gov website belongs to an official government
organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A
lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to
the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official,
secure websites.
Fluid in the middle ear (present for more than 12 weeks)
Recurrent ear infections despite efforts of prevention (more than three infections in six months)
Ear infections that don't improve after two to three rounds of using the appropriate antibiotics
Symptoms include:
Persistent ear pain
Ear drainage
Hearing loss (over a three-month period)
Review Date 1/12/2026
Updated by: Ashutosh Kacker, MD, FACS, Professor of Clinical Otolaryngology, Weill Cornell Medical College, and Attending Otolaryngologist, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
