In pilots, Otitis Media with Effusion may be treated with what to improve eligibility?

• A. PE tubes
• B. Long-term antibiotics only
• C. Immediate grounding
• D. No intervention

Answer: (A)

When the middle ear has effusion, fluid behind the eardrum can cause conductive hearing loss and makes pressure changes during flight risky due to potential barotrauma. The treatment that directly addresses this by restoring ventilation and drainage is the placement of pressure-equalization tubes. These small tubes ventilate the middle ear, allow fluid to drain, and improve hearing, which reduces the risk of tympanic membrane injury during ascent and descent. This improvement in middle-ear function and hearing makes a pilot more likely to meet aeromedical standards, whereas antibiotics alone don’t reliably resolve chronic effusion, immediate grounding isn’t a treatment, and doing nothing leaves the risk unaddressed.