ENT conditions (Mr Gaurav Kumar)

  What Is the Tiny Hole in Front of My Child’s Ear? A Parent’s Guide to Preauricular Pits You may have noticed it soon after your baby was born. Or perhaps you have only just spotted it while washing their hair. A  tiny, pin-sized hole sits  just in front of the ear . It can look so neat that some parents initially wonder whether somebody has somehow pierced the ear. Other parents notice exactly the same tiny opening on themselves or another relative. Then comes the understandable question: “Why does my child have a little hole beside their ear?” In many children, the explanation is something called a preauricular pit , also known as a preauricular sinus . The reassuring news is that an isolated preauricular pit is usually just a small difference in how the outer ear formed before birth. Many never cause any problem at all. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Occasionally, however, the tiny tract beneath the opening can become infected. That is when parents may suddenly n...

  Swelling Behind My Child’s Ear After an Ear Infection — Could It Be Mastoiditis? Ear infections are extremely familiar to many parents. Your child develops a cold, becomes irritable, complains of earache and perhaps has a temperature. Younger children may simply rub or pull at an ear. In most cases, the illness settles. Then there is a symptom that deserves different attention: pain, redness or swelling behind the ear. Parents may also notice that the affected ear suddenly appears to be sticking further out from the side of the head . This does not mean every child with an earache has developed a serious complication. In fact, NICE emphasises that complications of acute middle-ear infection such as mastoiditis are rare . However, mastoiditis is an important condition for parents to recognise because it needs prompt medical assessment and usually hospital treatment. The NHS describes mastoiditis as a rare but serious infection affecting the mastoid bone behind the ear, ...

  My Child Has Ear Discharge After Grommets — Is This Normal? A Parent’s Guide Your child had grommets inserted to help with glue ear or recurrent middle-ear problems. Their hearing may have improved. They returned to nursery or school. Everything seemed settled. Then one morning you notice: fluid coming from the ear. Perhaps there is a small mark on the pillow. Perhaps the ear looks wet. Sometimes the discharge is yellow or sticky; occasionally parents notice an unpleasant smell. The immediate question is usually: “Has something gone wrong with the grommet?” The reassuring answer is that ear discharge in a child with grommets is a recognised problem and is often treatable. A small amount of clear or lightly blood-stained fluid shortly after the operation can occur. University Hospitals Sussex's children's grommet guidance , reviewed 18 June 2026 , describes slight clear discharge during the first day or so as something that can happen after surgery. Discharge that persists, de...