Treatment of ear infection in general is normally non-surgical. Most young children will have many infections as their immune system is developing and becoming accustomed to bugs in the environmental. As they grow older, their immune system can efficiently manage bugs without creating the inflammation leading to ear infection. If your child is unwell with ear infection, antibiotics can be used to reduce the severity and time course of the ear infection. However, many parents become concerned about the trend of infection over time and we then consider whether grommets are the right solution. Grommets are small tubes which sit in the eardrum for a period of months. They are inserted during a short anaesthetic.