Can you fly on an airplane after having water drained from your ears?

Patient's question:

Child, 1 year old. Undergoing ear irrigation. May I fly after the procedure? If not, how long must I wait? In the past

Doctor's answer:

You mentioned the need for ear drainage, and there is a presence of secretory otitis media, mainly caused by poor eustachian tube function. If the eustachian tube function does not improve, simply relying on drainage will not solve the problem.
Advice: Due to poor eustachian tube function, it is easy to develop acute otitis media during air travel due to factors such as middle ear pressure or the underlying cause. Therefore, it is necessary to fly when the eustachian tube function is normal. Alternatively, after tympanostomy tube insertion, when the pressure inside and outside the eardrum is balanced, flying is possible.