# Autoinflation

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**Autoinflation** is a minimally invasive procedure to treat [serous](/source/Serous) non-infectious [otitis media](/source/Otitis_media), in which a nasal balloon is inserted into the [nasopharynx](/source/Nasopharynx), followed by the application of pressure to the [sinus cavities](/source/Paranasal_sinuses) by forcibly contracting the [diaphragm](/source/Thoracic_diaphragm) against the closed nasal passageways.[1][2] It can also be performed by manually pinching the nasal passages and closing the back of the [pharynx](/source/Oropharynx), followed by forceful contraction of the diaphragm.

It may provide short-term relief of symptoms in cases of [otitis media with effusion](/source/Otitis_media_with_effusion) (colloquially known as *glue ear*).[3] However, it is not recommended as a long-term treatment of otitis media with effusion due to the variable effectiveness of the treatment in studies, as well as a lack of high-quality evidence to suggest that the long-term benefits of using autoinflation in glue ear outweigh the inconveniences of regularly performing the procedure and the risk of pain.[4]

## References

1. Schilder, AG & Venekamp, RP (July 2016). "Nasal balloon autoinflation can help clear middle ear effusion, improving the quality of life in school-aged children with glue ear.". *Evidence-Based Nursing*. **19** (3): 81. [doi:10.1136/eb-2015-102268](https://doi.org/10.1136/eb-2015-102268). [PMID 27005567](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27005567). [S2CID 11762687](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:11762687)

1. Williamson, I; Vennik, J; Harnden, A; Voysey, M; Perera, R; Breen, M; Bradley, B; Kelly, S; Yao, G; Raftery, J; Mant, D; Little, P (September 2015). "An open randomised study of autoinflation in 4- to 11-year-old school children with otitis media with effusion in primary care.". *[Health Technology Assessment](/source/Health_Technology_Assessment_(journal))*. **19** (72): 1–150. [doi:10.3310/hta19720](https://doi.org/10.3310/hta19720). [PMC 4781307](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4781307). [PMID 26377389](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26377389)

1. Blanshard, J.d.; Maw, A.r.; Bawden, R. (1993). ["Conservative treatment of otitis media with effusion by autoinflation of the middle ear"](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2273.1993.tb00827.x). *Clinical Otolaryngology & Allied Sciences*. **18** (3): 188–192. [doi:10.1111/j.1365-2273.1993.tb00827.x](https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2273.1993.tb00827.x). [ISSN 1365-2273](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1365-2273)

1. Webster, Katie E.; Mulvaney, Caroline A.; Galbraith, Kevin; Rana, Mridul; Marom, Tal; Daniel, Mat; Venekamp, Roderick P.; Schilder, Anne Gm; MacKeith, Samuel (2023-09-26). "Autoinflation for otitis media with effusion (OME) in children". *The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews*. **9** (9). [doi:10.1002/14651858.CD015253.pub2](https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD015253.pub2). [ISSN 1469-493X](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1469-493X). [PMC 10521168](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10521168). [PMID 37750500](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37750500)

## External links

- Neff MJ (June 2004). ["AAP, AAFP, AAO-HNS release guideline on diagnosis and management of otitis media with effusion"](http://www.aafp.org/afp/2004/0615/p2929.html). *Am Fam Physician*. **69** (12): 2929–31. [PMID 15222658](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15222658)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Autoinflation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoinflation) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoinflation?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.