It's one of the most common medical problems in children, accounting for more than 30-million doctor visits and four billion dollars in health care costs.

It is middle ear infections and they affect more children in this country than the common cold. When antibiotics fail, many parents opt for ear tube surgery.

But now, there's an alternative that is non surgical called the EarPoppers.

Ear tube insertion is the most common surgery in children. More than 700-thousand of the procedures are performed in this country each year.

When ear infections become chronic, up to five or six a year, tiny plastic tubes can be placed in the middle ear to provide ventilation and prevent the buildup of fluid and bacteria, which can cause pressure, pain and hearing loss.

Ear specialist Dr. Loren Bartels says that the symptoms can “often be relieved if we can just get the ear to ventilate well. If we can get air to go up the Eustachian tube into the ear, then these symptoms and fluid problems would go away."

Bartels says for the past sixty years ear tubes have been the only answer but now the EarPopper provides an alternative. The few people who have used it say it works, Bartels says.

Results of a federal study on the EarPopper were released last fall. 74 percent of children who had hearing loss associated with persistent middle ear infections were restored to normal hearing after seven weeks of treatment. Extending the treatment by four more weeks resulted in 85 percent recovery.

Bartels says, "It's an interesting technology that's very simple that potentially can make life substantially more comfortable for a lot of people."

Here's how the ear popper works. Patients simply insert the device in one nostril and close off the other nostril with their finger. You then switch the device on and swallow. Swallowing blocks the throat, forcing a puff of air into the Eustachian tube.

"And the ears pop open, and you hear loudly all of a sudden. As the air goes up and the fluid is displaced it causes a gurgling or popping noise," says Bartels.

According the manufacturer, Micromedics, the ear popper can eliminate the need for antibiotic treatment, reduce doctor visits, and prevent ear tube surgeries.

That sounds pretty good to 27-year-old Judi Riddell. She's had ear tube surgery six times in her life for chronic middle ear infections. Each time, after six months or so, the tubes fall out and the infections, pain and pressure return. "So that's my option now is to either do the surgery again, or try the new device called the ear popper to try to do an alternate way to get the fluid out," Riddell says.

Most insurance companies won't cover the device, so patients like Riddell must pay the $300 to $400 cost out of pocket.

But she says it is money well spent if she can avoid another surgery and finally get some relief to pop into her life.