i am assuming you had a middle ear infection (there are different types). not a common problem for a 40 year old but happens nonetheless. fluid can be from a few different sources. middle ear infections can sometimes cause the eardrum to break/rupture. small ruptures could create a leak and large ruptures can cause a flood of fluid usually accompanied by blood. fluid can also be caused by water in the ear canal perhaps trapped behind a little wax dam. when you lie down more heat is created in the ear canal and these little dams can break causing this trapped water to come out on your pillow or show in your outer ear. it can be yellow (wax-stained) or clear. q-tip users tend to create a lot of these wax dams. neither one of these conditions is considered serious even a tiny rupture. most will heal in a few weeks. you can see your medical provider to be properly examined and to make sure the infection has resolved. many times the source of this fluid may not be obvious since the dam may have broken and the eardrum may have healed. assuming you are not having ear pain or signs of infection you could wait it out a bit longer. or see your doctor. since you are six weeks after your infection it may be best to be examined.
i was diagnosed with an ear infection sept 4th. i still have fluid "trickle" from my ears at night. do i need to go back. i finished all of my antibiotics. it took at least a week for my ear to "unplug". i am 40 years old. my ear doesn't hurt very much anymore - but i'm still feeling the fluid trickling out when i'm asleep. wasn't sure if this was normal or if i need to go back and have it looked at again. it's been 6 weeks. thanks!