Are Tubes in the Ear Good or Do They Just Cause More Problems?

My daughter had ear infections often from 7 months to 22 months. We had tubes put in by the time she was 23 months. In her case, she would never have healed...the infections would have continued indefinitely. The "fluid" in her ear(s) was actually a plug of mucous that would never have drained. After the tubes were put in, she rarely had anymore ear infections. She is now 22 years old. I hope this helps and best wishes.

tubes are wonderful. My son had a constant ear ache and after the tubes only had one in 5 years time.

I had tubes put in as a kid because I suffered from frequent ear aches. I don't remember much from it except for quickly falling asleep before the operation, waking up and vomiting a little bit, and then always having to put ear plugs in my ears when swimming. After about a year, my pediatrician said to swim without the earplugs - something that was going to make the tubes fall out. I happily did it, since I hated the earplugs - they looked funny. I don't think I have ever had an ear ache since. My pediatrician said that after a short while (a year or something) the tubes have done there job and you should be problem free after. It worked for me. I was glad to never have the ear aches again.

yes they're worth it if they work.
meaning i have heard countless people say how tubes changed their child's life, and then you have me, who curses the day i said yes to them.

If you want another opinion, I encourage you to visit my pediatrician, Dr. Bain of Healthy Kids Pediatrics in Frisco. www.healthykidspediatrics.com. She helps children get well by getting to the root of the problem, not just constantly prescribing antibiotics and/or scheduling surgery. She just wrote a book called "How The Chiropractor Saved My Life" and shares numerous stories about how she has helped children who were very sick by strengthening their immune system. Some of the things she does to help children get well include: allergy testing to see if the immune system is weakened due to allergies, placing children on immune building supplements and possibly probiotics to balance the flora in the stomach. Good luck! I hope your baby feels better soon.

Our daughter has had tubes twice.....by the time she was 2.

The tubes did exactly what they were supposed to, and they fell out like they're supposed to. For some reason, she's prone to ear infections. Her first set was before her first birthday.

I had no reservations either time about getting them because the risk of not removing the cause of the infection (fluid that acts like a breeding ground for infection) was much higher.
Within hours, she was back to herself and much happier.

You won't be able to swim in lakes for a year, and there's a 50/50 debate on whether or not you have to use ear plugs for baths, ocean/pool water. Our ENT did not have us use plugs, and she's been to both the beach and the pool all summer without another flair-up of infection.

She's most susceptible in winter months. The ENT said some kids will battle this into adulthood, but he hopes we're done with round two. Our pediatrician's nurse has a daughter a few months older than ours, and they also just had them a second time by age 2 as well.

Good luck. I'd not personally risk the permanent hearing loss.

They are wonderful! My son had them put in a year ago and we have been infection and antibiotic free ever since! :)

Get the tubes! Your daughter will be SO HAPPY! It is a VERY QUICK procedure and you will be out of there in less than 2 hours. You won't believe what a difference this will make- she will be happier and probably more verbal because she will be able to hear better. Good luck!

Best medical decision we have ever made for our daughter! Definately would do it again. I'd rather do it again than to have her suffer through even more ear infections.

I felt the same way when I found out my son needed tubes. The tubes were so worth it- he went from having chronic ear infections to absolutely no ear infections since the tubes were put in (2 years ago). The surgery isn't bad- he was cranky from the anesthesia, but was back to his normal self by the next day. I would do it again in a heartbeat if I had to.

Hi P.,
I have not read your other responses but I corrected the ear infections with my child by having them tested with an ImmunoCap to determine the total of 44 foods, between the two children, that were causing their infections. The day I got the results, the girls had fluid on their ears, AGAIN, but we waited to see if it would get infected. Lo and behold, eliminating the foods from that moment on cleared the ears and we have been infection free. Now, 2.5 years later, we are eating all normal foods again, but we know what foods they are more sensitive to and limit them more, but don't avoid it anymore. My pedi told me 95% of ear infections are from a food intolerance. I truly only trust Immuno Labs, but that is because I know so many people who have tried other labs and not see accurate results. Some labs have a 40% variance in their results; that is HUGE when you are working so hard to adjust your child's diet.....Immuno's is less than 1% variance. This process, although difficult, has changed our life as far as the health of our children. I know it is so hard to know what to do; I am thankful I found Dr. Bain who has taught me so much. Best wishes for you and your lil' one. Let me know if you have any questions.

Tubes are a miracle! You will have such a healthier baby. It is so worth it.

We got tubes for my daughter when she was 12 months old, it was the best thing I ever did for her. She had so many infections it was unreal. After getting the tubes over 3 years ago she has not had a single ear infection.

The actual procedure was nothing, my daughter came out and was acting normal that afternoon. She was not phased by the procedure at all!

I had ear infections non stop as a child. I ended getting double tubes and haven't had one since. My nephew also had a lot of them and had tubes and I don't believe he has had any since too. No fear, I had them as a three year old and I don't even remember the surgery. It's more nerve wrecking for you then your daughter.

My son got tubes at 13 months and they have drastically improved his quality of life. Before, he was almost constantly on antibiotics or in pain. As soon as he got the tubes, he started talking more and walking (the same weekend) -- the doctor said the fluid buildup in his ears was probably affecting his equilibrium and hearing.

The procedure itself is very simple and FAST. The worst part is waiting for it to begin, because your daughter will be hungry and you'll have to entertain her in the pre-op area. Our doctor let my husband go back during the anesthesia part (just until my son was asleep --- about 30 seconds) and it was literally only ten minutes before the doctor came out and told us the procedure was finished.

One of the best things we did as parents. The procedure is a piece of cake. When we got home from the hospital he got out of the car and started to ride his bike. We had it done 2 yrs ago and he hasn't had a single ear infection since.

Love it! No more ear infections, antibiotics, side effects etc. And my daughter was 1.5 when she got them so it made the surgery easier. One did fall out a year later and she had them replaced and her adenoids out at 2.5 but she has rarely been sick since she first got them. The surgery is literally 5 - 10 minutes. I had my husband go back with her when they went to the operating room so I didnt have to see her go under and then I got to be there when she woke up. She didnt even cry! Good luck.

My son is 3 years old...he was 2 when tubes were put in...I wish I would have put the ear tubes sooner b/c his speech is delay. He had a lot of fluid in his ear that would not drain. The family doctor did not think he needed ear tubes b/c he didn't have that many ear infections (an ear infection every other month...to me that's a lot). But I knew he was losing his hearing so I took him to get a hearing test & sure enough he failed the test. So, then, I saw a ENT doctor & he was surprise I didn't do it sooner.

The surgery is a in & out surgery....fast...about 3-4 hours in the hospital....the pain seemed to only hurt that day of the surgery....the next day he was up & running like normal. The only thing is if your little one is a swimming...they must wear ear plugs or a swim cap to cover ears.

Never had any "problem" caused by the tubes at all, and I don't know anybody else who did, and I don't think that there is even an "anti-tube" brigade out there saying that this is a useless procedure, kids who need tubes need tubes.

Let go of your nerves because it is not really a big deal, but it has big payoffs for your daughter. Why so negative? She will do much better if you are positive about the whole thing. I have been through this proceedure a total of 7 times, never a complication or problem invloved, except that after they grew out, we needed new ones for one of our kids who had 6 of them, the other kid only needed one set. No ear infections while they were in and solved the issue overnight.

M.

We just had them put in the 3 yr. olds ears. He had multiple ear infections over the last year. He went into the surgery doorway being a happy grinning little boy and when he woke up he was, of course, scared and feeling strange due to the anesthesia. He was totally freaking out right at first when he was first opening his eyes, but I don't think it was pain. If you have ever had anesthesia you know how strange it feels at first. As soon as the gas started wearing off he was right back to normal. Within about an hour he was playing and wanting to eat and was back to himself by the end of the morning.

Tubes for my son when he was 10 months old was the best decision we ever made. I highly recommend them to anyone whose child has chronic ear infections.

My dd didn't get them until she was 2 1/2. They have been great for her. NO problems since. It's weird to not have to take her to the doctor all the time. The procedure itself is very fast. The doctor was almost waiting for us to tell us it was over before we could make it to the waiting area.

Wonderful wonderful wonderful!! My son (almost 1 year) just got them in yesterday after four straight months of antiobiotics. My daughter got them after the same thing (she was 2.5 at the time). She has not had ANY problems since and we did notice she does not scream or talk as loud as she used to.

The procedure itself is super fast, but like another poster said, it's the 1-2 hours before that is the hardest to keep them occupied. We had the procedures done at one hospital for my daughter and a different one for my son (becuase of the time it would have taken to get him into the one she got into was a lot longer and we didn't want to wait). Both were great!!

Some things to consider: there is a 1 in 200,000 chance that the tube will leave a small hole in the ear. That is not painful (from what I've heard) but does mean your daughter would have to wear ear plugs or whatever when in water and go to a specialist more often (I know one person this happened to out of a lot who've had tubes). Another thing to consider and I know they will address this - some doctors request that they wear plugs of some sort in any kind of chlorindated or clean water that they are submerged in (and definitely in any 'dirty' water like a lake or pond) but others will tell them just to wear tubes in the 'dirty' water. We have been told both (by two different doctors). My daughter's doc said dont' worry about them unless she's in a lake and my son's doc said to wear them at all times until the tubes fall out. He does not submerge his head anyways at this point, but something to think about!!!

Good luck!

I would suggest taking her to a chiropractor first. Very often, the ear infections are caused by the spine not being aligned. Specifically if the atlas (the top vertibrae) is out, it will block the drainage from the ears. The fluid will pool in the ear, get infected and there you go. A simple adjustment makes it all better.

You will be SO happy with the results of the surgery. Further, the surgery is super easy/simple.

Good luck!
L.

As a mom, you're going to be nervous no matter what anyone says....BUT...tubes are very effective and safe. Your daughter will never know what happened AND she'll be in and out so quick, you won't even have time to get yourself a cup of coffee in the waiting room. About the middle of the day (same day of surgery), she'll be playing like normal, not a care in the world, and no worse for the wear. Good Luck!

My son had them and good lord, I WISH I had known how much of a difference they make because we would have had them put in a lot sooner!!! You will not regret it. They actually fell out about a month ago and he is perfectly fine and his hearing is perfect too.
Constant infections and fluid in the ears can cause damage to hearing so either way you are looking at risks.

Oh my goodness, YES they do good. Both my kiddos suffered from recurrent ear infections. My countertops and fridge had a constant rotation of amoxicillin, omnicef, augmentin........ALL THE TIME. It was insane. Placing tubes is SO FAST! By the time you get back settled from when they take her back, they'll be coming to tell you they're done! No kidding. The differences in her will be immediate. She will hear better and chances are you will notice a different in her speech. She'll speak more clearly and properly. It's amazing. It truly is. And the best part............NO MORE ANTIBIOTICS!!!!!!!!!!!! =0)

I was a mom who resisted the surgery for my child the first time when it was suggested a few months before her first birthday--she had already had non-stop infections for months at that point. I tried chiropractic, elimination diet, all sorts of different oil in the ears...and nothing made a bit difference. Getting the tubes changed my child 100% for the better.

When it was time to replace them two years later (after coming out on their own...only to have the infections flare up again) I was pushing the ENT to do the surgery that week...he wanted to wait and see. Two full courses of wicked antibiotics within four weeks and he was on my team.

There is NO guarantee that the infections won't continue, but they are 1) less painful 2) easier to detect and 3) easier to treat (ear drops instead of oral antibiotics). There are risks to doing it or not doing it--in hindsight it is always easy to think the other decision might have netted a better results. However, you can only act on the information you have today.

You will "go through this" much more than she will--she will only feel better and fast....like within 24 hours (barring any complications from the anesthesia).

I do like to share my own experience from my daughter's first surgery--I don't think it is typical, but you never know what people will experience. I was told she would be a "little upset" when she came out from the anesthesia...she was completely HYSTERICAL and I finally had to convince them to let me take her outside to calm her down promising that I would make sure she could drink something or I would bring her back. Also, my daughter had an active infection and, while they do suck it out, she had quite a bit of bloody discharge running down her cheek when they brought her out. Third, you'll have a script for post-op ear drops...make sure they give it to you at your pre-op appointment so you can fill it well before the surgery.

The second time around we had a new surgeon and a new surgical center. Even if I hadn't been experienced with it, their preparation level to the parents was at a much higher level. She threw up once from the anesthesia and that was it...she didn't even take a nap that day.

If you've tried other remedies and still it continues, I would do it. There is a physiological component to repeat ear infections--small or short or contorted Eustacian tubes. My mom still gets ear infections as an adult (she never had tubes) and I occasionally get them as well.

In children, they are usually asoociated with a cold...my daughter could have one without ever having any other symptoms. It is just the way she is built.

P.S. Just to add to the ear plug/no plug debate. Both our surgeons said that "dirty" lake/ocean water should ALWAYS have plugs if going to be submerged. I was told that the debate with "clean" water depends on the size and type of tube used. Second, we opted to go with a slightly larger tube in the hopes she would grow out of the infection before they came out. We do have to used water precautions,and it does increase the risk of a hole, but they also have methods for patching that as well.

constant fluid in the ears and ear infections will affect her hearing. Most kids I know that have had tubes haven't had ear infections since getting them.

If she has ear infections all the time then def get the tubes , yes they are worth it. My daughter had them put in in February , the op was 10 mins and within and hour of the op we were on our way home , no problems afterwards and she is like different kid. If this is what has been advised for you to do then do it , they will come out by themselves in 12-18 months as she grows , she won't feel or notice this , then if she still has persistent ear infections they will put more in , but alot of the time kids outgrow the issues and do not need them again.

one more thing. Try pre and probiotics. May keep your daughter from future ear infections.

they made a difference for my son. He felt so much better after the surgery he began to sing in the recovery room. The doctor said he must have felt so much pressure all the time and was enjoying the relief.

I'm so glad we did it and have never regretted it. The ear infections stopped immediately. No more fever and pulling at her ears and crying. It's ok to be nervous, but be strong for her and don't let it show. Babies feed off our energy. Go into it with great expectations and be excited that she wont be sick anymore.

My son started having ear infections when he was six months old and got tubes when he was a year old. He started walking and talking a lot more immediately. They fell out not even a year afterwards but we have never had another ear infection.

Personally, I'm 34 and I've never had tubes, but my doctor reccomends them for me now due to the fact that I continue to have ear infections.

While I have no regrets or any resentful feelings toward my folks, I do wish they had been a little more pro-active with my healthcare when I was younger. I need to have my tonsils out too, it could have been a lot easier to have done when I was younger.

Have a frank dicsussion with your ped. Find out the positives and negetives. Weigh them for yourself and then decide.

When they work, yes!!! Our daughter hasn't suffered from any more ear infections. Very quick procedure and great results for us!!!

Get them!! You will not regret it!! The procedure itself takes less than 5 minutes.

Yes, when they are in they work. As soon as my daughter's fell out, another ear infection. That's when we started to do a little more research and figure out what was causing all her infections instead of just treating them. We were done with antibiotics and surgeries! To make a long story short, we found a great Naturopath who changed her diet and eliminated all dairy products and sure enough no more infections and also no more coughing (that was another problem she had had chronically). The doctor said a few more months of coughing and she would have developed asthma. Neither of my kids have been sick in 6 months. My daughter did have one infection and we treated it naturally with no antibiotics and it was gone within 48 hours. I would look into alternative medicine. Western medicine has it's place but I don't believe that children's ear infections ought to be taken lightly and brushed off.

Well, I know a lot of children get them and mom's claim them to be a god send but I do have a different opinion. As a child, my DH got tubes in his ears, he is now hard of hearing and has incredibly sensitive ears. If he gets water in them he can have intense pain, if he blows his nose his ears hurt, he STILL gets ear infections, you get the picture. Knowing this, if one of our children develops ear problems I will be trying everything else before resorting to tubes. Have you tried eliminating dairy from her diet? A dairy sensitivity can cause ear problems (it effects the entire sinus area so fixing the ear problem will only get rid of one symptom but not the original cause). You could also try find an chiropractor that works with children/infants. They use a very gentle form of adjustment (more like a massage then adult adjustments you have probably heard about). If she is out of alignment (which would be so easy to do if you think about not only going through birth but all of the growing, falling, playing and tumbling they do on a daily basis) it could be causing her sinuses to not drain properly and thus causing ear infections. Basically, I would look into anything that could be effecting their sinuses (seasonal allergies, household allergies, food allergies, etc.) before resorting to a surgery that may or may not work (I have heard of children getting tubes put in more than once) and may or may not cause permanent damage.

It will make a world of difference.
No more hurting ears, her hearing will clear up and so she will be speaking more clearly and understand more and more so quickly!

Tubes are wonderful especially for kids that have frequent ear infections. the procedure is extremely quick - 15 minutes after they have been put to sleep at most. It will allow your daughter's ears to drain properly so that she does not need antibiotics all the time. Which is good since antibiotics cause problems with teeth and there are a lot more antibiotic resistent bugs due to the over use of antibiotics. My daughter had her set when she was almost 2 and she never had another ear infection. It gives their eustachian tubes time to develop.

They can work wonders. If they are not put in and their is fluid, speech is delayed and also eardrum can burst. BUT- watch as she grows up and have the doctor or specialist check to see when it falls out. If this doesn't happen, water gets all the way into inner ear and can make them lose hearing, etc. My grandson is 12 and has to have surgery to remove the tube that never fell out when he grew and he has hearing loss in that ear and swimming is out because repeated water inside caused ear infections and the next one could mean permanent damage to that ear.

In terms of tubes, I was very skeptical, but then the ENT did a test on my son's ear drum. It wasn't moving so much fluid and impacting his hearing. He woke up from surgery immediately recognizing words and phrases he previously didn't. I did ask my ent when ear canals more fully develop to drain properly and he said typically 4 yo. So around 3.5 my son had an infection and ENT started talking about second set of tubes and adnoids removed (?!) I said thanks, but no thanks and my son has had no problems since (almost 7 now). All that to say, be very aware of your child's health and certainly follow your guts if you feel something is not needed or over the top.
Best of luck!

I hear all these good experiences and I'm glad that they are working for them, but I want to share with you my sister's experience.
When she was 2 weeks old she was rushed to the hospital with a fever of 104. She had a horrible ear infection. She had to have an IV stuck in her forehead. The nurses were nice enough to put a styrofoam cup over it to hide it. It was really sad. Over the next 10+ years, she got tubes 6 times. She is prone to horrible ear infections and tonsilitis/strep throat. One of the last times, they didn't fall out. They had to be taken out. I was sitting in the dr.'s office when they pulled them out. She SCREAMED and cried and I started crying for her. I was 9 or 10. I got extremely pissed at my mother for making her go through this. She also had to have her tonsils out. Now when she goes to the dr. they can't tell if she has fluid behind her ear drum because of the scar tissue. She has also lost some hearing since her eardrum doesn't vibrate the way it is supposed to. She is 28 years old and still suffering from the tubes.She also still has ear infections....
When they told me that my girls would need tubes, I said NO WAY!! I was not going to put them through this. They had ear infections all the time, like once a month. They had been on every antibiotic out by the time they were 2 years old. I found a new dr. and they told me to try a dab of neosporin in the opening of the ear canal and this has worked very well. We do it any time they get an ear infection and the pain goes away in a matter of about an hour. They are now 12 and 13.

I would think and pray long and hard before doing this.

P.:

I see that you have already made a decision about this and I want to tell you that tubes changed my life!! OH LORD!!! What a relief!!! My son was 4 weeks premature he had pneumonia -stopped breathing right there in front of me - he was just a mess - the first year of his life was just horrible - couldn't lay down flat for more than 15 minutes before just screaming (not to mention he hated his dad for the first year).

He had ear infection after ear infection - cold after cold - it was just one thing after another. We went to the ENT and he said - your son's ear canal wasn't fully developed - we'll put tubes in and everything should be fine -

They let me hold him while they put him under - which was bad for me - he went limp - but i went to go to the bathroom and he was out of surgery in less than 10 minutes - he slept most of the day that day and was a TOTALLY changed baby after that - he was 14 months old and it made ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD!!! No more hating daddy (not sure what changed that - but after the surgery - he was best buds with daddy), no more screaming in the middle of the night - slept the night through - all of it!! WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE!!!

Hello
I am a Speech Pathologist with over 35 years of experience. I share your concern from a parent and professional. Otitis Media (with effusion) causes difficulty from a medical and a speech and language point of view. Tubes are to aide in the normal function of the ear to increase hearing function. You need to know the history of your child's hearing in addition to the medical information. Did your child have an infant screen at the hospital? Has your child had Tympanometry and do you know the results over time? Just because the child has tubes, does not mean he is free of infection. If you read my book, My Baby Compass, Birth to Two, that can be purchased through Amazon.com it will give you more information so you can be an informed parent. I was also in the same boat as you with my second child..I didn't pursue the tubes, had numerous varied antibiotics.and she has a mild auditory processing problems as a result...however, she is pursuing her Phd at Washinton University in St. Louis...so not all is lost. Good Luck to you K. Thorson Gruhn, MA CCC-SLP

My son was 18 months when his tubes were inserted. Not only did he have frequent ear infections, but he had a lot of trouble sleeping because he always had fluid in his ears. He is 7 1/2 now and has only had a couple of mild ear infections since the tubes. The results were immediate - no more waking up in the middle of the night screaming because of the fluid. It was also nice to get a break from all the antibiotics.

As other people have said, the surgery is fast. My husband stayed with our son during anesthesia, and then went to the cafeteria for breakfast (the man can eat under any circumstances). We were told we could see our son in recovery before my husband took his first bite of food. We were lucky because our son came out of the anesthesia really well - he didn't cry and he was just watching everything going on around him. They gave him his very first ice pop, which he ate pretty quickly. I thought for sure he would throw it back up, but he didn't, and we were able to go home pretty soon after that. On the way home he ate a banana and some graham crackers. After lunch, we all settled down for a nap, but my husband and I definitely needed the sleep more than our son.
Good luck!

I may be too late with my response but I wanted to put my 50 cents in. My son also had recurrent ear infections, for months. A doctor told me the best solution were the tubes. I asked for side effects/possible issues and she said there was a small (can't remember the number) chance/percentage of cases when the hole in the ear would not seal back up. Deep inside I did not feel good about the procedure from the start and in any case I would not take a chance that my son woould fall in that small percentage so I sought advice from other 2 doctors before making my mind up. The last doctor was an older, more navigated specialist and told me he would try anything he could before actually implanting ear tubes. That made me feel like the other doctors were just finding the easiest way out the problem, without actually investigating/trying to give me a different solution to the problem. Many doctors just go with what works (whatever it is) so their percentage of success is high and patients are happy and come back. Nothing wrong with that except they (generally) don't put ANY real thought in it. Nowadays 90 doctors out of 100 would say "go with the tubes". Well, my doctor didn't and after a long antibiotic cure, my son ended up with clear and whole ears. He never experienced ear infections after that, it was just a matter of finding the right antibiotic, the right dosage and the right lenght of theraphy. His previous ear infections kept coming back because the therapy (generally 10 days) was simply not long enought for him.
So I say, before going with the flow, try to be critical, seek different opinions. I doesn't hurt, does it? You can get ear tubes any time of day and night it seems, anyway!! Oh, I want to add that sometimes fluids in ears/nose/throat can be due to dirty a/c filters in the house that spread mould/bacteria irritating for the mucose of the nose...also when the house is too dry that is irritating to the mucose and they don't heal...Whatever you decide I wish your sweetie the best. Good luck!