Inner Ear Fluid/tubes

Hi:
It is a difficult call to make. So much depends upon how symptomatic she is. I had a child who had ear infections for almost 6 months stright, and we and the dr. elected to not use the tubes, but mostly because he had multiple issues going on, and we felt this one could wait. I'm glad we did, but it may well have contributed to some delay in speech.

I would tend to think that if she is covering her ears and putting her fingers on them with any degree of regularity, I would probably go ahead with the tubes.

B.

I had the same problem growing up. I was always at the doctor with chronic ear infections as a baby/child. I was about to get tubes in my ears until someone told my mom about garlic oil. You can get it at a health food store. I swear by this stuff! I have a 3 year old and a 13 month old. My 3 year old had an earache once and I put the drops in his ears right away. After a couple of hours he said that he felt better. Give it a shot and see if it works for your child. Good luck!

A.

A.,
Such a beautiful name! Have you tried any natural products. Try going to Chucks Natural food market and talking to them. They are very knowledgeable. I would definately still see the specialist. But our bodies are made to heal naturally and I am sure there must be something natural out there! My sister also had to go thru all those terrible surgeries for her ears too when she was so very young. She had tubes put in her ears. She is kind of deaf in one ear. I would really talk to Chuck's market and just see if they know of any natural cure!!
I will be praying for your little one!
L. Jacobs

I am a mother of 3 and my youngest had bad ear infections. He had 9 in 1 years time. We were sent to the specialist and he told us to get the tubes. Problem solved , he had 1 surgery the Dr. told us the tubes would fall out by themself if not than they would do a in office removal. Morgen has not had a ear infection or cold(knock on wood) in a year and a half he goes for a visit to peds Dr. on July 2 and I'll find out about if they fell out. The ony problem that we had were keeping his ears dry. Our Dr. told us that he coulden't get his ears wet untill the tubes fell out. I got wax to put into his ears and a swim cap for longer periods in the water.use them together.
The surgery was short and Morgen was a little out of it and cranky for the first couple of hours after but then he was fine.
I suggest gettin the surgery worked for him and for us. I felt bad every time he tugged on his ears and screamed, got sick. Now its over.Hope this helps.

A.,
I know exactly what your going through. My daughter had ear infections constantley. It seemed like she lived on antibiotics and tylenol cold medicine. We had tubes put in her ears when she was 15 mths. Since then she has not been sick once. She started walking better and talking too. I cant believe the difference in her she is a much happier and healthier baby. I will admit there were a few days after the surgery that were hard because she had her adneoids out too so her throat hurt and her ears hurt after the surgery but the doctor gave us medicine to releive her pain and she did fine. Good luck with your daughter I hope she gets better soon.

L.

Whether or not to get tubes is a big decision, but if her chronic fluid is causing her a lot of pain, it might be worth it. At least that way the fluid has somewhere to go instead of building up behind her ear drum. However, she may still get infections, they'll just be easier to treat. I went through a similar problem with my son. He's now 3 and doing better, but right after his first birthday the ear infections started. It was right when I put him in daycare. Is your daughter in daycare or does she stay home with you? I stayed home with my son for the first year, but then I had to get a full time job due to a surprise pregnancy and some financial changes in our life. A decision I now wish I didn't have to make but at the time I didn't see how we'd support two babies without me working. Seriously about 3 days after starting daycare the first ear infection started. He got put on tons of different antibiotics, Amoxicillin (which we found out he's allergic to, just like me, the doc said he had a 4% chance of being allergic as well, guess he hit the 4%) Omnicef, Biaxin, Zithromax, etc. From about 12-17 months we battled the constant infections. He would seem to get better after a few days on antibiotics, we'd always have him finish it as prescribed, and then after a few more days back in daycare it was the same thing again. One time his fever was about 103.9 at the daycare, they called me and I came to pick him up. They told me he had not eaten or drank anything ALL DAY and didn't even call me until 2:30 in the afternoon. I called the pediatrician, they said Tylenol and tepid bath, however he had taken in no fluids except the small bit of milk he had before daycare in the morning, and he was acting very lucid and weird when I picked him up. His eyes were glazed over so I went with my instincts and took him to the ER at Wolfson's. There they gave him IV fluids for dehydration and Rocephin through the IV. After being there about 4 hours, they sent us home. Well about 1:00 AM that night I woke up because I heard him squirming on the baby monitor, went in his room to check him and he was burning hot. His fever was 105.4 so we rushed back to the ER. They gave him more Rocephin through the IV and we were there until about 7:30 AM. They did some blood cultures but couldn't find anything out of the norm. After that is when we decided to go ahead with the tubes. Also, the fluid buildup behind his ear had caused one of his drums to rupture and he was bleeding out of his ear. We had the tubes put in and it did help with his pressure sensation ( you could tell by his behavior) and made the infections easier to treat because then you can use the ear drops like Floxin and Ciprodex. But, it did nothing to relieve the number of infections he was getting. At the time I was working and pregnant with my daughter, and was about to lose my job because I had to miss work all the time because he was always sick. Well, at about 7 months I got violently ill from a flu bug he had gotten from daycare (which resulted in diarreha that exploded from his diaper for a week and fever and another ear infection) and I went into preterm labor from dehydration and dialated to 3 cm. I was only 29 weeks so I was told to stop working and was put on bedrest. When that happened we pulled him out of daycare and haven't looked back since. I've stayed at home since then and my youngest is now 17 months. When I was working it wasn't even worth what I was bringing home after all the copays, ER visits, deductibles, prescriptions, etc. (Plus my salary pretty much only covered the cost of two in daycare and there was no point to paying someone to watch my kids when I could do a much better job for free, and eliminate exposure) He did continue to get infections after daycare, however they were much less frequent. We ended up going to see Dr. Bruce Maddern after experincing a difference of opinion in care with his original ENT, and Dr. Maddern is amazing! He's so good at what he does and is incredibly smart and caring. He explained that a lot of kids go through this simply because the eustachian tube is not yet in the adult position, and they need time to grow out of it. Now he's 3 (just turned 3 on July 1st) and he hasn't had an ear infection since March of this year. And the last one was a fungal infection which he was sedated for to have the ears cleaned and wicked and his one remaining tube removed. He's been doing great since then and the doc says he's getting to the age where he's naturally outgrowing it. It'll take some time, but I am sure your daughter will get through this! If you have her in a daycare I would see about making some financial changes and staying home with her, or finding maybe a private nanny so she's not exposed to all the germs in a daycare. If you do stay home with her then great, that will really help her to recover. I feel for you, I know how agonizing this situation is and I am so thankful I can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel after 2 years of battling this. Oh, and another thing, they found out my son has acid reflux which was attributing to his ear infections because the acid from the stomach can get up into the back of the throat and get into the eustachian tube. They put him on Prevacid and he's SOOO much better! Unfortunatly for him it's something he'll probably have to be on forever, but it's worth not being sick! He also takes Nasonex for mild nasal rhinitis, and all his docs have said he has very narrow ear canals. And this was not the case with my son, but I've heard that dairy may attribute to chronic ear infections if they're allergic to it. Maybe trying soy for a while might help. I wish you all the best and will keep your daughter in my prayers. You'll get through this and best of luck to you and your angel!!

Hi, my 2 daughters had tubes, one was a year old & one was 4 months old, the surgery itself takes maybe 5 minutes, it's the recovery that is difficult, because they wake up & don't know where they are or what's going on, but within a couple of hours they were fine & they only had a couple of ear infections after that & that was it, they are now 2 1/2 & 8, when my 2 year old came home when she would burp she would cry because she wasn't used to the noise, but that evening she was back to normal. I would highly recommend it, it could cause speech problems if her ears are stuffed & she's not hearing properly. I hope this helped.

T

A friend of mine has a 4 year old who was constantly ill and seemed to always suffer secondary infections from a cold. She had problems for years and finally...to her dismay...the doctor suggested having the tubes surgically implanted. They had it done, and it turned out to be a complete blessing! They no longer have the ear issues, she is and appears to be so much healthier (she was sick all the time), and she preaches her story to anyone who will listen!!! Hope that helps to ease any questions you may have about it's effectiveness!! She had no pain during the process!

Take your daughter to an ear specialist. She may need tubes put in or special treatment.

My twins had ear problems starting at 6 months. We waited 4 months until we got tubes. What a mistake waiting was. The day they got them in it was like they were different children. They started eating and sleeping so much better. The tubes fell out after a year and the infections started again. We just got our second set put in a few weeks ago. My ENT told me we'll probably go through this every year until they are 6.

Unfortunately, I think some kids are just prone to ear infections. My niece had tubes put in her ears twice and one of my friends daughters had so many ear infections that she had her adnoids(sp?) taken out. I think that actually helped, but considering your daughters age I believe they can also grow back. The specialist, of course, is a good route to take and will probably give you the best advice. Although, my daughter has had only one mild inner ear infection the only real advice I can give is preventive - after her bath blow dry her hair, wipe water out of her ears and don't let her lay down in the tub where her ears are under the water. All three of these contributed to my daughters ear infection. Now that I know that, I do what I can to keep her from getting another one. Good luck and I hope your daughter feels better soon.

I went through the same thing with my daughter. She was constantly at the doctor's with ear infections and on antibiotics. I had two choices, continue to put her on antibiotics and hope they work or have the tubes put in her ears. I decided to have the tubes put in and it was the best thing I ever did! I was so scared about this decision because she was barely a year old. The procedure was so fast I couldn't believe it. She bounced back quickly that same day! The tubes are so tiny you almost can't see them if they were in your hand. We definitly made less trips to the doctor for ear infections. I don't know if you have already gone through this but figured I would let you know it is in her best interest to have it done. Good luck!

We have been down this road too but decided against the tubes. My son is 17 months old and has been on singular and claritin for about 2 months. In theory, the fluid in the ears does not get absorbed because there is too much "snot"! The allergy meds clears up the runny nose which in turn helps the body absorb the fluid in the ears. At least that is what I have gathered from our ped, ENT and allergist!! My son has not had an ear infection since we started this. Before we started these though, we went back and forth on the antibotic roller coaster. Nothing would clear up the fluid. We did have success with Bactrim and Suprex though over any of the other ones (omnicef, amox, ogmenten (sp?), etc.) People who have done the tubes though say it is wonderful so don't be afraid of those either. Who are you going to? We went to ENT - Dr Maddern & Dr. McMillian both and Dr Katz for the allergy testing. Very happy with all of them. Good luck!

My son had tubes put in his ears when he was around 3 or 4 and then had them done again when he was 5. He had the surgery because of a speech problem due to drainage buildup in his ears. He doesn't remember anything from the surgeries and he's 11 now. First thing is get more than one opinion and make sure you get a good surgeon. In my case I had a surgeon who I had heard great things about and I met the whole surgery team and felt comfortable with them. The hardest part was when I had to leave him so he could go into surgery but he was already medicated enough that it didn't bother him. That didn't keep me from crying all the way back down to the lobby. :( But then when he was out of recovery and I got to go back up and see him, he was still groggy, not really knowing where he was at until he saw me, then he felt better...until he saw the IV in his arm, then he started crying but I just crawled up into the bed with him and held him and everything was alright. For a little while he remembered the IV and the treasure chest that they let him pick some toys out of but now he doesn't remember a thing. I have never regretted having the surgeries. (Our doctor gave us some earplugs for my son to wear anytime he's in water...bathtime, swimming, etc. and he REALLY needed them.)

Hi A.,

Dodge surgery if you can. Your husband is remembering correctly and it doesnt always fix the problem and can cause problems later in life. (See http://www.entusa.com/ear_tubes.htm.) Ear infections are just that, infections. Instead of "fixing" the infection with antibiotics, see if you can figure out what's causing it. Antibiotics break down the immune system terribly and can, and will, cause problems later on. The body needs helps to heal itself.

Chemical toxicity at home can cause ear infections. Removing the toxins always helps. I can help you with alternatives (that are cheaper than what your spending). I also have a natural eardrop that you can use that is antibacterial, antifungal, penetrating and aromatic. It has healed ear infections for friend' children. Chiropractors have had good results in "healing" and preventing future ear infections and dodging tubes. My daughter's doctor wanted her to have tubes and I refused. She's 15 now and absolutely fine!

I hope this helps and if you want to contact me my email is ____@____.com and my cell is ###-###-####.

M.

Hello A.. I feel your pain. I have a 2-1/2 year old who from the age of 6-7 months started having ear infections. I think after about 4-5 months of ongoing ear infections I mentioned ear tubes to her pediatrician. I didn't want her to be on a low dosage antibiotic for months on end for my own personal reasons. The procedure is done on an out patient basis and I think she was away from my arms for a total of 10-15 minutes. She did wonderfully and it was the best decision we could have made for her. In fact, the next day she started to talk. Her entire behavior changed. I highly recommend ear tubes for children who have ongoing ear infections.

My daughter constantly had ear infections as well until she was 2 yrs old. She had an infection every other week and for some she had to be on 3 different antibiotics before they cleared up. My pediatrician finally sent us to an EMT to get evaluated for tubes but he felt we needed to give her a few months which pushed us into the 2 yr odl mark and she has been infection free. Once they get older their canals straighten out and the fluid drains. Most of my friends had tubes put in their kids ears and I did as well. They do help. Everyone I know says it cut out about 80% of the infections they use to have. Your husband is very misinformed. It is one easy surgery and normally no pain afterwards. I actually tired to push for tubes for my daughter because of speech and hearing problems that can occur when a child has too many ear infections. I would much rather do one quick surgery then have my daughter in pain everyother week with infections or possibly loss some hearing. I would take the advice of your pediatrician and if he/she send you to a specialist then take their advice. I know so many people that had tubes in their children's ears and only one had problems. Their daughter got an infection from dirty equipment being used and is sueing the doctor I think. Make sure you get the best doctor available/.Good luck

My son is two now, however when I put tubes in his ears he was about 18 months, the lots of surgeries, and painful stuff, I have not heard of that. My son is doing great, he regained all his hearing back and talks so much better. We go in for checkups to make sure everything is in place and he has had one ear infection since which was left over from the other times. I think tubes are a great thing. Some kids just can not drain. The only thing with the surgeries which your husband is talking about is maybe if the tubes fall out too soon, along those lines. Ask your specialist when you go. He/she will explain every question you have. Good luck

I am a para-pro who has worked with hundreds of babies and kids since they were medically fragile. My daughter also had one ear infection after another and it seemed as if she was on anti-biotics most of the time. Ear infections are very common with most kids at this age. Don't let let lie down when she is drinking from her bottle if she still is using one. First of all, I would suggest an anti-histamine immediately along with Tylenol. Talk with your most helpful pharmacist about the highest dosage; they are very helpful and know more about this than most docotrs. Next would be a specialist to get the tubes like you are already doing. The surgery will be painful like any other, but the results will out weigh the surgical pain. She won't remember all of this later on anyway, but will be fearful of doctors for a while. See if you can take her for allergy testing because dairy can caused this problem at times along with other allergens. Another type of doctor you could work with is a homeopath; go to a good health food store (none of the large chains) and speak with one of the specialists who knows what they are talking about. You will know one when they speak with you because they will sound very knowlegeable. The good ones really know their business. Good lucky because all moms know best concerning their babies and follow your gut instinct after getting all of the facts. We are the best detectives when it comes to our own children. Good Luck!!!

My daughter started with ear infections at 9 months and pretty much had them constantly until she hit a year and we had tubes put in. WHAT A DIFFERENCE! I'd had friends tell me that tubes made a huge improvement with their kids and now I know.

It is hard to hand your baby over for the surgery but you don't have time to barely sit down and they call you that it is over. I have a friend whose daughter did have to have the tubes put in a couple of times because they work themselves out but I don't know how common that is. My daughter goes back next month for a follow up to see if the tubes are even there or not. And there is really no maintenance on them, the doctor told us that bath and pool water is safe but to keep her ears out of ocean or lake water.

They can still get ear infections but it drains thru the tubes and doesn't get irritated and painful. I would say if the doctor suggests the tubes to go for it. Good Luck!

All I know is that my son (19 mos) Kolin had ear infections off and on for about 7 months. He was miserable. Between the pain from the infections to the antibiotics that sometimes helped but always caused diarhea (sp?). He went in for tubes in December and has not had an ear infection since. He is back to his normal happy self. We have not had to get more in and it has been almost 6 months. He has eaten well and progressed normally without being sick. The surgery itself only took 15 min. But I would recommend getting an early as possible surgery as he could not have anything to eat before the surgery. It has made such a difference in his life. Please consider it. Your daughter will thank you.

Have you thought about chiropractics? Many of my playgroup friends have utilized chiropractics with great results when it comes to ear infections. The person many of us used was Gretchen Hess-Turzanski. She's a former playgroup member and well trusted. If you are interested in trying something other than tubes, give her a call. http://www.family-care-chiropractic.com/

My daughter was having ear infections once a month. If your daughter has had at least 6 by her age then she should receive tubes. My daughter had the surgery and we haven't had any more ear infections since. It was one quick surgery, like a couple of minutes. We no sooner were in the waiting room and the doctor came back to say it was done. It didn't appear to be painful to her. She was just very cranky from the anesthesia. Once she fell asleep for a nap, she was fine when she woke up. I highly recommend the surgery if your daughter is having problems.

A.-

I haven't had this problem with my son, but a friend of mine just went through a similar situation. Her son has had cronic ear infections and has even been hospitalized because they have gotten so bad. He just had surgery to put the tubes in and she said she wishes she had done it much sooner (her son is 2 1/2). They had to be there at 7:30 and were home by 9:00 eating breakfast. She says that she can tell that he just feels so much better, better than he has in a long time.

Also, it may be a different situtation for your daughter than it was for your husband and with time comes technology, so maybe the process of treating it has changed. I wish you the best of luck and hope this helped.

Hi A.
I'm sorry you and your little girl are going through this. Actually this is very commen. My 2 daughters had tubes put in their ears when they had their tonsils out and my son had tubes put in his ears when he was around 2 years old. It's very quick and done as "out patient" surgery. I gave my son some baby tylenol and he wasn't bothered by it at all. It helped like it should have and they pop out by themselves. This decission is important because your little girl is in pain and all the antibiotic's the doctors want to give are just masking the problem. Everything will work out!
God Bless,
V.

I don't know what her father went thru but here's what I can tell you from my experience. My daughter is 4 1/2 and on her second set of tubes. She had the first set when she was 18 months old. They also removed her adenoids, which they might suggest for you when you see the specialist. Swelling of the adenoids can prevent fluid for draining and releases the pressure in the ears. It can also make it seem like the antibiotics being prescribed aren't doing their job. They did this with my daughter and it was night and day. The surgery is an outpatient surgery and everyone's recovery is different. For some it can be uncomfortable but the doctor will give you options for relief. Being that I've been through this twice with my daughter, I understand what you're going thru & I hope this helps. Good luck!