Recurring Ear Infections in 21 Month Old Boy

Stop milk, ice cream..and take him to the chiropractor! It's worked for my daughter and many other kids I've seen. Only one kid out of probably ten still ended up needing tubes.

Have you looked in to taking him to a Chiropractor? They can help with chronic ear infections and avoid surgery.

CHIROPRACTIC, CHIROPRACTIC, CHIROPRACTIC. I have been a chiropractor for the past 20 years and it is wonderful the results that we get with ear infections. Tubes should be your last resort. My step knephew had them and he has a permanent hole in his eardrum from them. Always better to try the non-invasive route first. Any questions, please feel free to contact me and I would be happy to talk with you about it.

You will not be dissapointed if you go with tubes. Both of my girls have had them and literally once they get tubes, they never get an ear infection again. It's wonderful! My recommendation is Dr. Griebe out of Ear, Nose and Throat Specialty care. He does surguries out of Children's West in Eden Prairire and also out of Maple Grove Hospital. Note that I did have to do 2 sets of tubes for my youngest because she got the first set at 11 months and they last about a year but if you get them for your almost 2 year old, you shouldn't ever have to do it again.

My son had 5 ear infections over a period of 2.5 months last summer. He had tubes put in toward the end of Sept and we haven't had a problem since. I would highly recommend Dr. Benhoor Soumekh at Ear, Nose and Throat Specialty Care. They have 9 offices throughout the metro, but we went to their Edina clinic and had his surgery done at Children's in Minnetonka. Their web site is http://www.entsc.com/index.cfm.

Stop all milk products. Recurrent ear infections can signal low cortisol coming from the adrenal gland. The only correct way to check it is with a saliva cortisol test (not blood test)..

I've had wonderful experiences with tubes for my children. My oldest had them at 11 months old (after months of infections and multiple courses of antibiotics). They stayed in for over a year and in the last 12 years she's only had 2 or 3 ear infections. My youngest had tubes at 18 months that only stayed in 6 months - they worked great while they were in but we were back to infections once they fell out. She had another set at age 3 and also had her adenoids removed. She's 10 now and she's only had a couple of ear infections in the last 7 years. The procedures were very minor and they recovered easily. I don't have recommendations for an ENT in Mpls, but I'd check with the Children's Hospital there.

We did tubes after our daughter kept getting ear infections. It made such a difference! She was only in surgery for 15 minutes, and didnt have another ear infection for more than 3 years! I was very hesitant, having never even heard of putting tubes in, but I'm so glad we did.

My son suffered from ear infection after ear infection too. Our next step was for him to get tubes. I took him to a chiropractor first and the ear infections stopped. He said chiropractors can help about 90% of kids with chronic ear infections. When my daughter had her first ear infection I took her to the chiropractor right away and she hasn't gotten another since. It is worth a try!
Good luck!!

Took my son to a chiropractor after going to an ENT that looked at him for less than a minute. This was a highly referred ENT and I left in tears AFTER scheduling the surgery. I went home, did some research, and found how chiropractors have helped kids avoid tubes. After months of antibiotic after antibiotic, my son has only had ONE infection since going to the chiropractor. And, that was a VERY mild infection that the pedi didn't warrant an antibiotic for. She even commented on how much better his ears looked since going to the chiropractor. My pedi is into 'alternative' methods also, and that helped to have her support. Needless to say I cancelled the surgery for the tubes. I also started taking my other kids. It has helped my second daughter's temper issues. I take myself now also, and it helps my sinuses. My almost 2 year old is in daycare, and he does not have the constant runny nose that my daughters had when they were his age. He didn't start daycare until after he started treatments, and I think it has really helped to avoid some of that nasty stuff that causes all the head stuffiness. Anyway, he had something out of line in his neck which was causing the drainage to backup into his ears. It would sit, causing the infections. Once all that was lined up, a newer, happier kid!

My youngest had the worst time with ear infections and fluid on the ear. We took her to Dr. Thomas Ayre that is out of Burnsville. The staff was great and the procedure was a breeze. She didn't have any ear infections again until we had to flush them out when she was almost 4 because they had come loose. We were told that the would more than likely fall out on their own by the time she was 4. Mothers day weekend a red flag went up when she told me she couldn't hear me unless I was looking right at her. Sure enough we were back to the same problems with fluid on the ears. My daughter also had huge tonsils that were ready to come out. So the week after the July 4th she went in for her second set of tubes (easy part) and tonsil/adenoid removal. Completely different child. No hearing issues, sleeps great, is growing more, no more snoring. On a side note Dr. Ayre also ended up taking my husbands tonsils out because they were literally falling off.

Both my sister and I had tubes in our ears multiple time as children (we are now 25 and 31). . . to this day if either of us drink cow's milk we get an ear infection.

Before putting your baby though surgery, I would recommend as others did to visit a GOOD chiropractor (I see a great holistic chiro at the woodwinds campus in Woodbury) and to try taking dairy out of the diet (for my sister and I we are ok eating cheese and yogurt, but can not drink cows milk) . . .

I do not have a referral for you on an ENT but I will advise that tubes CHANGED MY LIFE!! For the better, not only did it boost my son's ability to communicate but changed his mood and overall energy. Now he is still a typical "tigger" adhd kid with sensory issues but the agression has curbed by 70 or more percent on a daily basis because 1. he can HEAR WELL 2. he is not in PAIN 3. he is not on antibiotics everyother week

No recommendation on an actual ENT but I would highly suggest the tubes. It sounds like an ear infection that is not actually clearing up and could be antibiotic resistant (my daughter's was....we went through 5 antibiotics and Rocephin antibiotic shots in 45 days and poor thing had a 103 fever for 30 out of 45 days! at 10 MONTHS OLD). She ended up getting the tubes at 10 months and has only had 1 other ear infection -- to which we just put drops in her ear. She is 3.5 years old! I would recommend not just any ENT but one who specializes in SMALL CHILDREN -- not just peds but really tiny kiddos. We had an older man who is an ENT practice but is very very good with little ones and does tubes on a regular basis for kids under 2. It makes a big difference on bedside manner and relating to the little ones plus the ear canals are way way smaller...so I would want someone who does that kind of procedure regularly. Good luck!

Jaya:

I LOVE my ENT. Having tubes put in my son's ears at 1 year - yes, 12 months old - saved my sanity and my son! He could NEVER sleep laying down - ALWAYS had be sitting up - had ear infections up the wazoo...pediatrician told us to see an ENT - we went to my ENT and the following week we had tubes put in his ears. He slept the night through from that point on...and hasn't had an ear infection YET - he will be 9 this year.

My son was a preemie - 4 weeks - had pneumonia and stopped breathing right there in front of me in the hospital - his first APGAR score was a 2. He was touch and go there for the first couple of days before our church started a prayer chain....

Bottom line - take him to a ENT - they will run some diagnostics on his ear drums and determine whether or not he needs them or if there is a different problem!

best of luck!

I would think any of the children's hospitals in your area who have ENT would be a good choice.
Seriously consider tubes if he is having recurrent ear infections. His hearing may be at risk if you choose to pass on this. Antibotics are hard on the body and bugs can become resistant.