Ok moms I need help from you if your child has had multiple sets of ear tubes. I have wrote about my 3 year old on here before. I did so just last week about a nasty ear infection. She has had tubes 3 times and they have helped ALOT, but when they fall out the infections start again. We went to the ENT this week to see if the infection from the week before was gone. (That particular infection was really nasty. It was behind the ear drum and in front of it. Lots of fluid and clumps of infection) The infection in front of the ear drum had cleared up but was still there behind the ear drum. We go back into weeks to see if the infection is gone. If she still has infection at that point it willl be 4 weeks and two antibiotics later. He did a test to see how the ear drum is moving and it is not moving at this point like it should due to the fluid behind it. I have also talked with her pediatrician. We went through her history and could clearly see when she got the tubes put in each time. The infections stopped until they fell out. She got her first set at 8 months, again at 23 months, 31 months. She had her tonsils removed due to serious strep infections when she was 38 months and he replaced the right ear tube then. The left was fine. Now the left has fell out and the right one is almost out. The left is the one we are having problems with now. My question is. Has an one else had this many sets? Should we do this again? Is there a chance this is doing more harm than good? I worry about that ear drum not moving like it should. That reallly worries me and makes me want to get the tubes back in asap.
I also suggest trying chiropractic. They can really help with ear infections and draining the fluid that is trapped.
My son goes through this too. The main problem that can occur is the scar tissue building up from multiple tubes and making her have slight hearing problems when she is older. I do have a friend that cant hear out of her left ear due to it. Hope yal get some relief soon!!!!!!
I was able to avoid putting ear tubes in my son by taking him to the chiropractor. He had months of nasty infections, and they cleared up instantly. He had something out of line in his neck, preventing the drainage from happening properly. I take him now for maintenance adjustments, as the chiropractor explained how common it is. She said they're toddlers, of course they run into walls, fall down, bump into each other, etc. It only makes sense things get out of whack and need to be fixed! Oh, and since he is a child, she doesn't charge whatever the insurance won't cover. Not even my normal co-pay! I've heard this about most chiropractors, that they don't charge for children. :)
I can't speak for my children (I have two that have each had one set of tubes) but I can tell you from a first person point of view. I've had a total of 13 sets of tubes placed. They started when I was 3 months and I had my last set when I was 22. Each and every time they fell out the infections started again. I still get ear infections (in my 30s now) but because my ear drums have been so weakened by infections and tubes, my ear drum just ruptures. I have marked hearing loss in both ears.
The last time I went into my ENT he wanted to replace my eardrum and put in a T tube. This is where they drill into the bone in your head and put a tube in that can't fall out. I haven't decided whether or not to do it.
There are pros and cons to both sides. If she needs them and they're doing her good, then she should have them. If she grows out of the constant infections, then great. If the infections continue then you could run into problems when she's older. If the doctor recommends she get them again, have them put back in. At this point they're doing her some good and you never know what the future might hold.
Have you tried chiropractic? I've perso ally seen at least 8 kids stop having ear infections after a few months, only one that still needed tubes!
Cory,
My daughter is 6 (had 3 sets of tubes, and one of the hearing bones eroded due to ear infections). She lost hearing. She had a hearing bone implant placed in. It failed. Eardrum scarred. Eardrum patched. Eardrum sucked in.
Here is what I suggest, but please remember, nothing is guaranteed.
I would suggest, another sets of tubes and adenoids removed (adenoids can grow back, so keep an eye on them if they return. They have to be removed each time). Have her put on nasal steroid (nasonex or nasancort. I recommend the latter because the first can cause major nose bleeds). Have her put on claritin at night, even if she is not allergic to anything. Do all this through an ENT. This is the regiment my daughter (now 6) is on daily.
Nothing is guaranteed, it may or may not work, but losing a hearing bone is the worst. If the eardrum does not move properly THAT is not the worse that can happen, because the hearing loss that can accompany such a thing is minimal. Losing a hearing bone causes maximal hearing loss.
Good luck to your daughter.
fluid will make the drums not move and my vote is do the tubes again I am having the same problems with my ds but antibiotics arentworking on his ear infections so i feel for you. having said that take him to a chiropractor. and put him on allergy meds.see about a food allergy test. yes there is a chance of the multiple tubes doing harm but he could be hard of hearing if you dont. double edged sword. i met on kid who was on his 8th set at the ent in okla. i would have been like you looking for other options to quit doing the tubes. i think i would be checking into another ent if i was you your ent should be testing for allergies instead of keep doing tubes and it doesnt sound like he is. good luck
You should really look in to what is causing the fluid to build up in the first place and treat that problem. It sounds to me like there may be some type of allergy causing the fluid build up. Food allergies are the number one cause of many childens ailments and I would recommend either eliminating dairy (mucous causing) and other top allergy causing foods or even having your child tested for food allergies. I also recommend the "eat right for your blood type " lifestyle as it has helped my family and children greatly. Good luck.
Hi Cory,
I'm sorry to hear your family is going through this. I responded to your previous question and mentioned articles in the Pathways to Family Wellness magazine. Here is a link for the articles, however, I have been unable to find the entire article online. You can email me if you are interested in reading more.
http://pathwaystofamilywellness.org/references/references...
I strongly encourage you to find a holistic doctor to help your daughter. It sounds to me like the recurrent infections could be caused by a candida(yeast) like state in her body due to an overuse of antibiotics to treat those infections.
As previous posters mentioned chiropractic adjustments are very successful at clearing any interference and allowing the body to heal itself. Have you/your daughters looked into food intolerances/allergies? Dairy is a contributing factor with most children that have recurrent ear infections.
For true healing of your daughter's body you need to allow it time to heal. I highly recommend the following to get her on the path to healing/wellness.
* Find a Holistic Provider in your area, ASAP.
* Take her to a pediatric chiropractor; http://icpa4kids.com/index.php
* Garlic/Muellin Oil Drops or homeopathic drops have been beneficial at healing ear infections. Garlic is nature's antibiotic without harmful side effects.
* If she isn't already taking one, start her on a probiotic to help repair her gut and boost her immune system. Yogurt & Kefir are excellent sources for probiotics but if you are eliminating dairy I would recommend giving her a supplement.
* Eliminate all dairy, processed foods and added sugars from your daughter's diet.
* Cranial Sacral is also another option.
* Work on boosting her immune system with vitamin C & D.
* A candida cleanse for children could be beneficial.
According to the late pediatrician Robert Mendelsohn, “In the future, we doctors may have to consider whether the entire panoply of therapy for simple ear infections (antibiotics, antihistamines, insertion of tubes, tonsillectomy) does not represent overkill for a condition that, except in malnourished children, is almost always self-limited.” (In accordance with his philosophy of always doing the most conservative thing first, Dr. Mendelsohn would prescribe heated olive oil, dropped into the ear canal, and allow everyone, patient included, to get some sleep while the infection cleared up all by itself).
You can search his book How to Raise A Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor here. He has a section in this book on tonsils and strep too.
http://books.google.com/books?id=yWATg4JNQKEC&dq=how+...
Another excellent resource is What Your Pediatrician Doesn't Know Can Hurt Your Child; A More Natural Approach to Parenting written by Susan Markel, MD. For recurrent ear infections she stresses the importance of determining the underlying cause of those infections and to focus on healing rather than over-treating with antibiotics and surgery.
Once again I am sorry to hear your family is going through this. If you would like additional information please feel free to send me an email.
Peace & Light,
J.
Ask your pediatrician to culture the ear to see what is causing the infection. Some antibiotics don't work on certain infections. Knowing what to treat may help.
First of all the drum not moving just shows that there is fluid behind the ear drum. Have they done allergy test on her? Three of my sons have had cronic ear problem and so have i . You will get less scaring from tubes then with the drum rupturing from the fluid presser. They really need to look at keeping her sinuses free of fluid-snot. That might help keep the eutsation tube clear. Good luck. Keep fighting for your little one. Some doctors would want to make no big deal about these repeats. R.
