Hi moms,
My son is 6 year old and he's been having constant issues with ear and sinus infections. He had 9 ear infections last year and 3 this year! lat year he was treated three times for sinus infection and this year once. I went to an ENT who checked his adenoid. She said that it blocks 90% of his airways(that was during an infection) and she would recommend removing it and placing tubes in his ears. To convince my soon to be ex I scheduled another appointment with a different doctor and his opinion was different! He said he will outgrow it but it keeps happening. I would like to proceed with the surgery but my stbx objects to it. I can't watch my little baby constantly sick and taking those aweful antibiotics.
He does not snore at night and I don't think he has sleep apnea. Can any mom share her experience with such problems?
Thanks!
response: That's the problem. His father objects to any other visits and for now I am unable to do anything without his approval!
to Marla S.: I'm just trying to make sure I reply properly so sorry about that. I am going through a custody case right now due to the fact that I am type I diabetic. Long story but if I do something without his permission I might lose my son. I'm not a big fan of surgery also but I'm willing to take any chance I can. I just recently heard about Neti pot and I want to try it. Have anyone had any success with your kids with that? Did it bother them? Thanks!
Seek a third opinion? If I had two differing opinions, I'd want another just to determine who is correct!!
I think your stbx needs to get over himself and do what's best for your son. You may have to talk to your atterny and see if they can help you get an order for him to have it. I don't know if that is possible but I would honesly check into it.
I use the Neti pot on my kids and it helps clear them up quite a bit. But you have to makre sure when you use it that he's leaning over the sink with his face twords the sink and his mouth wide open. If he does that it wont irritate him much but if he don't it will feel like water up your nose in the pool. I would sugest you use it on yourself to see how it works so you can help him do it correctly. And you can also show him you are doing it see it does not hurt. Try it first without him there so if you don't get the hand of it the first time he dosn't see it.
I would get a third opinion. Have you tried to figure out what is the root cause of the ear infections? Find the root cause of the problem and that will solve all your son issues. Milk is a BIG cause of ear infections, any dairy products. We humans were not design to drink cow milk. It causes a bad build up of mucus in our sinus cavites. If you do see another doctor, don't tell him your there for a third opinion. Just tell him your sons issue and see what he says. My son has big adenoid, no doctor has said anything about taking them out. He has seen plenty of ENT due to allergys.
Have you tried taking your son to an allergist? If he is having allergy issues, the congestion and drainage relating to the allergies can lead to sinus and ear infections. Treating the allergies would then reduce the remaining problems.
Having the adenoids and tonsils out really helps most of the time.
Our son was 3 when his tonsils swelled up till them almost touched each other across the back of his throat.
They were not infected - he had no fever.
He snored something awful and he had trouble eating and swallowing and all the snoring kept him from sleeping well.
Poor kid always had dark circles under his eyes and he was tired and tended to get grouchy by the afternoon.
They'd become an obstruction so soon as he turned 4 he had tonsils and adenoids out.
He healed up in a week and it was the best thing we ever did.
He could eat and sleep (first night after the operation his breathing was so quiet I kept checking that he was breathing alright - we were so use to the noisy snoring - but he was fine!).
Just have them out and be done with it.
My son is 4.5 when he has a runny nose, he like to use the children's saline spray for the nose. He can do it himself and he like the control. My husband takes him in the shower for it. My husband and I use the Neil Med bottle and saline packets. I think it's easier than a neti pot, same idea though. Hope it helps.
You are his mother. You have the right to take your son to the doctor if he is sick! Even if your STBX doesn't want you to. You may have to have his permission to have a surgery, but maybe not. But, you don't need it to go to the doctor, so, why are you letting him control you?
When I was a teen I had continual sinus infections for probably 6-7 months, and so did my sister. Our poor mom! Anyway, we started taking Sudafed everyday, even if we didn't need it to stop the mucus from building up. This helped quite a bit.
Now, I still get them, but not as often. My doctor has me taking Claritin everyday with my daily vitamins, and I don't need the Sudafed anymore, unless I actually get the flu or a virus. Also, a Neti pot is a great way to rinse out the sinuses. These all go to congestion which is in ears as well. Also, I have had great success with a chiropractor for myself and my kids. Have you tried that? It can drain the tubes and sinuses with just one adjustment. Maybe give it a try.
I am not one for surgery, but my sister in law had a lot of ear infections as a kid, and she took so much antibiotics. that she is actually going deaf because the hairs on her eardrums have all been destroyed. So, going deaf by 40, or surgery? I'd try some natural stuff, and if it doesn't work, then do the dang surgery. His hearing is more important than anything else!
I think both drs. are right.. he will grow out of it.. but it could be 5 more years. of constant infections.
I had bad tonsils.. but I did grow out of it when I was about 15.
About the neti pot, I have known people who swear by them, BUT - use purified water or at least boiled and cooled water. There are microbes that can get through even the best city water systems that can cause meningitis. So use carefully.
