Ear Infection and Runny Nose Cycle

Updated on April 05, 2012
M.P. asks from Rio Rancho, NM
7 answers

Since Nov my 13 month old has been getting ear infections off and on. I have an appt on Tues to talk to his pediatritian about a ENT refferal but wanted to see what you mommas (and dads) think. I noticed recentley that it seems like he will start with a runny nose and sometimes cough. That will go away and it turns into an ear infection he will be on the meds for the 10 days and then when the antibiotics run out his nose starts running again and we start the cycle over again. Is there anything that I can do to stop this cycle? My daughter didn't have an ear infection until she was 18 months old (right after she started daycare) she had 8 that year so we got her tubes and since she got the tubes last year she has only had 2 ear infections. Are tubes our only option with him?

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So What Happened?

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I do not believe it is a dairy allergy as I was breastfeeding him when the ear infections started and I do not eat or drink a lot of dairy. I will take a look into some of the other things though.

More Answers

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M.C.

answers from Washington DC on

I second the allergies test. My kids had the same cycle. Turns out my son is allergic to pears. My daughter is allergic to watermellon. As soon as we removed those two foods from their diets, the cycles stopped.

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J.T.

answers from Dallas on

ask about using children's sudafed during periods of drainage, sometimes that will help all the gunk drain out of the ears as well - be sure you use REAL sudafed, not sudafed PE - you'll have to get it from behind the pharmacy counter, but you won't need an RX.

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T.N.

answers from Phoenix on

My son was referred to a specialist to get tubes in his ears due to his ear canal congestion (he couldn't hear well as a result and always said, "what?" during a crucial language-building age period). We wanted to try anything else first, so we went to our myopractor (similar to a chiropractor). In addition to adjusting him, she did something to his sinuses with two of her gloved fingers in his mouth and her thumbs pressing on his sinuses on the outside. Whatever she did, it hurt, but he got so much better right away! We went to her one more time to be safe, and he never had to get the tubes.

C.P.

answers from Columbia on

Check for allergies first.

My son used to have the same problem. The doctor prescribed antihistimines and he never got another ear infection.

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T.M.

answers from Phoenix on

I know this sounds weird, but putting a few drops of onion juice in an infected ear usually clears up the infection. Use a few drops of onion juice a few times a day (like you would the prescription).

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M.O.

answers from New York on

Before you go with tubes, try removing all dairy from his diet. Clears up chronic congestion and ear infections in the vast majority of cases, and if he's got a clinical sensitivity to dairy, he shouldn't be having it, tubes or no tubes.

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H.M.

answers from Dallas on

I am with Mira! Take dairy out. Both my son's when there were little I knew within 24 hours that they had milk. It would cause ear infections. I would for sure try that before trying to do a surgery that could be unnessasary. Cause if it is milf that is causing it tubes will not stop the problems.

Good luck and God Bless!

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