Ear Infections - Chapin,SC

S. my son got tubes when he was 18 months as well it was the best thing that could have happen. ethan is now 8.HE has had only had 3 ear aches since, His ears was fine when he went in the water. good luck. K.

Both of my children have had 2 sets of tubes each. They do not want to you get the ears wet for a few days after they go in. Both of mine go swaming and all with out any problems with the water in the ears. My daughter when she wakes up is smiles and ready to get something to drank and eat. My son does not wake up as good. He doe sthe thrashing around and crying for a few mintues. so each child is diffrent. they will more then likley let you go back and hold her until she goes to sleep and they try and get them out to you b4 they wake up.

My son had tubes put in when he was little. It was a good experience. We weren't too anal about keeping water away from his head and he did just fine. As they grow older, the tubes typically just pop themselves out of the ear--that's what happened to my son's. It's less frustrating than dealing with all the ear infections and fevers.

Hi S.,

I am a mother of a 17 month old little girl who has had tubes for 7 months now. What a difference. She had ear infection after ear infection and cold after cold and since getting tubes we have had nothing. She goes swimming every week and plays in the bathtub. She goes under water and it doesn't seem to bother her one bit. Our doctor (Dr. Novelly) told us we could go up to 1 foot under water. During the procedure she was under for 7 minutes. She came right to and never missed a beat. She did not get sick from any of the anesthesia and was up and running around later that same day. We are so grateful that she could get tubes.

Take care and good luck!!
H.

hi S.,
one of my sons had tubes. it was 9 years ago, and i hear that the medication they use to sedate them before they go under has changed, which is a good thing, because he had a hard time coming out of anesthesia...apparently the surgery is so quick, the kids were not ready to wake up, and it was awful to watch..(screaming, kicking, etc.) i tell you this because i wasn't prepared for it, and you should ask the doctor exactly what to expect. on the other hand, the surgery itself was so quick, although it felt like hours, it was only a matter of minutes, maybe 30 at the most of waiting...and it dramatically helped with the ear infections. we went from a year of almost non stop antibiotics, to no ear infections at all for years. we did have to make him wear ear plugs for awhile, and there is a headband that is good for holding them in at the pool, but it was definitely worth it. i don't know if you've already seen an ear, nose, and throat, dr...or exactly where you live, but we used dr.terry good, and he was excellent, and great with the kids...good luck!

My son got them at 10 months because of horrible repeat ear infections! They took him at 1:00 and brought him back by 1:20! I couldn't believe how fast the surgery was. He was upset coming out of the anesthesia. They bring them back to you so you can hold them and be close. I think at 18 months it will be easier. After 30 mins he nursed and felt better. The next day was a massive improvement! He wasn't as snotty, very happy and babbling more. I could tell he could hear better. It was worth every penny. The other night my husband didn't have the ear plugs in good and they got a little loose during bath time. Waiting to see what happens. Hoping that it drained back out when he was nursing; since he is on his side.
He had a cold recently and I noticed goop draining from his ears. I was so happy because I knew if he didn't have the tubes that it would have been another infection!

I had them 9 times between 7 and 23.My ears are very tiny is why.It helps so much.When the fluid is in the ear you can't hear well.It does hurt to get water in your ears.i use mack's ear wax you can get at the drug store/walmart.It's a ball of wax you fit to your ear to keep water out.I used them when washing my hair and swimming with no problems.

You are put to sleep the entire procedure is less than 30mins and you're fine by that afternoon.It helps stop recurrent ear infections too by helping the fluid drain.Fluid remaining on the ear drum if it gets too much can cause the ear drum to rupture.Tubes prevent this

My son had ear tubes put in right after his 1st birthday due to so many repeated ear infections, and I too was completely freaked out about it. But after getting so many great responses from other mom's on here, I was at ease. They did put my son to sleep, but it was literally 15 minutes. By the time we got to the waiting room, they were already calling us back & I got to go back to him just as he was waking up. He hasn't had a single ear infection since, and that's been almost 2 years! His doctor did recommend ear plugs for when our son swam, but told us that say pouring a cup of water to rinse his hair was not going to been enough water to needs the plugs, just as long as he wasn't dunking his head under in the bathtub. But I would ask your doctor his opinion on when to use the plugs. I was so nervous about the ear tubes because my husband nor I have ever had any dealings with ear tubes, but it was a simple breeze! We got to the hospital at 6:30am, and were getting off the interstate at 7:50, and our son was playing the whole afternoon as if nothing had happened! Good luck to you, and I hope (from my own experience) that you can be at ease the day of the procedure.

Hi S.,
Both of my boys had tube put in. My first son was about 16 months old when they out his in. They did put him under.It only took about 15 mins for the surgery. The only thing I notice was that loud noises would make him cry . My son had really bad hearing before they put the tubes in. So after the tubes it was like heard everything for the first time. He started talking after the tubes. They will need you to bring something to drink for them . They give this to them after surgery.She may cry a little when she is waking up. put she will be fine. We had no problems with water in the ear.I hope this helps good luck and if you have any other questions please email me. Dottie

My child has had numerous surgeries with tubes and so on.....(approx 10) It is a very easy and short procedure. Your child can be totally put to sleep with an IV or they can use the mask. With my child, the inhaling made her sick as a dog, so we had to have her put to sleep every time with the IV. The worst part is when they are waking up....the thrashing and sort of crying that they do....The child will not remember, but it is quite strange for the parent. It is not a painful experience for the child whatsoever. They will be back to their normal self later the same day unless they do not tolerate the anesthesia to well.

And by the way, if the tubes are doing their job, getting water in the ear or go swiming should not be a problem.

Hi S., as a father of a child who had 2 sets of tubes as a little guy let me be the first to say, in our experience, best thing we could've done. Generally speaking tubes would not be considered unless there is a long history of ear infections and antibiotics. Ideally we would like our kids to outgrow those things.

Didn't happen in our case. Having said that here's what happened in our case.

1. Yes, the child is placed under general anesthesia and the procedure is performed in a surgical suite. It is a quick procedure in which the waiting for it to begin is longer than the actual procedure. That is unless your child is having adenoids removed as well.

2. Side effects, once the anesthesia wore off, included no more ear pain, sleeping again, child's speech development accelerates because he could hear, and all around general improvement in stress, and a reduction in medical costs.

3. Yes, water in the ear is not a great thing, as there is an open tube from the outer to inner ear. Ear plugs would be needed for bath time.

If your little minnie mouse has suffered greatly with ear infections and other related upper respiratory issues, then I highly suggest that you give strong consideration to tubes. You and Minnie will be happy you did.

Hi S.! My daughter got them when she was 7 years old. But she also had her tonsils removed at the same time. They will need to put the child under. It will be a breeze for your daughter. My daughter not once complained about her ears. She had maybe one small ear infection after the tubes were in, and yes they still can get ear infections. The only trouble I had was a year later. She would get water in her ears and get swimmers ear and was very painful. It was only because she loved going swimming and always forgot to put in her ear plugs. If water does get into the ear you can use a 1:1 portion of rubbing alcohol and water and put drops in her ears after swimming or having water in her ear. It dries it out. Other than that the tubes worked great and I'm sure your daughter will do great!

Have you looked into chiropractic care to help the ears drain naturally and drug free? or into dietary issues which could be causing it. Just remember to also support the liver as it EASILY gets overtaxed intodays poor eating society and an overtaxed liver presents itself in many unpleasant ways.

I understand what you are going through. My daughter was 9 months old when she got tubes. Relax! Do not over think this!! I felt the same way you did before my daughter had her procedure. It is very quick! They will put her under and then send her to recovery. It took no more than 20 minutes before I could see her and be with her. She was awake and drinking apple juice by the time I saw her. After the tubes were in place we had no more problems with ear infections. It has been 3 years now.

As far as not being able to get her ears wet, that is only for severe cases. My daughter has always been able to get her ears wet: lay back in the tub, swim, etc. However, the ENT did tell us there were cases of some children that could not do this after tubes due to reoccuring infections.

Best of luck! Do not panic! She will feel so much better once it is over and will not feel a thing.

My son had tubes and tonsils at the same time.He had developed knots on his neck which scared us about cancer.
His DR.said he had fought off so much infection from ears and throat his natural defense system had developed muscles from fighting off germs and infection.After tubes he almost never got sick.
Also get some ear plugs for bath time .They come in small sizes.Good luck

My daughter had tubes put in her ears back in November. First off, your daughter will more then likely be put under general anesthesia. Usually they will allow on parent to go back with the child while they get put under and the people in the room are usually good about explain what may happen. Some kids get really fussy before going under, but my daughter just laid there and then went out. It didn't take long for her to go under, but it was hard for me to watch. They are usually under 5-10 minutes, but it can be longer depending on what they find when they go to place the tubes. My daughter had "glue" ear, so she was under longer because they had to clean it out. When she wakes up she will be fussy, due to the confusion. My daughter cried for the first hour after surgery, but was fine by that afternoon, maybe 4 hours later. They will want you to keep her calm for the rest of the day. By the next day she should be 100%. As for getting water in the ears, it depends on your doctor. My doctor didn't want water in her ears for the first 4 days. After that he didn't want her to get "dirty" water, ie. lakes, ponds in her ears. She was swimming by day 5 and has gotten water in her ears ever since. Now I don't let her stay submerged for long, but my doctor is ok with this. The discomfort, I'm not sure of. My daughter was more sensitive to loud noises and still on occasion will cover her ears if a noise bothers her. I believe it was the best decision I could have made for her. Her speech has improved, she is hearing better and we haven't had to go in for antibiotics due to an ear infection since. The only infection she has had so far, drained and cleared itself up. Hope this helps!

There are many in the alternative health field that say that allergies to dairy (and wheat) are the major stress point that causes the ears to have infections ... which then cause the doctors to suggests tubes.

To support your child's healing, I'll suggest that you (1) take your child off all dairy for at least 2 weeks -- substitute almond milk or rice milk and (2) get them to drink more filtered water, starting first thing in the morning. AND, if you can find someone with Kangen Water to share with you -- DO THAT. By using Kangen Water, the ears of my friend's triplets have already healed up. see www.healthbykangen.com

And start learning about food allergies for your child from your applied kinesiologist chiropractor. He/she could make life a LOT easier with your children!

Hello S.. My oldest son had tubes in his ears at 18 months and it was the best thing I ever did!! Yes, he did have to wear earplugs in the bathtub and when he went swimming which were a pain to deal with at first, but then just became a habit. The tubes eventually fall out and no more need for the earplugs. Once he got the tubes, he never had another ear infection and now he is about to turn 7 years old in April. Whereas without the tubes, we were at the Dr.'s office every week with a BAD ear infection!!

My now 22 year old had tubes put in when she was 9 months old. You do have to be careful about water getting in the ears. However, being careful was so much better than the constant ear infections. They did put her under. It was not a bad experience. About an hout after the procedure we went home. She slept on the 1/2 hour drive and then was fine. I will warn you when it came time to remove the tubes they put her in a paposse to restrain her so that one of the tubes could be removed. That was traumatic for both of us. She screamed.THis was done by the ENT. Several weeks later we were at the pediatricians office. She noticed that the other tube was coming out. I started to get scared because of the removal done at the ent. The pediatrician did not restrain her and the tube came out easily. The papoose was the only bad experience. Good luck!

My grand daughter had that done a couple of time.It didnt hurt her,yes they put them under but for may 10 15 minutes if that long and yes you can not get water in her ears.Its very simple.M.

I know you have already received a ton of advice from others, but just thought that perhaps it would make you even more comforted to know that there are even more! I have fraternal twins and they began their ear infections at about 10 months of age. They finally put the first set of tubes in when they were a tender age of 12 months old. I actually had tried the chiropractic direction at first but at the time I was working full-time and I don't mean to sound selfish but taking them in for adjustments were number one more expensive than taking them to the Pediatrician and the antibiotics worked after 48 hours to banish the fevers away. I can say that chiropractic did indeed help and I may have continued that route had it been less expensive and banished the fevers more quickly.
Anyways the first time they went in they put them under but only for like 15 minutes. It seemed as though I had walked them to the doorway of the Surgical Unit and then walked back to the room and bam they were back. When they first came back they were just a little whiney but really sleepy. They ended up having to have it done seperate because one of the twins got a bad stomach virus the night beforehand and we had to re-schedule hers. What a night that was! One of them went back home and slept for a couple of hours and then woke up and acted like nothing ever happened. The other one came back home and never went back to sleep she just stayed up and played her little heart out.
The second round of tubes were put in oh I'd say perhaps 1 year 1/2 later. This time BOTH of them had it done at the same time and I will never ever do it that way again. This time when they came out they both were crying so much they had red blotches all over their face and neck because they were so upset. Luckily my hubby was there with me so I could hold and comfort one while he did the other. I don't know what the difference was but they totally reacted differently than the first time. The second set has now come out and there is a possible concern for a third set and it will be interesting to see how they react this time. I have been told two different things concerning water with tubes. One doctor in the same practice told me I didn't have to worry about placing ear plugs in the ear if their heads were not submerged under water. However another doctor told me that why chance it and to put ear plugs in-so I always did. Also on another note the ENT will try to sell you "special pre-made" ear plugs for your child-don't waste your money. You can go to Walmart and buy almost exactly the same darn thing for alot cheaper. They are usually a little too big but if you break it in half that usually did the trick. If you try to put the whole entire thing in one ear it's too much and won't actually cover the ear so just cut it in half and use your own judgement. Just some tid bits of advice! Good luck and ask lots of questions when you go to the ENT-they should understand since it's your first time! :()) If they don't find another one that can.

My 19 month old daughter is getting tubes on Thursday of this week. I am so excited for her b/c I know it will provide great relief. She's been really is sick and is not hearing well and as a result is not talking yet.

My sister's four sons had tubes and they radically improved the boys' quality of life. The surgery is very minor. My best friend is the anesthetist who will be taking care of my daughter. She says "if your baby has to have surgery this is the absolute easiest one". They do not even have to undergo general anesthesia. They do a mixture of Nitrous Oxide and something with Ether via an oxygen mask. There is no IV line required. Wonderful!! The doc tells us that the surgery time is a total of 10 minutes and by the time we get home she should be feeling well and by the end of the day we'll not be able to believe she actually had surgery.

I'm counting on all of this. If anything turns out differently, I'll let you know. But I think you can rest easy and I'll pray for your little Mickey-Mouse-loving-girl.

BTW, as for the water. Our ENT (Dr. Deborah Burton - highly recommended) said that Alexandra will have to wear earplugs anytime she's in the water - even the bath - to keep infection from returning. I have already started using them. The first time it freaked her out, but now she's used to them (three times total).

My son had 16 ear infections from 6mths to 16mths. Then we had the tubes put in. They did put him under. They gave him some meds to relax him before they took him from us. Then it was less than an hour and he was in the recovery area. We went home and he he was fine. I think since then, he's had 1 ear infection and he is almost 7 years old.

We were careful to not submerge his head in water but nothing major was done. I think when he first had them done, we'd use ear plugs (those wax things) in the tub. Eventually, the tubes had worked their way out and all was good.

It was the best thing for us to do for our son.

Good luck!

I am late with a response, but you need to find out why she is having the muliple ear infections requiring tubes. The whole "shape of the ear" argument is rather silly, given ear infections are up 300% in 10 years.
I would recommend finding a great complementary doctor ( I can give you list) or an osteopath or chiropractor who can work consistently with your child to get her immune in the right order. Food sensitivities, allergies, viral overloads, etc all play a part in lower immune and thus...ear infections.
Best of luck, J.

My daughter had tubes placed in her ears when she was 8 months old. They do put them under but the procedure lasts about 5 minutes. I was able to go with my daughter to the operating room and stay with her until she fell asleep. She has done really well with her tubes. The only time we were to make sure she didn't get water in her ears was the first 2 weeks. After that the doctor told us not to worry about it. She doesn't have to wear earplugs or anything like that when she is in water. The doctor told us that she may occassionaly feel air go threw her tubes if the wind blows just right. The only time my daughter messes with her ears is when she is cutting a new tooth which is more than likely just displaced pain. I hope this helps you rest a little easier. You will feel much better about the decision after its all over with. I would do it over again. She hasn't had an ear infection since her tubes were placed in her ears...10 months ago.

My daughter had tubes in @ 15 months due to recurrent ear infections--really wasn't any choice in the matter for us. Either i was going to watch her suffer through more infecttions or i had to do the tubes. That procedure has been a Heaven Sent!!! There is nothing i can say bad about it. She gets water in her ears all the time while washing her hair. Last summer she was in swimming lessons & that was only a month or 2 after she had the procedure done. I didn't like that she had to be put "under" but it's only a local and they are VERY groggy after & a bit hard to calm or soothe. But, my experience with it, in all, was well worth it. When & if her tubes come out, I will be moving toward having more put in. Hope this helps some :o)

Like most of the responses you rec'd, my dtr had tubes @ 7 mos - she had one 4 mos. long double ear infection. We found out she was allergic to Penacillin, all forms of it, and resistent to most other anti-biotics.

As mentioned, the whole process was painless for her and over quicker than my husband could get to the hospital cafeteria for coffee.

We bought the ear plugs (on the 1st use she pulled them out and stuck 'em in her mouth - I threw them out immediatley), tried the headband (battle to keep it on and finally threw it away). Not too much bribing, threatening or cajoling you can do w/ a 7 month old. Our ENT said to try your best. Don't let her get fully underwater, but pouring a cup of water over her head to rinse her hair was just fine.

His one word of caution was to not let her dunk her head in a lake - too many little microorganisms in there. Be careful of the pools you swim in - be sure they are cleaned and cared for properly. Needless to say she did not take any swim lessons until she was 3 (that's when we had to have her tubes removed - yes, they never fell out as they should have.)

All in all, it was a gut-wrenching decision at the time. But the results were worth it. Never had one infection after tubes. She is now 8 yrs old.

Good luck!

I saw how many people have had kids with tubes...wow. Why is it that so many people now need them? I was one of them and so was the hubby so that was a huge priority for us to avoid them. Why everyone is so comfortable having a child put under is hard for me to comprehend. There are risks. I personally found avoiding water to be a huge pain when I had the tubes and so did my hubby. The products to block the water may be some better now though. But the cause of the issue is not being solved with the tubes. Other things are causing the problems. This is an immune system problem and allergies can play into it too but not necessarily. We have gone the route of strengthening the immune system and that has worked great. We only had a few ear infections with all 11 of our children.(maybe 5) If you are interested in looking into this side of it let me know...I would be pleased to help you! Sorry for the belated reply...my kids keep me on my toes!!

Sincerely,
K.

www.shaklee.net/takecontrol

It sounds like your mind is made up but please keep in mind that you do have options. I personally would try anything under the sun before letting my child have surgery. Chiropractic works with ear infections!!! When the neck is out of its normal position, which happens at birth, then the cervical vertebrae push on the middle ear canal and cause infections. When treated with an antibiotic, another infection comes not long after because the pressure was never moved off of the canal. The ear cannot drain properly when this happens and creates the moist environment that bacteria loves. Chiropractic is simple and very gentle!! Much less invasive than surgery!! This would allow her ears to drain the pressure would be relieved right away. One set of tubes often leads to many more because it simple will patch the problem instead of actually fixing what is wrong. I hope you at least give this a try. It could save you both a lot of stress and money too! Best of luck!!