Ear Tubes - Richland, WA

Hi T.,

I actually had to have tubes put in my ears when I was little. After years of unbelievably painful ear infections and a 20 percent loss in hearing from these infections, they finally put tubes in. I can't tell you how amazing it was for me. It was like night and day. I can't remember ever getting another infection after the procedure. I would say do it before your little one has permanent damage like I do.

My ten month old had tubes put in his ears many years ago. It was the best thing in the world. It was quick, easy and painless for him. He had constant ear infections that went away immediately after the tubes. If you don't get tubes it could cause his speech and reading to be affected later because the fluid in his ears is keeping him from hearing your words correctly. Don't hesitate to do it.

My son had tubes put in at 9 months. (My history and the fact he had 5 infections by 8 months) I knew the doc was great and I knew about the procedures having been through them. The only not-so-fun part is when they come out of the anesthesia. They don't understand the "drunkeness" and are quite grouchy, but once they get past that, it should be smooth sailing. The tubes really do work! My son had one fall out and has had only 1 infection in that ear since. The other is falling out now. Once we got him on allergy meds (it's hard to convince docs children that young have allergies) he was also A LOT better! Don't be stressed! Your child will be fine!

Hi there.. Just a little note to let you know you are not alone!! My oldest is 13 now but when he was about 8mo he had the same sort of problems so after a year we finally had the tubes done in his ears.. the "surgery" is very easy... they put him to sleep it took about 30 min and they called us back to be with him when he woke up.. that was the hard part. Sometimes kids act strange when they are waking up from the anestisa (like they dont know you, or violent or crying) but that only lasted about 30 min. then we went home. by that afternoon I had to remind him that he needed to take it easy.. He was back to being a normal kid! AND It worked!!! No more problems!! until he was 4 :( as the kids grow their ears do too so one of his tubes came out. Some kids don;t need to get them put back in (They have out grown the problems) But mine did :( This time they took out his adnoids too.. it was a little longer surgery and a little harder to recover but once again... back to being a normal kid within 24 hours (with a sore throat) Most parents I have talk to say it works and the 2 times my son had it done it did! GOOD LUCK!!

Hi T.,

Tubes are very common and a piece of cake normally. The kids go in for a small surgery where there is a small slit made in the ear and the tubes are slid in. The tudes are very small, and you can't see them. My son is on his second set and they have helped wonders. Your ENT specialist with be able to explain the whys and hows, but don't worry. It really is a very simple process and extremely common. Take Care

Hi T.,

Hang in there, it will get better.

My son had tubes put in when he was about 20 mths. He has cronic ear infections from the time he was 2 mths old. He would get them every 1-2 months, like clock work.

Then the doctor put him on preventive antibiotics, which he needed to take every day for a year. This was to prevent the infection from occurring as frequently. Well, it worked, slightly. He continued to get ear infections every 3-4 months.

Finally, the doctor suggested ear tubes. I completely understand you being stressed out. I to was in that situtation.

The procedure/recovery didn't take too long, maybe an hr or so, trying to remember 10 yrs ago. When we got to the hospital, he was given a bed and some medicine to calm him. I look back and think how funny he was. He looked like a little drunk man. I would hold him up to stand and his legs were all loose like wet noodles. He laughed to relieve some of the stress.

Once they wheeled him away to the operating room. It seemed like forever. However, as soon as he was in recovery, they called me in. He was still a little sleepy. I was held him and rocked him, until the medicine wore off. Once it did, he was back to his old happy self.

The tubes worked for my son. He is now 12 years old and has only had 1 ear infection since they were put in. The tubes have fallen out of his ears, which is normal. The doctor said that once the ear canals develope the tubes would be pushed out automatically.

T., I hope that my story will be of some help to you. Sorry it is so long. I wish you the best of luck with your daughter. I know that everything will be ok.

In your profile, you mentioned that you would like to find a way to be a WAHM or SAHM. I would love to get together with you and share some information. No obligation, just information. Please feel free to e-mail me at ____@____.com

Have a Great Day.

G. Martinez

My daughter has similar health problems. She had her first set of tubes put in at 5 months and they made a huge difference. I think the worst part for her during the whole surgery process was the not eating. Once her anastecia wore off she fine n playing that same day. She recently had to have a second set put in cause they only last for like a year. This time they took out her adenoid too. The recovery was more painful for like a week. It was really scarey to have her going through the whole surgery process, but it was well worth it because her health has been immensely better, plus you reduce the risk of hearing loss from all of the infections.

my 20 month old has had numerous ear infections since he was 6 months. the medication that works best for him is zithromax, he has taken amoxicillian and omnicef and they didnt work for him. his dr. has held off on putting in tubes because between the infections his ears clear up really good. they havent put them in yet because she is not concerned with hearing loss yet. she says that they will send him to a specialist if he gets more than 3 in a 6 month period.

Hello,
Two of my 6 kids have had tubes in and tonsils/adnoids out. Since then there has been no more ear infections or strep throat. My third child has bad allergies and is on Nasonex and that seems to work out fine for my 8 yr old. I say dont stress too much. It might just be what your child needs.

My son had ear tubes put in when he was 3, and hasn't had an ear infection since. It can be a little nerve racking because it is surgery, but my son came through just fine, and he gets panicked easily.

It's usually a quick outpatient procedure. You set up a surgery time... usually first thing in the morning since they can't eat for a few hours prior, and take them in.. usually to your local hospital or surgical center. They put the child on a gurney, wheel them into the operating room, put them under general anesthesia, drain the ears, and put the tubes in. The child is out in the recovery room within an hour. Then they just have to wake up, and get over being groggy. The nurse usually gives them lots of popsicles to help them (my son loved that part). Once the child's alert, they disconnect the monitors, give you some final instructions, and let you take them home.

After that, all you have to do is use earplugs anytime water might enter the ear, and take the child in to his doctor for followups every 6 months or so, until the ear tubes fall out and the holes close up.

My son is now almost 10, and while he still has a small hole left in his left eardrum, he is doing fine. His hearing and speech vastly improved after the eartubes, and he hasn't had an ear infection since. Even his colds seem to be less severe.

Hope this puts your mind at ease!

Hi T.. My baby sister (now 18) had to get them. I was younger at the time so I really don't remember all the details. I remember teaching her as much sign language as I knew at the time and also her sitting so close to the TV she could touch it and still hardly hear it. She got the procedure and it made a HUGE difference. She heard the way a little girl should have. The problem that I remember is the surgery had to take place multiple times. It was as if it were temporary. Keep in mind this was about 10 or 12 years ago for the first surgery. Anyway, hearing is no longer an issue for her. She spends an exceptional amount of time on her phone and hears just fine. I wish you and your daughter the best of luck. Remember, kids are stonger than we realize.

My youngest had tubes put in in Jan. Out of habit now he does rub his ears. He is doing well. The surgery/procedure took about 10mins. They only things was when he was done with the surgery he was unconsoliable. What happened was they had put him under a general and when he woke up there were strangers all around. It took a good 10 mins for me to calm him down. The dr gave him earplugs and we were on our way. Joey had had about 8-9 ear infections in 1 yr. ENT told me that he didn't want to do the surgery until he was 1. So he was 14 months when he had it done. It will be a good thing for your child. It was nerve racking but I got through it.

I would ask that you read the book, "Healing Childhood Ear Infections," by Dr. Michael Schmidt, before you make your decision. It was a real eye opener for me when one of my twin girls got her second ear infection.

Hope it helps.

Y.

T.,
I am a medical assistant at an ENT office and a mother of 3 girls. I have assisted in inserting the tubes in adults- who do it awake, and in office. However, for children, most MD's prefer to have them asleep in out-patient surgery. The procedure itself takes 15 to 30 min depending on the doctor and all he does is use a small blade to make a tiny incision, then he will suck a lot of the fluid out, then insert a small tube to allow the fluid to drain and not build up.
My middle daughter had ear tubes places on Oct. 28,2006 and it was one of the hardest things in the world for me. She was one and a half years old. I had the best doctor and know it was safe. But as a mother it is completely understandable to be scared. I am very glad I had it done. I have noticed a big improvment in her speach, I had no idea how much it affected her hearing. And she is definately much happier to not have the pressure and build up and is now much healthier- she has gained weight and is now average weight for her age group. Given a choice to go through it all again, I would. If you have any other questions, speak with the doctor and have them all answered before you decide what is best for your child.

Hi T.

sounds like you have a strong 10 month old, your concern about tubes in the ears, the tubes will definately help. I had them put in when I was 7 yrs old, I'm 36 now. what I remember about getting them put in they put me to sleep for the operation and I didn't feel a thing, I know the tubes come out on there own after a few months or at least they did when I was a kid. when I had my tubes put in my ears it was because I had tonsilitus so I had what they called back then 3 operations in 1 tonsils out adnoise and ears drained (not sure on spelling) they drained my ears with the tubes in my ears because they found out I couldn't hear clearly. when I had it done in 1977 I got to stay in the hospital but with todays technology's your 10month old might not have to stay as long as I did. As a parent I have 5 kids at home the youngest one is 4yrs old I would definately make sure that you write down any questions you have and ask them before your 10 month old goes in for the operation so then when the operation is going on you know what it is they are actually doing.
hope this helps.

T.,

This is a common issue. Not saying this is the case with your child, because more children are not breastfed but formula fed, kids have a tendency to have ear infections and allergies.

The tube procedure needs to be done to relieve the fluids. This will stop the possibility of hearing loss and other complications. I suggest reading up on what the procedure is so that you can ask your own questions.

How is her diet, this can cause problems too. If you would like me to asses her nutritional intake, just give me a call. I can make some suggestions that will help relieve the allergies and build her immune system. No charge.

Hope this helps and good luck

L. C
Personal Nutritionist
www.herbalmom.com

Hi there. You should get her the ear tubes. My son got them the first time at 18 months old. They do help. He also had ear infections 1x a month. Always sick. Since then he is had less ear infections. He actually has had tube replacements 4x since and he just turned 5 Saturday.
If your worried about the surgery don't be. It's less than 15 minutes. You spend 1 hour before the surgery and then the surgery is about 15 minutes they put a mask over their face to knock them out and once the tubes are placed they remove the mask and kids usually are almost awake by the time they get to recovery. You wait a hour after surgery to make sure they drink a little juice and then they send you home and just child is a little sleepy the rest of the day but the next day they are feeling pretty funky but better. You cannot wash their hair or get their ears wet for a week after surery because they may fall out if you do. If your child gets fussy give tylonal not ibuprofen.. Your doctor should tell you this. Ibuprofen may cause excess bleeding which is what they don't want. Your child ears will be sensitive to load noices so whisper first couple of days and make sure your child is not around extemely load noises. With my son I was with him 15 minutes after he got out of surgery. They check your childs breathing and heart rate (vital signs) and usually come get you within 15 minutes of surgery being over. They rather have the parents be with the child when they are coming out of anestetic so when they wake up they are with someone they are familiar with. When your child does have surery make sure your child comes with a special toy or blanket someting that makes feel comfortable.
Hope this information helps. It's scary when you haven't been through it. Most of the surgey time is waiting. Also do the tubes first it's less invasive. Tonsils and adnoids they are in surgery for an hour. They come out in extreme pain and have trouble with eating drinking. Wait until your daughter is a little older if the tubes dont help they do the tonsils and adnoids. My son was 3 years old when he had his out. They came out in a life threatening emergency. 105 fever and they swelled shut and steroids and antibiotics didn't help. They had to come out. once they did is fever broke and his breathing was better instantly. Your child may be a little sick (vomiting) it's the side affects of the anestetic. It should pass after a day.
Hope this iformations helps. M. Petersen
Any questions please e-mail me at mpetersen ____@____.com

Hi T.. This is something that I know about well. Let me explain why. When I was about 4 months old, I started getting flu like syptoms all the time. I was always getting ear infections and no one knew what was going on. My ears would start pussing and blood would also come out (my eardrum was ruptured).
Over a period of twelve years, I had to get tubes in and out of my ears. I had to have my tonsils removed because of this. Endless trips to the ear doctor, endless sleepless nights full of pain and disgusting things coming out of my ears. I was not even allowed to get water in my ears because that seemed to make it act worse. I had to lay on one side for hours letting puss and blood drain. BTW, draining feels great for people with ear infections. It relieves the pressure and...well, it feels great.
So anyway, I know what your going through. It sucks to think of your baby going through so much pain. I have to be truly honest....the tubes did not seem to help. I had tubes put in at least 6 times. They cut a small section behind the ear, right where it is connected to the head. I still have scar build up behind my ears. In fact, I'm rubbing it now lol.
I would not be scared of the procedure, but you need to make sure there is no other option first. Get a second opinion. That never hurts. I honestly think that tubes should be a last resort. Is her thraot messed up too? Maybe getting her tonsils out would help better. I know when I got my tonsils out, my ears were a little better. They also took skin and graphed it onto my eardrum. I was too little to remeber exactly how they did that one though.
I'm going to share something with you. My Nana used to pull me onto her lap, and rub my hair for hours. She would rub my earlobes too, and that always made me feel better. Curl up on the couch with her and watch a Disney movie. (That's what we always did lol).
So anyway, I guess you could go ahead and get the tubes. She might be like me though. I think their putting all those tubes in my ears was senseless. It didn't really help me and always made me feel sick. I would have to go to the hospital, be there all day....I'm not sure you'd want to put your daughter through that. Now, if your second opinion says tubes are the best way to go, then you should do it.
Good luck to you and God Keep your daughter in His Hands!!
Best Wishes, T.

Hi T. - My son he is 3 years old now but we had to do the tubes with him when he was just under 2 years old. We had the same problem always and ear infection - the kid had probably 10-14 ear infections (every time he cut a tooth he got an ear infection). As for the surgery - I was totally stressed out about it - it was a piece of cake - they put him to sleep the whole procedure took like 10-15 minutes. It took longer for him to wake up in recovery than the actual procedure. We we got home I expected him to be all groggy and tired - OH NO!! He was running around and being his crazy self - as if nothing had happened to him. We had to put ear drops in his ears for a week I think - that was hard - he didn't like that so my husband and I had to hold him down - that was just him though. Anyway he is 3 1/2 years old now and we are ear infection free!! Wooo Hooo!! He has 1 tube that has fallen out and 1 tube that is still in his ear working its was out from the canal. He did get an ear infection with the tubes - it was as if a lot of ear wax was running out of his ear - I called the dr. and they called the pharmacy to pick up medicine. But that was the only time. So anyway I totally recommend the surgery - it helped us. Good luck :o) S.

Not sure that I'll be a lot of help as far as what happens, but I myself had tubes when I was young. But back then, I wasn't yet 2, and I still have ear problems to this day, although just ear pains here and there, especially when it comes to wind, being underwater, or if it's cold and windy outside. But I was told that I probably got them in too early, and they try not to put tubes in a child's ear until after they're 2. Now, my sister has also had tubes in her ears, when she was about 2 1/2. It cleared up a lot of problems for her, but at the same time, we're afraid she may have gotten them too late, because it seems to have impeded her speech (she's now 18, and doesn't speak clearly and annunciate very well). But it did alleviate her clumsiness and other problems she was having. I don't remember it being a huge deal when she got in her tubes (I was around 16 years old when she got her tubes, which is why I would remember something). We just had to put plugs in her ears when she went swimming, keep water out of her ears, such as washing her hair, etc, and the tubes eventually fell out without any problems. Hope this information helps a little bit.

My son is 9 and has had 3 sets of ear tubes. They do help him, just remember most tubes that are put into your ears are not permanent and will come out. He was 18 months when he had his first set, he really didn't seem to notice much of a difference but we did. They will have to put your daughter under when the procedure, they actually let me or his father take him to the operating room and stay with him until he was asleep then one of us was able to be with him in recovery. The procedure is usually very quick. I have even known adults who have had it and all is well. Big thing to remember if you do have them be sure to keep her ears dry. Use plugs or a visor type thing to keep the water out of her ears as that could cause irritation behind the eardrum.

K. R

Hi T.,
I sorry about the ear tubes. I can't offer much advice with that. What I wanted to offer was a solution to you not working outside the home. I actually have to things that I do at home that allows me to stay at home with my 7 month old daughter. And actually one of the solutions may be able to help with your daughters sickness that she has been getting. Please call me when you get a chance. I am in CA but even if you are not I promise that these opportunities will be great for you too!
My number is ###-###-####!

Looking forward to talking with you,
B.