Multipule Ear Infections - Minneapolis,MN

My son got his first tubes at a slightly younger age, and it made a huge difference. For one thing, he stopped constantly having pus coming out of his ears! But the main thing was he suddenly could hear, and so his language ability just exploded. It was wonderful.

I have a 7 1/2 yr old son. When he was 8 months old he started getting ear infections and it went on until he was 2. We were constantly going to the doctor and she must have tried almost every anti-biotic for ear infections including the shots. Finally, I told her I wanted tubes put in because nothing was working and he was in too much pain. Before they put the tubes in they did a hearing test and he failed, then they did one with special headphones that tested behind the fluid in his ears and he passed. Not even 30 minutes after we got home from the hospital he started talking and saying new words and hasn't stopped since. He also has not had one since!

Pauline,

Tubes are very easy and non intrusive. Also I used to have ear infections and even when I was older I still had ear infections. I also used to wear head bands in the winter to prevent the cold very brisk wind from gettin in.

Nikki

My son who is now 7 had tubes put in after multiple ear infections. In his case, we had great results. He had tubes when he was about a year and he has never had a problem with ear infections since. Good Luck, I know how frusterating that can be.

My daughter had the same problem, and had tubes put in before she was 2. She is almost four and the difference was night and day. You could even hear a difference in her speech the same day as her surgery. Her tubes also have since fallen out, and she has had a couple of ear infections, but not like the monthly ones she used to have.
Good
luck!
C.

In my daughter's case, getting the tubes put in helped tremendously! She had an ear infection per month from January through July. We had her tubes in August and she hadn't had one since until January. This was due to the fact that one tube seems to be out of place. This might be my fault as I forgot to put the plugs in her ears when I took her swimming. I wish I would have done the tubes sooner. The surgery was not a big deal. It takes about 30 minutes and makes a huge difference. My daughter's hearing scores actually went up as a result also.

I have had several people tell me their kids' ear infections were greatly reduced after getting chiropractic care. Something about getting everything aligned so that the nerves could do what they need to do and the ears could drain (as opposed to fluid sitting there, waiting to get infected). It might be worth checking into if you're interested in something less invasive first.

Do you have any issues with Dairy in your family? Many kids with sensitivities to milk get so many ear infections. My girlfriends little girl always got an ear infection whenever she had a cold. She switched to soy products and for the next 8 months, she never had an ear infection.

Otherwise, I don't know much about the ear tubes. Of course, dairy might not be the culprit, but it might be something to investigate as even if you do pursue the tubes route, you don't want them to coninue to recur...hope that helps!

HI C.,

As a health counselor I would highly recommend that you do look into chiropractic care and consider the role that dairy might play in your child's infections. There is considerable evidence out that shows a link between dairy consumption and chronic ear infections. Tubes can help, but if there is an allergy or subluxation in the spine, the problems will still remain and show up in other illnesses later in life. Begin looking for causes now and promote a healthier life in the long term.
A.:)

I had tubes in my ears when I was younger. I got the first set of tubes in my ears when I was 2 months old. The last set of tubes that I had was when I was 14. The tubes seemed to work for me for the most part. It did keep most of the ear infections away. So, it could be a good thing for your son..

Though I do have to say that it can be a painful surgery, but after the pain goes away then it is not so bad anymore. Good luck...

I have never experienced ear infections with my kids, but a friend of mine had a son who always had them. She was told by her pediatrician to give gentle back massages and to hold her son upside down by the ankles to help keep his back alligned properly. Somehow she said these things were connected. Might be something to look into though.

C.,
I can only speak from my own experience having tubes put in and taken out of my ears twice as a child. It didn't work for me. Have you tried taking your son off of dairy? Sometimes milk/diary allergies can cause chronic ear infections and starting by taking him off dairy for a time might be a less invasive way to try before tubes. You have to do it for at least 2 weeks to see results and you have to be careful to read all the labels of prepared foods. It's in a lot of things. You can use Soy milk in the mean time in your cooking/cereal etc and use it just like regular milk.
Good luck.
S.

My daughter had the same issue- I went the tubes route. she is 4 now. she was a year & half when this was done & she has only had 1 ear effectin since then. Dr Liston an ENT Ears nose & throat specialist did it. It only took 10-15 minutes. Since them the tubes have fallen out, but is sure helped her - The Dr is @ united & Children hospital st paul

My daughter is 20 months old and got tubes put in about a month ago. It's a very simple procedure, but it is hard watching the dr walk away with your child. But it is done before you know it. It is hard seeing them come out of the anastesia, because they are histerical, but she was in a great mood after a nap. She has no fluid in her ears since. I know a lot of children that have been getting them lately, it is a very common procedure. I've heard that there is a 10% chance that they will not cure the ear infections, but most of the time it's a life saver.

My first daughter had ear infections monthly from age 3 months (when she entered part-time day care) to 16 months, when she got tubes. I was completely freaked out by the idea; it turned out to be fantastic. She's only had one ear infection since (she's 4 now), her hearing improved, the procedure literally took about 5 minutes, and she was completely back to herself (running around the house, chattering, general destruction) within a couple hours after the operation. I was totally prepared to do the same with daughter number 2...who of course has never had an ear infection!

I don't know what your insurance specifies, but if you can get the tubes done at Children's Hospital in Mpls or St. Paul, do it - they are awesome.

My neighbor has been an in-home daycare provider for 20 years.
She does not give the children in her care dairy products during the winter months, and she says it greatly reduces the number of ear infections. The reason isn't dairy allergy so much as the fact that dairy products cause excess MUCUS production in most people (even those with no allergy). The excess mucus sits there waiting to be infected by all of the viruses out there in the winter. The kids drink almond milk all winter, get fewer colds, and this has worked for my neighbor for 20 years with all kinds of kids.

We had our son get tubes at just over 1 year of age. We were truly hesitant, but it was really a blessing. Other than one infection immediately after the surgery (due to the tube getting blocked with wax) he has never had another infection. The doctor indicated this winter was going to be the true test and so far so good. It was a quick procedure.

HI C.,
I've been through the same thing, two times. With my daughter, we did tubes and it was like night and day. She was completely changed and didn't get another ear infetion for 3 years!!
My son went through the same thing. This time, I wanted to try and avoid tubes. I was more interested in doing things a little more holistically. I did some research and read a lot about how dairy and ear infections kept crossing paths! So, I cut dairy from his diet, elevated the head of his crib, increase vitamins (the natural way - fruit/veggie) etc. He was off of dairy 100%. He did not get another ear infection. He went through this during the winter months and I thought if I could just get him to the warmer weather (where one is usually less sick!) I might have a fighting chance. I'm happy to say, he's 2 1/2 and has yet to have another one!
Either way, do what you think will work for you and your family. Whatever decision you make will be the right one for you.
GOOD LUCK!!!

Hi C.! My daughter who is 15 months old had tubes put in her ears 4 weeks ago. She had an ear infection for over 2 months that never went away even with antibiotics. It was a fast procedure, only 15 minutes. But she got another ear infection in just a couple daysafter the surgery, she was put on ear drops since she had tubes. The drops didn't help, so she was put on an antibiotic - like all the other antibiotics before the tubes, those didn't help either.

So, as a last resort we went to the chiropractor. She received her 1st adjustment & we were told no dairy & to give her liquid vitamins. She was a little scared at the first adjustment, but she has had several since then & doesn't seem to mind anymore. She is now ear infection free for 2 weeks now!! It is actually very inexpensive also. I was skeptical at first, but I would definitely give it a try before the tubes! If you have any questions about the tubes or the chiropractor adjustments- let me know. Good luck!

Hi. My son, age 2, just had tubes in a week ago. Of course, I don't know if they've really helped quite yet, but as far as the procedure, it was very quick, and he didn't even seem to notice that anything happened. We showed up at 10 in the morning, at 1:25 they came and got him (they give them some kind of medicine to make them relaxed/sleepy) and at 1:40 the dr. came back to tell me they were done, and he was doing great. They spend maybe 15-20 min. in recovery and then they bring them back to you...my son was his old self in a matter of half an hour. We left by 2:45. The only hard part comes after, cause you have to keep water from going into the ear, and getting little ones to keep them in can be difficult. My son after his first bath has learned to leave them alone.

My son has had 10-12 ear infections in the 2 years he's been alive. It was just getting to be too much- 1 to 2 times a month we were at the dr.s because he had an ear infection. I had tubes when I was little, and it didn't affect my hearing...and my ear drums ruptured a number of times. This has been my experience. I hope it helps.

I strongly recommend seeking out alternative therapies for ear infections. Homeopathy works wonders for ear infections (worked wonders for my children), and craniosacral therapy can be critical to help the underlying condition. Surgery is an extreme measure; It is a really good idea to look at other ways of solving the health problems before surgeries.

Here's names of some pediatric homeopaths in the metro area.

MaryBeth Buchele,
www.healthnaturally.biz
____@____.com
Edina and in Menomonie
recommended by Ruth Trode

Pam Prosser
6311 Wayzata Blvd.
Suite 250
St. Louis Park, MN 55416
Office: ###-###-####
Cell: ###-###-####
www.homeopathicservices.net
____@____.com

John Hauser
Naturopath, homeopath, herbalist (western & Chinese)
42nd Avenue (Seward neighborhood)
Minneapolis
###-###-####

I am a craniosacral therapist specializing in infants to school age.

C. Burns
www.MamaBebe.org

C., I have gone threw this with my youngest daughter. She had to have 3 bouts of tubes, because they would fall out after awhile, and she kept getting ear infections after they would fall out. It seemed like we knew when she would have lost them because she would have an ear infection the very next day. Tubes are good for the child but they also hear alot better and any loud noise will upset them. The second time we had to have them I told them to please take out her tonsils and adnoids. Have not really had a problem lately and she is 8 now. She did have to have them surgically removed though just last year, as they were crooked in her ears. Hope this helps out.

I don't know if anyone has already mentioned this, but Chiropractic care works really well for treating many chronic illness including chronic ear infections. Please feel free to contact me if you have any more questions. Also you can go to www.icpa4kids.org to find a pediatric chiropractor in your area.

Dr. K. K., DC

My daughter had 3 ear infections in a 6 week period of time. The doc said she would definitely have tubes, but not until she had a couple more ear infections. We took her to a chiropractor and she has never had an ear infection since. That was over a year ago.

Hi C.,
Both of my kids have had tubes in their ears. I think it just depends on the kid, but in many cases, they work very well. One thing to think of, is how much longer will this go on. Many kids outgrow this as their ear canals become bigger and more vertical as they get older. You might also look into alternative therapies - tuning fork therapy, chiropractic, etc. Also check for food allergies and reflux issues as these can contribute to the problem. You might also try switching him to rice milk to reduce mucus.

My oldest has had tubes because he has down syndrome and has smaller ear canals, etc that prevent them from draining properly. He does not do well with tubes. 3 sets have come out of position, become gunked up with ear wax and blood, and then infected. We've found that using tuning fork therapy (for ears and sinuses) has worked well for him to help drain out the fluid before it becomes infected.

My youngest (now 3) had constant ear infections (1 to 2 a month for 4 months before we had tubes put in. Immediate difference! No more infections and it has been over 2 years. What a releif. One tube is out now and the other will be removed this spring.

So, no telling how your kid will respond, but if you've tried to other avenues, tubes do tend to work very well. And you definitely want them to be hearing well at a critical stage of language development.

If you're interested in tuning forks, feel free to contact me privately about where to get one.

K.

My daughter who is now almost 5 had an ear infection almost every month for her first year of life. She wasnt around smoke or drinking with her bottle on a flat surface so I am not sure why she kept getting a cold that would always turn into an ear infection. At age 1 I TOLD my doctor that I wanted tubes in her ears. That way it would she wouldnt become immune to the antibiotics that they had to keep giving her each month and that would give her time for her eustachian tubes to grow and eventually drain any fluid on thier own. It worked!! Ever since she had the tubes put in she has only had one mild ear infection last year and that is be cause the tubes fell out. That is supposed to happen, I guess. They grow out of them.

By the time my son was 15 months old he had 12 ear infections. He did get tubes but also had his adenoids removed. The reason he had been getting so many infections was due to enlarged adenoids that were blocking proper drainage of his ears. The tubes gave his "ears a rest". They actually stayed in for almost 2 years! What a relief for him! It is hard to watch your baby be taken to surgery but much harder to watch him suffer so consistently with the infections!

I would try chiropractic first. It did wonders for my daughter!

Hi,
My son had tubes put in about a year ago. Up until this week his ears had been infection free!!! Unfortunately, he is on antibiotics for an infection now after having a really nasty cold. He goes back in next week so we can be sure the infection is gone. As frustrated as I am that he has an infection, I do NOT regret the decision to have the tubes put in. Cal had been on antibiotics almost non stop for 6 months before his surgery and this is the first time since the surgery.

Good luck!

Hello Caludine,

My son had tubes inserted after multiple ear infections. I was initially skeptical due to my belief that medicine is often unnecessarily invasive, and tried all sorts of alternative therapies. But then we decided the antibiotics we invariabley ended up with (his ears would just not clear up on their own) were worse than the surgery and we went for it. We have never had a second thought. They worked wonderfully. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. Good Luck!

My son got tubes at 21 months (last Sept) and things are amazingly better!! The procedures didn't take that long and the hardest thing is putting them under. I asked to go in with my son and hold him during anesthesia. After he was out, I went to the waiting room with DH and it was only 15 min. before the Dr. finished and chatted with us. We were home within 3 hours of the procedure and he was totally himself by the next day. No more double ear infections, dr visits or anything. It is emotionally difficult, but worth it!

My son was one year old when we had to do tubes in his ears for the same reason. Dr. Kotroupas at the Coon Rapids Medical Clinic worked with us and it was a good experience. The tubes are still in place (it was only 4 months ago) and working well, with one minor bump becuase of too much ear wax that resolved itself. It was a simple procedure and the results have been very good. He has not had an ear infection since then and when he gets colds and things they are not as bad since things are not as congested for him now. His hearing has improved and his speech is better too. If other options are not working for you, I would recommend them.

hi there. We have 5 kids and our second daughter had this very problem as well. The doctors had thought about tubes but instead put her on a very small dose of amoxicillan for 6 months, each day. She did well and didnt get any more of those painful ear infections:)

I wish you well

My son had tubes put in at 15 months after many ear infections. They made all the difference in the world. He had barely taken a step up to that point, and two days after the procedure he was walking. He's always been a talker, but his vocabulary skyrocketed after that.

He's gotten sick a few times since, but it's never been as bad as before tubes. One time he got an infection in one ear with the tubes. He acted like nothing bothered him with that ear infection, but we could see the ooze coming out. The doctor will give you drops to put in there if this happens, and which we did and he was all cleared up in a few days.

The procedure literally takes about 10 minutes. Be forewarned though, little ones are NOT happy when they come out of it. My son screamed and cried until we got him dressed and in the car. Then he finally settled down.

My brother had 3 sets of tubes as a kid. Everytime they fell out, he'd get really bad ear infections again. The only thing that stopped the cycle was a tonsilectomy and adnoidectomy at age 4 or 5. I expect it will be the same with my son.

By the time my youngest daughter was 10 months she had had 10 ear infections within 4 months. We got tubes put in when she was 10 months old. She had 2 ear infections in 2 years. I am so glad we decided to go with the tubes. It was an easy procedure and she recovered within an hour. I would not hesitate to do it again. Her tubes have been out for a while now and she has averaged about 1 ear infection a year for the past 2 years.

We didn't hesitate to do tubes because the ramifications are so great if ear infections keep happening or go unnoticed. We were not going to mess with our daughter's hearing as I know people who suffered hearing loss due to ear infections.

Good luck with what you decide.

My daughter had tubes places when she was 15 months old. She had about 8 ear infections between 4 months and then. She literally has had 1 ear infection since then and she is now 3 1/2. Her tubes fell out last summer.

I was really nervous about the whole thing, and it wasn't fun handing her over to the doctor for the procedure. But she was playing at home a couple hours later and had no problems with it at all. It was WELL worth it!

My daughter was a preemie and the fluid never drained from her ears. She couldn't pass a hearing screen and we feared there was true hearing loss. At 11 months she got tubes and it was the best thing! She still got ear infections (which is not normal) but we knew it right away and could put drops in without taking her to the doctor. She passed her hearing screen and once these tubes fall out I wouldn't hesitate putting another set in if she needed them.

Hi- My son is now 13yrs old and had many ear infections when he was little. The procedure was only 10 minutes long and my son was only tired after. He is doing great and has no hearing loss and no other infections. His teeth have shown signs of too much medicine from all of the ear infections. His teeth are very yellow. Hope this helps

L.

Yes! You won't regret it and it will help enormously with their hearing. Good luck!