My 7.5 month old has his first fever and I found out today at the doctor has a double ear infection. Poor little guy is in a lot of pain. I gave him the first dose of antibiotics and he was also given probiotics. We are doing tylenol to keep fever down, but poor little guy is in a lot of pain. He is normally very happy and my heart just breaks to see him suffer!! Is there anything I can do to help ease his pain? He is also not eating much and I worry that he is not getting enough liquids. Doctor said to monitor him and that antibiotics will take a few days to start kicking in. Any advice on how to help my little one would be much appreciated! We are also doing lukewarm baths and lots of TLC.
Thanks for all the wonderful advice. This support group never stops amazing me. He is doing much better and I have to say that what really worked well for him was elevating his mattress a bit (we put one of those wedge things under it). It really seemed to help him sleep better and wake up less congested. We are still trying to get back to normal, but he is much much better! Thanks again for all the advice :)
you can try pedialyte (they also make freezer pops he may like) and have you tried Motrin instead of Tylenol? My son responds to that better.
hi I bought homepatic ear drops in Cvs to help with the ear pain and it worked.Just ask the pharmacist where they.I have 2/12 year with a double ear infection right now .I put these drops in the first night and it helped
Hey Adriana,
My daughter who is now 20 years old suffered terribly from ear infections. At a year old she had the tubes put in and fortunately only suffered a few infections here and there afterward. Times have changed so much since then because doctors back then would give Tylenol with Codine for pain (I know you are all probably flipping out) but it helped tremendously. I know now that is a no no but they also gave ear drops that would numb her ears to help with the pain. I am not sure if that is still an acceptable treatment but I would check with the doctor. There is no reason the little guy should suffer. Hope this helps. The idea about elevating the crib is also a good one. My daughter would be fine while she was up playing but once she would lay down she would scream in pain. Good luck!!
Your son may not like it but I like a heating pad for congestion and ear pain (it always makes my neck sore as well). There are now lots of kinds--electric, microwavable or 8 hr one time use ones, even an old fashioned hot water bottle. I would use a layer of cloth like a pillow case or wash cloth between his skin and the heat so it isn't too hot on his skin. My son, now 3, doesn't like it but it is worth a try.
Hi, I am surprised I did not see anyone respond to use peroxide for the ear infection. A doctor has recomended this. I have used this on my son and myself. I was amazed at the instant pain relief. Have him lay with his head to the side. You put a little peroxide in a dish, and dip an cotton ball in it. Let the peroxid drip in his ear. You will see and hear it bubbling, while killing the bacteria. After a little while drain his ear by having him lay on the opposite side, dry his ear off. It gives off a tickling sensation and does not hurt at all. You may need to repeat only one more time in a few hours to make sure the bacteria is completely killed. If you do not see the bubbling then the bacteria is killed. Also you can google home remedies for any of your ailments and find a non medicine solution. Remember that hospitals, doctors and insurance firms are a business, and they only make money when you visit and buy prescription medicine. Sometimes it is necessary, but not always.
Adriana - I sympathize with you and hope your little one is on the mend soon. Kudos to your doctor for getting you little guy on probiotics - they help replace the good bacteria being killed off by the antibiotics. ( antibiotics are indiscriminate and attack all the bacteria - good & bad). Keeping a healthy balance of good bacteria in the gut improves the immune system -hopefully to make this the last time you and he deal with the ear infections.
I successfully raised 2 children with no antibiotics in 13 years - you can check out my story at www.nosickvisits.mysite.com and access a FREE conference call to help you continue to raise your son in a healthy way. Let me know if I can answer any questions for you.
L.
hang in there, the antibiotics really do work quickly. they may take a while to get rid of the infection, but they start to ease the pain usually within a day or two at the most. stick with the tylenol and raise his head if you can. if the tylenol isnt working, maybe ask the doc about motrin instead. the nightime is the worst. he might seem much better tomorrow morning, then might feel worse again later in the day, but should be considerably better than tonite. good luck.
Dear Adriana, Sorry about your baby's double ear infection! I used to get some ear drops called Auralgan. They just took away the pain. Ask the doctor if it is still around. You are doing the best you can with TLC. This is what baby needs most. good wishes, Grandma Mary
The only other thing for pain is children's ibuprofen- it does work really well and will keep down fever like tylenol, but can only be given at 6 hour intervals instead of four. Don't worry much about food if he won't eat it, but definitely push the clear liquids. Otherwise, you're doing about all you can do- lots of love and patience!
Hope your little one feels better...
Hi Adriana,
I feel your little one's pain;-( My nine month old boy has had a couple of these nasty ear infections as well and it is nver a pretty picutre to see them suffer. What i did, in addition to the antibiotics and tylenol, was to give him a bath with johnson & johnson soap that has some mentol/vicks in it...they sell them at target or cvs...that seemed to help him a lot as he was also congestioned.
Hope he feels better soon!
regards,
A.
Hi Adriana,
You would do much better putting a good grade tea trea oil on a cotton ball and inserting it in his ear. It kills bacteria and should help with the pain.
I hope that you are not using an air freshener in your home ( the plug-in type) as it contains formaldehyde and causes ear infections in children.
I hope I am not too late with this advice. So sorry to hear that your little one is in pain and that you are suffering too! The other advice is great, but I did not see this suggestion. It is an old fashioned remedy, but it works like a charm, in my experience. Take an old, CLEAN sock, with NO HOLES, fill it with about a cup of salt, Kosher salt works best. Then microwave it until it is warm to the touch, but not too hot. Wrap it in a washcloth and place it on the ear, and on the neck under the ear where the ear would drain. The salt draws out the pain. My son used to suffer from terrible ear infections and I tried as hard as I could not to overdo the antibiotics. I too once had a double one myself and this worked so well! I know it can be challenging for one so little, but cradle him and hold it there, once he feels the warmth and the pain subside, it will get easier. I hope this helps and that everyone is on the mend!
Put a towel or something under the mattress in his crib to raise his head a little. Ears hurt much worse when lying down. Also, ask the Dr about drops to put in his ears. Some Drs give them to at least numb the pain until the antibiotics start working. My son had double ear infections recently and they said it would take a couple days for the antibiotics to make him feel better, but it only took a couple of doses to make a difference for him. By the 2nd day, he was much happier...not perfect, but much much happier.
Good luck.
My son always had ear infections and lots of pain before we put the tubes in. Ask your doctor about motrin. I think it is okay after 6 months of age. It was much better for the pain than Tylenol. Also, the antibiotics usually worked within 2-3 days, so just hang in there. I know it is horrible.
