SO MANY Ear Infections! Help!

My oldest daughter had tubes twice when she was an infant/toddler. They helped tremendously! I think that is the way to go if you have had mulltiple infections.

Tubes were the best thing I did for my son. We had tubes put in his ears a week before he turned 1. It was only a five minute procedure. By the time we got back to the waiting room the doctor was coming out telling us that she was already done. He is now almost 4 and has only had 2 or 3 minor infections since his tubes fell out when he was 2 1/2. He had no meds for a year and a half, it was wonderful.

I would try a new chiropractor first. They all have different methods of adjusting children and what yours is doing may not be working for your child. (We've been to a few chiropractors too and there are some BAD ONES out there.....)

You can also get ear drops in the natural section of the grocery store (or perhaps from your chiropractor) that do wonders as well!!! I would get them and start using them immediately on your daughter. They've worked for my kids and for my friends kids. (She actually had her daughter scheduled for tubes the next morning and cancelled because they worked!!! That was over 2 years ago and she NEVER did get the tubes.)

I think my daughter was 13 months old when I finally broke down and got her tubes. I did it because she was getting too many antibiotics (had lots of ear infections). She has not had one since. She still gets sick but no ear infections and therefore no antibiotics. I had tubes when I was younger and didn't want them for her because my tubes fell out and the hole didn't close which led to two reconstructive surgeries of my ear drums. This is rare but it still scewed my outlook on getting tubes for my kids. I am sad that I had to do it because you have to be careful with getting water in their ears and she will have to wear ear plugs when I take her to the pool. But I am even more glad that I did it because I am not filling her with so much medicine and she isn't in pain. It is a tough decision isn't it? I don't regret my decision for her. I know what it is like to grow up with tubes and being careful around water so it was not a decision that I made lightly. Good luck!

Look into Homeopathy. Its safe and natural even for babies, and most remedies you can pick up at your local health food store or online. www.1800homeopathy.com

My daughter had so many ear infections they were not healing in between antibiotics. We had tubes put in and of course weighed the pro's and cons and were worried about my daughter during the process of the day surgury. I worked at the high school and talked to an 17 yr old who's mother wanted to be natural and avoid tubes and he ended up needing hearing aides in both ears for the rest of his life. This helped change my mind quickly. We had the tubes put in and she had only one ear infection after that and it was healed with the drops in the matter of 24 hours. I had an ear infection as an adult and it really hurt bad and I felt guilty for letting my child go 14 months with ear infections. Tubes changed our lives for the better, she could sleep, was not in pain anymore. I believe tubes are a wonderful way to improve her quality of life if she has ear infections.

My first daughter was the same... 9 infections in 1 year. We got the tubes and it was like magic!!! no more infections!!! It was truly a blessing. I swore that I would never go thru all the antibiotics again...I will insist on tubes if my 2nd starts to get chronic infections like the first. Good luck. It is a really fast surgery (like 5-10 minutes).. it takes longer for them to wake up from the anesthesia.

hI J.,

Our daughter had the same thing. Ear infection after ear infection. She had tubes put in when she was a baby. She went through 3 sets. The last ones were flanged to stay put. The doctors were so wonderful with her.

She's 19 now and hasn't had any problems!

Go for it!

J.

Many kids get middle ear infections (otitis media) usually between the ages of 6 months and 2 years. Some kids are particularly susceptible because of environmental and lifestyle factors (like attendance at a group child-care, secondhand tobacco smoke exposure, and taking a bottle to bed).

Although these infections are relatively easy to treat, a child who has multiple ear infections that do not get better easily or has evidence of hearing loss or speech delay may be a candidate for ear tube surgery. During this surgery, small tubes are placed in the eardrums to ventilate the area behind the eardrum and keep the pressure equalized to atmospheric pressure in the middle ear.

A small passage leading from the middle ear to the back of the nose — called the eustachian tube — equalizes the air pressure between the middle ear and the outside world. (When your ears pop while yawning or swallowing, the eustachian tubes are adjusting the air pressure in the middle ears.)

Bacteria or viruses can enter the middle ear through the eustachian tube and cause an infection — this often occurs when a child has had a cold or other respiratory infection. When the middle ear becomes infected, it may fill with fluid or pus, particularly if the infection is bacterial. Pressure from this buildup pushes on the eardrum and causes pain, and because the eardrum cannot vibrate, the child may experience a temporary decrease in hearing.

With treatment, a bacterial infection can be quickly cleared up. In most kids the fluid will resolve over time and hearing will be restored. Some research suggests that long periods of hearing loss in young children can lead to delays in speech development and learning.

If your child has frequent ear infections that don't clear up easily or a hearing loss or speech delay, the doctor may suggest surgery to drain fluid from the middle ear and insert a ventilation tube. Because most kids have had infections in both ears, surgery is often done in both; this is called a bilateral myringotomy, or BMT. A tiny tube, called a pressure equalization (PE) or tympanostomy tube, is inserted into the eardrum to ventilate and equalize pressure in the middle ear. This will help to prevent future infections and the accumulation of fluid, and will help normalize hearing.

The presence of the tiny hole in the eardrum from the tube doesn't impair hearing (in fact, kids with a speech or language delay from hearing loss often will see a normalization of their hearing). Depending on the type used, the tube remains in place for about 6 months to 18 months or more.

Wow! I know you are overwhelmed with great advice but I'd like to offer something different. I know you've tried chiropractic so you are open minded to more natural remedies right? You may want to consider massage therapy. I'm in school to become an LMT and have been amazed at all the things it can help. You may want to find someone who specializes in reflexology or accupressure. Those who specialize in energy work such as reike are also very helpful. Hope this helps and good luck!
J.

Definately do tubes. They help so much. I'm not sure where you live but Dr. Griebe out of Ear Nose and Throat Specialty Care MN is a great Dr. He actually does surgury at several sites so you should check him out. I had tubes for both my girls at Children's West and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

I have 4 kids! The first 3 had great ears - a few infections, but nothing chronic and always cleared up with antibotics. This last child, who is now 2, was a different story. When he was about 8 months old he started with ear infections. After about the 3rd infection they started to just give him the shot first instead of oral antibotics because it was obvious that was the only way for it to clear up. I was surprised as this was not the case with any of my other children.

We finally gave in and decided to let the doctor put in the tubes. Our son was 16 months old when he got them and it has made a huge difference. He has not had any infections since and what else was interesting was that he immediatly seemed to feel better. His doctor said that he probably has had pressure in his ears even without infection and the tubes have relieved that pressure. If I were to do it over I would have put the tubes in months sooner.

Good luck with your decision!

HI J.,

Get the tubes!!!! You'll be soo happy you did and wished you would've done it sooner. My son was 10months old when he had his tubes put in, and it made a world of difference!! (He didnt have an ear infection for over a year after that). Chronic ear infections can lead to hearing loss and other problems. The procedure itself is so fast (less than 15 minutes). Good luck!

B.

If she drinks cow milk, I'd try to stop that until she's almost 3 years old. The surgery is pretty main stream so if you go that route I'm sure it'll be fine.

Good luck!
W.

Sounds like the ear infections are a big problem for you and I would definitely look into it. We did not go that route with my daughter who is 7 now. She had ear infections so bad that she could not hear out of one ear completely. We did start using more natural baby products and shampoo especially. My previous product had an ingredient called Quaternium in it which is a formaldehyde releaser and is linked to ear infections and other problems with little ones. Coincidence or not but after 2 1/2 years neither she or my youngest have had another ear infection. So do check out the tubes but you may want to investigate your baby shampoo as well.

Just a thought and GOOD LUCK!!

L. S.

My daughter had chronic ear infections, too. We went ahead with the tubes when she was a year old. It's a very quick procedure. She was out of our sight for only about 20 minutes. She had about an hour of fussiness afterwards, but then was better. She was back to her normal self by the end of the day. It has been almost a year since she had the tubes, and she's been ear infection free! She even made it through the dreaded cold an flu season with no infection. Our insurance didn't cover the whole thing, so we ended up paying about $300 for it.

My son also had tubes at 9months - he was on a constant antibiotic. It got to the point where all we could give him was the horrible 3 day shot type of antibiotic by the end because nothing would help him. Tubes have been a god send for us, as he is such a happy healthy little boy now at 18 months.

My 3rd daughter starting getting ear infections shortly after she was born, and, by the time she was 9 months old, it seems like she had the infections more days than she was healthy! In fact, the doctor believed that the original infection really never truly went away, just was "settled down" by the antibotics, and came back as soon as she stopped.

We had her tubes put in at 9 months old and WHAT A DIFFERENCE! She went from fussy nearly all the time (who wouldn't be with your ears hurting), to the happiest baby. The tubes stayed in until she was 4 yrs old, and, at the age of 11, she has never had another ear infection.

I would definitely discuss the tubes option with your doctor. She was my first one with ear tubes (and my last as well), and I was so nervous about her getting them. I was SO glad I did.

I would try to angle her mattress so her head is higher. This will help draining- and can be done quickly and cheaply. In the crib I use a few blankets under part of the mattress. But you can stick wood blocks or something under the feet at the head of the bed too.

My uncle did this with his kids who had reoccurring ear infections and it helped. I have done it with mine and have had very few ear infections.

I would do the tubes. My older son had them four times; it's not a difficult surgery, and he was always fine later the same day.

When he got tubes for the first time, he suddenly started speaking. Your daughter is getting close to the time when she will start hearing -- and forming -- words, but if she can't hear, that will be delayed.

Did your chiropractor recommend pro-biotics? If not, find a new chiropractor. If you live in the south metro, I have a couple of recommendations.

Because you daughter has been on antibiotics so much, she most likely doesn't have any good bacteria left in her system and needs help to replace the bacteria.

You may want to look for a different chiropractor anyway just because this one isn't doing it for your daughter.

Good luck,

My son had tubes at 10 months because of ear infectoins from October through February (some double) and has been a totally different baby since. Super happy, no ear infections, and the surgery was a breeze. He was pissed off when he woke up (only under 5 minutes) because the anestesia made him feel car sick, but he was over that in less than an hour and acted like it never happened. He really was pissed because he couldn't eat or drink, so when he got some milk and some cereal he was golden. I would recommend it to anyone, I've seen the difference it can make. Good luck!

My son had ear tubes put in at 10 months because he had so many infections and both of his ears had fluid in them for 6 weeks straight. He had high fevers on and off and was miserable, not sleeping well, etc. We did every kind of antibiotic out there as well as antibiotic shots. I hated putting him on antibiotics because I worried it may lower his defenses for future infections, and also every time he was on them he got TERRIBLE diaper rash [even while taking Lactinex- a probiotic].
I was so tired of him being sick and feeling so crappy but I was nervous about putting him through a surgery that I first thought was not really necessary. I talked to the Dr and did some research online, and found that tubes really aren't so bad. It is a simple surgery that takes less than 15 minutes [the worst part was watching my son go to sleep] and there is basically no down time. The minute we got home he was running around and playing again. One major concern I had with tubes is the possibility that scarring could damage his hearing. But I found out that having fluid stuck in the ear can also cause damage, not to mention maybe even delaying speech and learning, causing behavioral issues, etc. So I went ahead with it. Since the tubes were put in, he has had two infections, but he got over them much quicker because the tubes allow drainage and the antibiotic ear drops go directly to the infection [and not through his digestive tract- so no more rashes]. Most ear tubes fall out on their own after 6-9 months but sometimes they might get clogged or wont fall out on their own and the child may need another procedure to remove them. It has been almost 7 months and one of my sons ear tubes is beginning to come out.
I would say discuss the pros and cons of tubes with your Dr. It sounds like your daughter definitely would benefit from them. You have to weigh the benefits to the possible risk just like any other surgery. For me, I thought the risks of NOT getting tubes were much worse.
Another thing I would recommend if you decide to go through with it is to be picky with your surgeon. I made sure that my son had a doctor who had done it thousands of times before. It set my mind at ease knowing that HE knew what he was doing with my son

My daughter had 15 ear infections before she was 5 months old--I'm not kidding. She was the youngest ENT patient in our large city to get ear tubes at the age of 5 months.

What I wish now (9 years later) had I known then was that I would have had her on a daily probiotic/acidophilus, to help recolonate her intestines with good bacteria. We've had many health issues and infections since then, and I'm sure they're all related to not having enough good bacteria in her colon.

She had 3 ear tubes in all--the last one when she was 3 years old--and her adenoids and tonsils out too. Some kids are just born with an undeveloped Eustachion tube that takes longer to be reliable.

Her ears are fine now, and since she had her tonsils out at the age of 7 years (they were absolutely full of infection. In fact, the ENT doctor who did the operation looked a little ill when he told us. At least that explains the systemic strep infections she'd been getting. Those are not fun; my daughter had green stuff come out of her vagina. Yeah. 3 different times/infections. Apparently, she probably had tonsil infection from when she was very little that always JUST went away but never quite vanished so that she also hovered with a strep infection all the time. Even the doctors didn't know. That might be something to look into.)

With my daughter, she'd stop a medication, have a day off, then go right back on a different one. I was so sleep deprived, having made many runs to the ER in the middle of the night, that I didn't know what to do. Her Pediatrician ENT didn't know what to do, either. She's the only baby he's seen who had as many infections as what she did. Once the ear tubes went in--viola!--almost all the infections stopped.

I think having ear tubes put in is a lot better than having babies take all those antibiotics. Like I said, wish I'd known more then like I do now; antibiotics can be good but used to excess, they're not.

Good luck on your decision.

My daughter had tubes put in (so did her dad when he was a kid), by getting tubes not only will they have less aniboitics, but it will be more free time for you... less crying in the night, running to and from the doctor and pharmacy. Plus just think if you had ear infections all the time you would want to do something about it. Our daughter only had ear infections in one ear, but we got tubes in both ears so that we didn't have to go back into surgery a few months later (Possably)

All 3 of my kids had multiple ear infections and tubes. My son has complex other problems and he is 9 1/2 and we just went in for our 6th set of tubes - he has chronic fluid build up.

M.

Wow! You got a lot of advice to get the tubes! I guess if I had been through the horror of constant ear infections, I would also love something fairly simple that simply solves the problem. So maybe it is a good idea. But you did say that you wanted to avoid this, and you must have some good reason for that.

I have a friend whose son had constant ear infections. On the advice of a friend, she took him off of all dairy. The infections stopped. She was amazed, and I learned from her story. So I would second the advice you got about that. I would also agree about the natural drops. (I got mine from my chiropractor.) We just tried them for the first time and it was incredible! I put them in my baby's ear (she was crying in the middle of the night) and she settled down within a few minutes and then went to sleep. I had a similar experience the next day with my 2-yr-old. The friend who recommended it said that her child felt better immediately. This drop is called D-89-1 ear drops and is made by Dynamic Nutritional Associates. It has garlic oil, olive oil, mullein oil, and 7 herbal tinctures in it. The olive oil is what soothes immediately and the garlic oil is what kills the bacteria to get rid of the infection.

I wonder, when a child has several ear infections, if it is actually the original one never really getting beat out of the system and coming back over and over. If that is the case, then she just needs to get this thing once and for all. The probiotics are great for that. What does your chiropractor say?

Hi J. - our daughter was in the EXACT same situation by 16m/o... 9 ear infections! Many times we'd go in and both ears would be infected. We finally "caved" and put in tubes. I was TERRIFIED to put my little one in surgery. It was worth it! She has not had one infection since (she will be two in a month). The operation was SO short - she was gone from my arms for MAYBE 30 minutes. I would suggest it to just about anyone!

I could also keep track as to when your daughter was cutting teeth. This can also be a small factor in frequent ear infections. My oldest son was into our doctor so often that he had recommended tubes until I pointed out that every time we had come in, my son was or just cut a new tooth (his molars were the worst). After the doctor stuck his finger into my sons mouth and felt the new tooth, he stopped telling us that he needed tubes put in.