Ear Tubes - Huntington, NY

Hey E.,
My daughter had 7 ear infections, her first one at just 4 months....I work at an Ambulatory Surgical Center and see children get tubes all the time....so at 11 months it was finally our turn....It literally takes 5 minutes for them to put them in, and I have to say it was THE ABSOLUTE BEST THING I HAVE EVER DONE....she hasnt had an ear infection since and she was 2 in April...one tube fell out, and the other was on its way out at her 2 year check up....I know that any reputible ENT doc wont suggest tubes without a history of infections...even most insurance companies require a minimun number of infections before they will authorize the tubes....so again I would defanitely recommend the tubes...it will be a whole new world for you...I dont miss those sleepless nights , or 2 am calls to the pedi at all!! LOL
Meg :)

E.,

My two daughters had ear infections literally every three months, I could put it on the calendar that was in addition to the sinus infecations the younger one also got on a regular basis. Their pediatrician would not due ear tubes on the older one at age 3 1/2 because she was too old and they would not do the younger sibling at 1 1/2 becuase they wanted to wait and see.

I found my own solution. I switched all of their vitamins (their brothers and ours)to Shaklee and I added the pro and prebiotic for everyone. None of us have ever had another ear infection and our lab only gets about one a year now. (Yes the dog takes them too).

Probiotics are the good bacteria in your body - the bacteria actually accounts for 70% of your immune system. Shaklee's probiotics are all time released so the "pearl" does not disolve until it reaches your lower intestine where they live. This way 80% are absorbed into the body. The pearl is tiny and can be swolled easily even by your 3 year old.

Prebiotics are a powdered food for the good bacteria so they live longer in your colon.

My husband and I are distributors of Shaklee, if you would like to read some testimonials, I can e-mail them to you. If you would like more info on what probiotics can do for the body and what they help prevent, I can send that as well.

Good luck with whatever you choose!

T.
Mom of three, ages 6, 5, and 3 next week.
www.myhealthylifestore.com

I have tubes I had to get them because my son was in the hospital for a while and i had an ear infection but i wouldn't leave him so i let it go. Well it got so bad i went deaf.I had to read lips for a couple of weeks I got really good at it to. But they put them in now I have to have them for life.Ear infections hurt A LOT more and when water gets in it stings, but the surgury isn't that bad after the first 2 days .I would baby your 3 yr. old for the first couple of days then make sure when you bath her not to get any water in her ears, it really stings for about 15 min.

Both of my daughters had numerous ear infections ages 0-4. When the older one was 4, my mother realized that she was lip reading and did not respond to many sounds. An ENT and an audiologist confirmed that the ear infections had caused a hearing loss. We put tubes in and her hearing improved dramatically. She had no problems with the surgery and was swimming as soon as it was allowed using ear plugs. Our younger daughter did not have a hearing loss but the repeated ear infections did cause neurological damage that in turn created many academic difficulties for her. She had two sets of tubes, also with no problems. I would find a very good ENT -- ours retired or I would suggest him -- and have the tubes put in before your child suffers a permanent hearing loss or other developmental damage. We did outpatient surgery and let our girls rest on the couch for a few days.

My daughter had them put in when she was 9 months old. She didn't have many ear infections, she had one that lasted 4 months and would not clear up at all. I would recommend them to anyone. My daughter was perfectaly fine by the day following the surgery. It was really tough when she came out of the anestesia, because she woke up screaming and she screamed for about 4 hours. She was unconsolable and I think her being only 9 months old we were not able to prepare her or explain to her what was going on.
As a result of the surgery, not only did she get rid of and has not had any more earinfections, but her hearing has improved a lot. At the initial consultation with the ENT he did a hearing test and my daughter's one ear was only functioning at 15% and the other was only finctioning at 5%. I felt really bad that she was having such a problem, hearing, but it is really hard to notice a hearing loss in an infate her age. Developmentaly she was "talking" like any other 9 month old, but after the surgery she heard everything and it was amazing to see her react to "new" sounds. Her favorite noises were her nails scratching the carpet and our dog's tags rattling on her collar.
As long as you are comfortable with the surgeon and the surgical facility, you really have nothing to worry about. My daughter's surgery was so fast that when I got to the waiting room, I went to the ladies room, sat back in the waiting room icked up a magazine and the doctor was comming out, maybe 15 minutes. I thought the doctor was coming out to twll me that there was a problem, but she was telling me that everything was done and I could go back and be with the baby!!!

E.,
my son had multiple ear infections for the first year of his life. We finally took him to CHOP in Voorhees NJ and Dr Jacobs put the tubes in on his second birthday. The relief he got from those tubes was rewarding enough to know we made the right decision. He was in and out of surgery in less than an hour and he was absolutley fine. Hte eventually fell out by the time he was five and we didn't know until the doctors checked to see how they were and he was fine. Do it for your child and do it for your sanity.
Good luck
H.

It would be helpful if people who have gone through it and liked their ENT provide their name. I am researching those on Long Island, preferably Nassau County. THANKS MOMS.

hi E.,
My son, now 4 1/2, had tubes put in right after he turned 3. His first ear infection came at 2, and then four months before he turned 3 he got one that would not go away. I was very nervous about tubes, like most moms would be when it comes to surgery on such a little body, but after getting to be regulars at the doctor and considering the fact that he is allergic to augmentin and omnicef, we decided to go with the best ENT we could find and do it. Unfortunately the best one was not part of our insurance so it cost about $2000, but we did not want to take any chances. Our son had swollen nodes the size of walnuts in his neck and the doctor said after surgery it was like "Chicken FAT" exploded from the pierced membrane. He mentioned the adenoids beforehand but when he went in said they looked fine. After surgery, voila, our happy boy was back and it wasn't even 12 hours later. It had been four solid months of misery and I felt terrible for writing it off as some sort of delayed "terrible 2" thing, when really he was in enormous pain. He didn't complain much so I had no idea how severe it was. He has had one ear infection since the tubes were put in 17 months ago. Ask around about ENTs, even if the only thing you do is use the Internet to check for malpractice suits. I know one mom whose son had tubes put in in Albany, NY, and the doctor let his interns do it and there were severe complications and it was a huge lawsuit and a horrible mess. good luck!

Yes, I have a seven year old son. When my son was 4 years old when and had at least 12 ear infections. The doctor finally agreed to put tubes is in his ears. Since them they did fall out at least a year later. After he had the tubes he never had a problem with his ears again. He also had his adnoids removed also. The surgery isn't nothing. It's a same day surgery that last about 30 mins. He had a sore throat after, but that was from the adnoids.

Hello, I have not had any problems with my 22 monthold daughter having ear infections. However, when I was a child ( I am now 28 years old) I had chronic sever ear infections that my biological parents tried to treat at home. I am now partially deaf in both ears and a year and a half ago I had to have tubes put in anyway. I was still having infections and other problems with my ears. The doc. told me that if my parents had the tubes put in my ears years ago that I would be able to hear with no problems now. I have not had an infection or problem with my ears since the tubes were put in. If your childs doctor believe that tubes will help my suggestion is to believe him. The life long consequences of not having them put in could be greater than you may think. I don't write this to scare you and I sincerly hope that I have not, I simply wish to inform you of the Possible, not nessicarly definate, consequences of not following your docs advice. I wish with all my heart that my parents had listened when they were told I needed tubes, then I would be able to hear my daughters laughter with out aide. I hpoe that this has help you with your question and if you wish to ask me more I will be happy to help. Good luck and God Bless.

D. Morseman

Dear E.,

What is going on with your son? Why does the doctor think ear tubes are needed?

There are many ways to deal with ear infections. Look for the underlying issue. Fixing the symptom is not the answer.

There are many routes: chiropractic adjustments, craniosacral therapy, homeopathic remedies and/or herbal or homeopathic eardrops along with advice to remove highly allergenic foods such as wheat, corn, milk, and soy, from your son's diet might be the answer.

Other causes which could predispose the child to further ear infections could also include any second hand tobacco smoke in the home or at daycare and taking the bottle to bed with him.

Hope this gives you some other ideas besides the surgery.

C.

My son was at the Dr.s every month for antibiotics because of ear infections. He would be on the meds for the standard 10 days, then a week after finishing, he would get another infection...really it was the same infection, just never cleared up. He had trouble sleeping, every night around 2 am, he would be up for several hours. Sometimes the only way I could get him to sleep for any length of time was to hold him in the rocking chair (which was difficult because I was 7 months pregnant!) After several different antibiotics, the Dr. suggested tubes. Was the best thing we ever did for him! The procedure took less than 30 min. I think we were at the hospital for a total of an hour. Gave him tylenol for the first 2 days, after that he was fine. He was a little lethargic for the rest of the day after the procedure, probably due to the anesthsia. He went back to daycare the next day. He was quieter than normal and was a little stand-offish the first 2 days after, but we think that's because he heard all these new sounds and everything was louder than before. Also, his speech seemed to take off rapidly after the tubes were in. Things he was saying before, he was saying much clearer. When you think about it, pre-tubes, everything sounded like he was saying them underwater, which is how he heard everything.
I wouldn't worry about it too much, it's a very common procedure. I hope everything works out for your 3yo!

My son (now 10 1/2) had a stage of chronic ear infections, sore throats and sinus issues when he was around 5 or 6. We saw an ENT, an allergist, tried homeopathic remedies, vitamins, no dairy, humidifiers, de-humidifiers, you name it. But he was constantly getting ear infections and having to take antibiotics (which is when we found out he was allergic to penicillin!) Ironically, I had the same issue when I was little. I loathed giving him all those meds and finally insisted that we take more drastic measures. He had his adnoids removed, tubes inserted into his ears and his tonsils coblated (instead of removing them, they shrink them so that they CAN function, they just dont get infected). He was perfectly fine THAT SAME EVENING after the surgery and insisting that he get all of the ice cream we promised! Since then, and I am NOT kidding, he rarely gets sick. No strep, no sore throats, no colds, nothing. He is almost never absent from school. I am also diligent about hydration, good nutrition and nasal saline spray, so that helps too. But the tubes and the adnoids and tonsils were the BEST decision I ever made for him (so far)! And I am VERY conservative about surgical procedures. Hope that helps. Good luck!

My son is two and is getting them next month.

Hi E.,

My son had to get them when he was 8 yrs. old, he had been having ear infections for 12 months before my insurance at the time would let me see an ENT (Ear Nose & Throat Dr.) and I was getting very frustrated. Anyway, when he did get his tubes, the Dr. also removed his Adnoids (They are another set of tonsels behind the nasal cavity) because they were large and were causing 2 problems. 1) They were'nt allowing his ears to drain, therefore causing the ear infections, and 2) they were collapsing at night causing sleep apnea. My son used to sleep in his under cloting in the winter and still be sweating at night and I could'nt understand why, well it was because his adnoids were collapsing and his body was struggling to breath in his sleep, I realized this after surgery when he did'nt become hot and sweaty in his sleep ever again! That poor kid!

Also, his ENT did try to get me to have his tonsels (In his throat) removed, even asking one more time on the day of surgery, but I refused as he had never had a problem with them, and I feel that they are there for a purpose, to filter germs before they enter the body, for protection.

So, I think that getting tubes are a great thing. Had my son gotten them sooner, I don't think that he would've developed an allergy to 2 antibiotics because before they let us see an ENT, everytime my son had an ear infection, they kept giving him the same antibiotics! Stupidity! Also, not getting them and allowing more ear infections to happen will only make things worse and can cause damage to his ear drum impairing his ability to hear.

My son is now 19 yrs. old, and has'nt had that many ear infections. He did however have one recently and his new ENT had to lance his ear drum in the office, so as it could drain. I guess that some people are just more prone to getting them, and he may need to get them again. It does'nt matter what age you are, if you need tubes, you need them, that's what I have been told by 3 seperate ENT's.

P.S. He now takes allergy med's as per his new ENT's instruction, and that usually keeps ear infections away.

Best wishes with your little boy!

R. : )

Dear E.,

My son had terrible ear infections till about age 4+. We resisted the tubes till he started showing signs of hearing loss! Stopped spontaneous singing, and even piano practice suffered. After the tubes, there was tremendous improvement in his ability to play piano(now at age 13, just won a Trophy in the Ntl. Piano Festival). The singing was lost, though. Never picked it up again.

My advice is, earlier you fix this, the safer it is for your child.

K.

E.-

No personal experience yet (knock on wood), but my two younger brothers had them when we were all kids. I should note I am now 30 so I am sure that there have been some advances...

From what I recall, it was pretty simple and neither boy noticed them. We had a history in my family of really bad consecutive ear infections and my Mom finally opted for them for both boys - the youngest ones operation was preventative. It was done during the summer time and I think they had to wear ear plugs when swimming but other then that things seemed to go well. I remember Mom being a lot happier in the winter following the operation since there were less drs. visits. The older child had some damage from all the infections but hearing tests showed that this procedure seemed to help that too.

I am sure toher Moms can add more.

~C.

yes, my daughter got them at 2 and then again at 3 years old. the first pair fell after 6 months but during which she never had an ear infection.she's had the 2nd set since feb. and still great. one advice though, make sure your ENT is absolute best. the first one who put the tubes in was awful. when they fell out, one got stuck in her ear causing irritation and bleeding. i kept sending my child to him to tell me what was wrong and he kept saying IT'S NORMAL TO HAVE BLOOD IN EAR. after switching ents come to find out one of tubes was stuck in her ear canal and she had to be put to sleep to get it out.
bottom line, i don't regret having ear tubes put in (she had 8 ear infections in 6 months) but i regret not finding a great ENT or at least make sure the first one know what he was doing.
another advice: most ENTs don't recommend using ear plugs when your child goes swimming, bathtime etc. i do recommend using ear plugs. i have met so many moms who have said they didn't use ear plugs for their children and ended up having such bad fluid build up that the tubes were pushed out
good luck

I have nothing but positive things to say about ear tubes. My 2 youngest boys ( I have 3 boys) both have had them. My middle guy had 7 ear infections by 8 mos. ( I personally think it was one continuous one that never went away) so he got tubes at 10 months. I guess I don't have to tell you what a wreck I was about the whole thing, but it couldn't have gone any smoother. I think he actually probably felt relief once they were inserted!!! Then my youngest guy just had them put in in April when he was 10 mos.He only had had 1 double ear infection but he had fluid for 6 mos. I wasn't as nervous with him as I was the 1st time around because I knew they really were telling the truth about how quick of a recovery it was!! It truly has made a difference in both of their quality of lives. I have actually had fluid now for months and let me tell you it is PAINFUL!! So if that is the reason for dr. wanting your 3 year old to get them, just know that the pain he's in now is awful ( especially in comparison to the little to no pain he will feel after the procedure!!!) All we needed was tyelenol and the drops they gave us and they were fine. Playing the same day and everything!!!
GOOD LUCK-

Our oldest daughter had them when she was 17 months old & what a blessing! She had 13 ear infections (some double) in 9 months so our insurance company finally allowed it and the tubes didn't fall out until she was somewhere around 5 or maybe a little older. I think since then, she is now 10, she may have had one infection, but they are definitely worth it.

E.,

my daughter had ear infections every couple of weeks and we ended up getting her the tubes 3 months before she was a year old. they were the best thing we ever did for her. since then we only had 1 ear infection. before we decided on the tubes we had more than 1 oppinion. the tubes were in her years for about 2 years. i have herd many different scenarios about the tubes and children but when you see your doctor make sure you feel comfy with the whole procedure and everyone involved.

My son who is now 6 and hears perfectly and speaks well is the product of 2 sets of ear tubes. The first temporary set when he was 2 that fell out when he was three. He had ear infections constantly sometime double since he was 9 months old and they were getting worse and then he stopped babbling which really concerned me and the doctors. Plus the fact that he was on every anitbiotic for months at a time...we would finish the medicine and I would count the days til the next infection came.

The tubes were a god send. The first set were great - he didn't have an ear infection until they fell out and was off antibiotics for a full year. He was talking and hearing and it was great. When he was 3 we put the next set in that stayed in until he was 5...again maybe 2 ear infections but not as much pain as the last ones and still great hearing and speaking.

The second set was harder to come out of anethesia but we also had his adnoids taken out at the same time. Longer recovery at home 10 days until he felt better but then fine.

E.,

My 3 year old has tubes in her ears. She has had them since she was about 15 months. She didn't have a single ear infection her first 13 months, then when she weaned from nursing she got an infection that would not go away. After 6 weeks or more with no relief, the doc sent me to an ENT who said she needed tubes. I was shocked. I thought they were for babies/children who had chronic problems with ear infections, and here she had only had one. But I guess since they could not get rid of it they thought it was the only way. Long story short, she had them put in, they are still in...haven't fallen out as they say they should/will...and she hasn't had any ear infections since. So I guess they did the trick.

D.

Please, do your child a favor and find out what's causing the ear infections. Most likely a food that he's eating. Go to a Naturopath and they'll be able to solve the problem without invasive procedures such as ear tubes. A food sensitivity (not allergy!) can cause ear infections upon ear infections. If you take away the food that's causing them, you take away the ear infections and then NO TUBES.

Good luck,
J.

Here is my long experience with ear infections and it has recently been born out by pediatricians. My first child had ear infections and was constantly taking antibiotics. Finally she had a T&A, but still got infections. Then one time I was away and she got a bad earache. I took her to an ER and the elderly dr there said she was having 'antibiotic rebound'. She explained that the antibiotics inhibited the bodies natural antibodies and each time the earache got worse. She then told me to give my daughter tylenol and warm heating pad to sooth her. And when I shampooed her hair to make sure some got in her ear to clean out any excess wax. I tried it and she recovered. The next time she got one I did the same thing and it was her LAST earache.
I had 5 more children and several foster children after that and never gave any antibiotics for ear aches.
Since you have the computer I would research ear tubes before allowing it.