Has Anyone Had Tubes Place in Their Childs Ears?

Hi K.,

I had tubes placed in my daughter's ears at 13 months. T=She had a chronic ear infection for months. She wasn't cranky, but her hearing was muffled and I was tired of putting her on different antibiotics that never seemed to work. The tubes have been a dream. She has not been back fro an ear infection since! As a mom and speakeing for my friends with similar ear issues and tubes, I would highly recommmend them! I would talk to your ENT about the downfalls or risks associated with tubes, because to be quite honest I don't know of any.

Hope this helps!
M.

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Hi K.,
When my daughter was 2 1/2 she had tubes put in and her adnoids taken out in the same surgery. It didn;t last long and it was fairly simple. My daughter had either an infection or fluid in her ears from the time she was 6 weeks old. unfortunatly her left ear drum never healed corectly and she has a very large hole in her ear drum. when she was 8 she had surgery to repair the hole, but that didnlt take. she is now 11 yrs. she still has the hole, but it doesn;t bother her. she had speach therapy for 2 yrs (age 3-5) and she is now a normal 11 yr old. no speach problems, her hearing is a little effected but she compensates well. I didn't know that tumes don't always work, but I would still recomend the surgery if your doc thinks it is nessesary. My daughter had her tube surgery at temple university childrens hospital and CHOP to repair the ear drum.
good luck!
Jenn S

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Get the tubes!!! Best thing I ever did for my daughter. Don't even second guess it. They do have to put them under anthestia which is a bit distressing after they come out of it, but the whole procedure took about 5 mins. YOu can't believe how fast they can do it.

If your 3 yr-old is having a hard time hearing, it will no doubt affect her speech. Having tubes put is a minimally evasive surgery that will correct this problem.

I promise, if you do it, you won't regret it.

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My son had tubes put in last year after more than 6 months of constant ear infections and it helped dramatically. I have a brother who they had to put several sets in, but it also helped him. I pushed for them because I noticed changes in my son's speech and he went from clearly saying some words to not being able to annunciate them. As soon as the tubes went in, he began learning new words very quickly and was able to closely repeat what I said to him.

Not only can the damage affect the eardrum if left untreated sometimes, but also as you have noticed, it can affect their speech.

The "surgery" took less than 10 minutes and he was in and out into recovery in less than 45. Depending on how they come out of anesthesia, you do have to wait a bit, but it was so worth it.

Good luck and hope things get better:)

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My son was diagnosed with ADHD December 2006 and had tubes put in his ears this past December, along with adenoid and tonsil removal. Anyway, because we were trying to diagnose the ADHD he had extensive testing done in 2006. He had an audiology test done with Childrens' Hospital in Pittsburgh. It is WAY more complicated than the one they do in the ENT office that takes a few minutes. They put him in sound proof rooms and it took a good hour to get all the testing done. The results did show temporary fluctuating hearing loss due to the fluids he always had in his ears, just like your daughter. If you think your daughter may have some sort of speech impairment I think you should ask your Ped if you can have one of those done before you decide to have the tubes done.

On another note, the tubes are really a routine thing. If she does have fluid, they should correct the problem. I don't think we can really guess how our children react to having weird sounds in their ears. Gavin used to say that his would pop, that it would close up, that it sounded like he had water in it. It was driving him crazy so I pushed for the tubes.

Good luck! I hope she is better soon!

R. (Mommy to 4 monsters)

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Hello K.,

My name is A. I am in Erie,Pa right now but in 2 weeks I will be moving to Pittsburgh, none of my kids had to have tubes in there ears, But 2 of my nieces have and it has helped them tremedously.

If the ENT suggest it , I would give it a try, because with everything that is going on , there may be scar tissue that needs to be taken care of and the procedure is same day. And they act normal

I wish you the best of luck and my prayers are with you and your family

A.

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My son had tubes inserted when he was 5. He had had one painful ear infection after another, lots of antibiotics, and hearing loss. His ped was telling me that tubes were not necessary, but on a routine dentist's visit, our dentist, who is also a family member, said that my son's adenoids were enlarged. Knowing the whole story, he told me to just bypass the ped and go straight to an ENT doc. Since I don't need referrals for specialists, that's exactly what I did. I took my son to CHoP, and he ended up having his adenoids removed and tubes inserted. The ENT doc said that the adenoids were the largest he'd ever seen and very inflamed. Our dentist, who spotted the adenoid problem immediately, could not believe that this very popular doc in Abington missed this problem.
So, with the adenoids out and the tubes inserted, my son never had another problem, not even one ear infection. That all happened when he was 5, and he's 20 years old now. It was an easy procedure. We chose to have it done at CHoP because he was having general anesthesia. I wanted his anesthesia to be administered by people who ONLY deal with kids. It was not stressful at all, and even the time in the preop waiting room was fun since it was child-oriented. There were games to play, and a lady who was singing songs with the kids. It was really very nice. I had outpatient surgery about 2 years ago, and sitting in the waiting area at our local suburban hospital, I was very distressed to see so many small children waiting for tubes to be done -- they were crying and upset when they went back to surgery. This is why I love children's hospitals. Everything is geared to the kids. Children's hospitals aren't just for very sick children. Even "simple" things are less stressful there.

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Hi K.,
My son, Noah, who is now 18 had really bad problems with his ears and his throat like you were saying your daughter is having when he was 4 to 5 ish... when they put the tubes in he was so much better... it was like a miracle.. the speech problem you mentioned is because she can't hear good and will clear up with a little time after the tubes are in place. Just remember to take care when bathing and washing her hair.. and they come out by themselves but sometimes in a year or so need to be put back in...

Good Luck and God Bless you,
S.

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When my daughter (just turned 4) was an infant, she received testing before we even left the hospital that determined she was flatlining her hearing, possibily due to fluid in her ears. After several tests at both the local hospital and the specialists at Children's hospital, it was determined that we put tubes in her ears. When they did the surgery, fluid leaked out and after that, her hearing was fine. She doesn't have any sign of a speech impediment. Since then, both tubes have come out & she's been just fine. The tubes never bothered her & we just had to make sure not to get water in her ears (of if water did get in, to use the prescribed drops to dry out the water).

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my grandson has tubes in both of his ears. he has had them since he was a baby. he is now 10 yrs. old, and during real good. he dosen't have ears problems anymore.

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Hi K.,

My now 5 yr old use to get ear infections at lot. The pediatrician said the next step was to think about putting tubes in her ears. My mom suggested giving her probiotics, the good bacteria normally found in your body, and I tried it. Her ear infections cleared up as well as her eczema! You might want to try that before the tubes and see what happens. You can find them at any health food store. Whatever you decide I hope things clear up quickly.

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My reccommendation is this go and find a pediatric chiropractor that is well versed in Cranial Sacral Massage therapy, it's a head massage technique that will help the ears to drain the fluid. These ear infections can also be attributed to teething. Depending upon the age of your child.
http://www.icapediatrics.com/ or http://www.icpa4kids.org/
Remember that the CSM is very good technique used and will definitely help in a few visits to stimulate drainage
V.

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My granddaughter had the same problem that just went on and on. Finally I got my daughter-in-law to take her to and ENT doctor. He suggested tubes. One week later she had them put in. A very simple procedure, he even put them in while she had an ear infection, since we couldn't get rid of the infection. Problem solved, she has not had an ear infection since. 4 years later, no regrets. Do it now before she has permanent damage.

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My oldest son almost had to have tubes in his ears for constant infections. but when he was in preschool I switched from my pediatrition to a differant one and he was referred to an allergist an then diagnosed with cronic allergies. My first pediatrition said he was to young to be diagnosed but the allergist I take him to tests as young as infants. His problems cleared up after his diagnosis. I don't know if you have already had this done but I would try it before having tubes put in just in case. Good luck in whatever you do.

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My daughter had a similar problem, has constant ear infections and constant fluid in her years for the first year of her life. When she was 15 months old we had tubes put in her ears and it was a quick procedure, took about all of 10 minutes from the time we left her to the time they came and got me (grant it I was a mess). Since then she had only one slight ear infection, no fluid, and her speech is doing great! her speech was starting to get affected by it.

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Hi K.,

Not to worry! Tubes in the ears are a simple procedure and they help tremendoudly! My youngest had multiple ear infections before he was 1 yr. old and he had tubes at 11 months. It made a profound difference and he's only had 1 ear infection since the tubes - he's now four. We were in and out of the hospital in hours and he wasn't even cranky after the surgery.

I wouldn't hesitate to have this surgery if I were you, especially since it is having an affect on hearing and speech.

Best of Luck!

M. D.

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K.,
My daughter had tubes put in her ears at 1 year old. It was the best thing we could have done for her. Prior to that she was on an antibiotic at least every 3 months for an ear infection. Since then, Anna is 3 now, we have had no problems with her ears and no antibiotics. Anna did have her adnoids and tonsils out at almost 3 years old, but doctors said this was not related. Please go ahead and do the tubes you will be happy you did. Good Luck!
G.

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Hi K.,

My daughter had tubes placed in her ears when she was 13months old. She kept getting repeated ear infections and I was growing more and more concerned about her hearing. The doctors kept telling me it would help her. She also wasn't walking yet and I thought maybe her equilibrium was also off. I took her in and it was a very simple procedure. They did use anesthesia but, it only took about 10minutes! Two hours later she started walking! She is now 4 1/2 years old and, knock on wood, has not had one ear infection since! Her hearing is also great. I hope this helps. I know it's scary when it's your own child but, my experience turned out wonderful.

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K.....My oldest Daughter, who is now 10, has had many ear problems since she was 1. She had about 7 surgies for ear tubes. It seemed like.."God is it ever gonna get better!" She has had issues as well with the fluid in her ears. There was a point that she had so much pressure in her ears, her ear drum was collapsing. There were times that she couldn't hear at all...First I thought it was selective hearing and then hmmmm! I was really stressed out!! Finally after her finale set about 3 years ago, She hasn't complained of ears hurting. She is a perfect 10 year old (other than being mouthy!!)I was taking her to the doctor just about every other week (I basically was living at my Pediatrican's office) and then to the ENT at Childrens Hosp in Philly. My 2nd daughter and my son, only had 1 set of tubes put in. I basically visit CHOP about 3 times a year....It was a long road ..but for you, yes, tubes will make a difference. Believe me...my 3 are okay now.....

Thanks!
N. P

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Wow K., sounds like you're talking about my son! He is 10 now, but when he was 3 or 4, he had tubes put in for the same reason...fluid behind his eardrum, and his speech was affected (muffled sound). He couldn't make the 's' or 'z' sounds at all (came through his nose) and had trouble with 'j' 'g' 'sh' and 'ch' as well. The doc explained that because he had the fluid in his ears, he was 'hearing' us talk as if he were under water (try it - plug your ears and say the 's' sound). It was an eye-opener! He did very well with the tubes, no problems at all. He did end up needed speech therapy to correct the 's' sound, but he's perfect now!! I would recommend going for the tubes before she learns bad speech habits from the way she is hearing everyone else talk.

Email me if you want more information!

Good luck...
A.

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At about 14 months my son hd tubes placed in his ear. They work wonders!!! We had so much trouble with his ears prior to this that he was on a maintenence dose of antibiotics and zyrtec to keep the fliud down and infection away before the surgery. The surgery was simple and quick. He was retested for hearing after the surgery and there was no damamge to his hearing and he is fine. He is 2 1/2 now and his speech seems to be okay. The fluid will not leave your child's ear until they drain it and that is through the surgery. Babies are not biologically made to get rid of the fliud easily. That is what the tubes are for. I would recommend it. I went through Dr. Shaw at Children's Hospital. I think he left there, but I am sure there are other doctors just as qualified.

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My son had tubes put in his ears for chronic ear infections. I think he was around 2 1/2 when we had it done. He also had his adnoids removed at the same time. The surgery took 20 minutes and the worst of it was when he woke up from the anesthesia. He was just very angry and out of it.
He also had fluid in his ears without infection constantly and his hearing was being impaired. Once the tubes were in the fluid was gone, no more ear infections, he immediately stopped snoring ( because adnoids came out ) and his hearing was fine.
It took about a year for the tubes to fall out on their own. Marcus had no idea they were in there or that they fell out. Since they've been out he's had a few more ear infections but not like before. If the infections started up again I wouldn't hesitate to get him tubes again.
When I was his age I had to have tubes twice due to continuous ear infections. We went to a Dr. Chuma in Chester County PA if that's where you are.
Good luck!
K.

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K. I have had tubes put in both my ears and my daughter. I am a big beilever in them I personally have had them three times first at 10 then 17 then at 29. I have hearing impairment due to chronic ear infections that are caused be the fluid that stays in the ear. Due to my hearing difficulty you could only imagine that I was all over my ped when she got more then one infection. They keep telling me that she didn't need to see an ear dr but I finally said they had to give me a referal or something in writting stating they would be held accountable for any hearing loss she had. At the first visit to the ent (who was my ent) he said she needed tubes. That was 1 1/2at that time. The tubes do come out on their own after the ear feel they aren't need. She had them replaced at 3 1/2 and again at 5 1/2and also had her adniods out with the last set. My ent recomened it when more then one set has to be placed. Some how they are also occasionally linked with the fluid. The fluid can also be a hertiary thing. My ent said it had to due with the shape of our tempral bone as to why the fluid was unable to drain right. It sound like alot of surgery for a little one but so far there is only slight hearing loss if there is fluid present , once the fluid is gone her hearing is prefect and i hope to keep it that way.

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My son Michael had tubes placed in his ear for the exact some reason. He had surgery (first) to remove his toncils and adenoinds due to MAJOR inflamation. The doc perferated his ear drums to see if that would allow the fluid to escape. It drained them for a short amount of time, but the fluid refilled. He was then scheduled to have the tubes put in. I can say that he feels much better now that they are in . He can hear so much better and while it didn't help him "listen", lol! It has helped him be able to hear in the normal spectrum and to respond to all stimulis as you adn I would. His one tube is starting to work itself out adn will be going back in abt. 3 1/2 months for a another check up. I am expecting to have tubes placed again. My other piece of advice is to gert the "Docs Plugs". I paid $10 a pair and they are awesoem!! I got them at my Docs office in Lancaster ( My children do not go to Lebanon docs due to having moved to the area after having established great report with docs in Leancaster county ). He was measured by an audiaudologist for the size and they twist in his ear to prevent any fluid getting in. He wears then to shower and swim. I have purchased over 10 pairs to have at different relatives houses so when he stays over or comes to play (with the hose or water balloons) he has ear protection available. They cost much less then custom plugs, (over $100) per pair. Sory to get a bit off topic with the Docs Plugs, bu they really do make having tubes so much easier. Plus if you are flying anywhere your child won't be bothered by ear pressure at all! I hope that you get a good pediatric ENT to see her. I like Dr. Richard Belzer in Lancaster county. He is on The Oregon Pike.

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You may want to try garlic mullein ear drops if you haven't already.
That has worked wonders here where standard allopathic meds didn't. Also Tahitian Noni Juice, the real stuff. lol I was really sick a few years ago, trying to get over pneumonia, and could almost get there. But, someone gave me noni juice and within hours, literally, it was all gone. This is after weeks of antibiotics and a host of other things.

Good luck!!!

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I had tubes in my ears when I was 5 years old (am about to turn 35 now). It was a pretty simple procedure even then, although I did have general anasthesia--I don't know what it would be like now. What I vividly remember is coming home from the hospital and going to turn on the radio. It was so loud! I had been turning it up really high because I just couldn't hear as well. As soon as the tubes went in and the fluid was drained I could hear much better. I did a little bit of speach therapy in kindergarten, but by getting tubes early I didn't need much of that. Haven't had any ear or hearing issues since.

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Dear K.,
My second daughter was under the age of 2. She had chronic ear infections for 6 months. My pediatrician recommend tubes. I was referred to an ear,nose&throat specialist. She had tubes placed and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. She was losing her hearing. she never had another ear infection. Valerie is now 23.

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Hi K.,
Shortly after my son turned 1 and I started giving him milk (cow's milk) he developed a runny nose and cough, resulting in fluid in his ears and ear infections. After 4 months of on-again-off-again antibiotics, we decided to see an ENT for tubes. Shortly before that appointment I read on the the internet that fluid in the ears is sometimes a milk allergy. I discussed it with my pediatrician and the ENT and we decided there would be no harm in switching him to Soy milk and waiting a bit longer before trying tubes. The soy milk did clear the runny nose and reduced the fluid in his ears. Because there was still some fluid and it was the middle of winter, we decided that any little cold would result in an ear infection and that tubes would be the best option. The tubes surgery (we did it at a Philadelphia Children's Hopsital Annex in Chalfont, PA) was REALLY easy. He was only out of our site for 11 minutes. He did have anesthesia - and it will be harder for your 3 year old to deal with the anasthesia hangover than our 18 month old (speaking from experience - but that's another stoty.) But the hangover goes away in a few hours. My son has not had an ear infection or been on an antibiotic in over a year - since the tubes. Shorty after he turned 2, I was able to switch him back to cow's milk without a runny nose resulting. I had tried a few time which resulted in a runny nose within 24 hours, but the doctor thought his case of this kind of milk allergy was mild and that he'd grow out of it - and he was right. You can see a lot about this on the internet. You could try removing cow's milk from her diet first if you want a non-surgical option, but I would consider the tubes as a great option if that doesn't work.

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Hi K.,
I highly recommend tubes. My son would get an ear infection, be treated, go back for a check-up, and have another ear infection. After roughly a year of this, his ped finally suggested an ENT for tubes. Needless to say, the ENT dr. said he would definitely need the tubes and if we do it now that his hearing shouldn't be disturbed, but right now the way he hears is like having our fingers in our ears. So he got the tubes when he was 18 months old and he is now 27 months and hasn't had an ear infection since. It was a very simple procedure, he was literally in and out w/in 15 minutes. The only obstacle we had to get over was that he was sensitive to loud noises for a few weeks b/c he wasn't use to being able to hear clearly. I hope this helps you and good luck....

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My grandson had tubes put in his ears for the same problem. the fluid would build up and he had 2 ear drum eruption. When he had a hearing test he had very little hearing, but after his tubes he had no more ear infection, he also develop a speech problem , which can be corrected, but that was the best thing my daughter did was have the tubes put in. I didn't know when their eardrum erupts that they lose their hearing for a least 2 weeks.

K. Mcc

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Hello K.,

Yes, my son had many ear infections month after month and too many antiboditics. I was tired of the medicines, so I took it upon myself to schedule an appointment with the ENT Dr. The ended up taking out his adnoids and putting tubes in his ears. He has not had one ear infection since. My son was 5 yrs old and it has been 1 yr since the sugery. He is much healthier now. Please let me know if I can give you any other info. Good Luck! Have a blessed week!
A.

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hi,
My son is four and he has had tubes in since he was 2. The first set lasted a year and then the infections came back and he had another set in almost a year ago which are still in. Before the tubes he had a 10% hearing loss now he has no hearing problems. The tubes have helped and it is pretty simple operation.

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Hi K. - I am not as update with what the new standards are with tube placement (my kids are 22 and 19), however, if I can just share... My daughter is now 22, she is an April baby. From the time she was 1 she started with ear infections, sometimes we would go for a well baby check up and she would have fluid and had not even been fussing. After numerous ear infections and many courses of many antibiotics, it was highly recommended to us that tubes be put in her ears. Because of my concerns about the anesthesia I said no and continued to say no whenever the doctor brought up the subject. I have a neice who is 2 months older than my daughter. One day I called her house and she answered as clear as could be, said hello and held a brief chat with me. However, whenever anyone talked to my daughter they would look to me and ask what she said. I suddenly realized that although I understood her, no one else could. I immediately scheduled a visit back to the ENT and was told that at that time she was experiencing the equivalent of a 20% hearing loss due to the fluid! She had tubes place twice. I will never forget - and it has been 20 years since this happened - after the first set of tubes were placed we were out in the yard and she looked at me and said listen - when I asked what she said "to those birds". I was shocked - she had never heard them before. She spent 6 years in speech therapy at her elemenentary skills to work on her speech as her sound developement was impaired by her hearing loss. She did regain full hearing and today you would never know that she had a problem. My advice to you would be find an ENT that you totally 100% trust and have full confidence in, gather all of the information, and go from there. k:)

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hi there,
My 19 month old is having tubes put in her ears today! She has had an ear infection every month since October and because of that her speech went backward. We saw a CHOP ENT and he said she would probably keep getting ear infections so we should just do it. Another mom who had had infections as a child said we should try soy instead of milk as milk can create mucus in the ear, nose and throat, but my ENT said it probably wouldn't work and she was bad enough that she really needed tubes. I would be happy to let you know how it goes. Good luck with your daughter!

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My son who is 21 now had tubes put in his ears twice. Once when he was 4 and again when he was 5. He never had infections just the fluid. Because of this we did not realize he had fluid in his ears and it caused speech issues. The fluid made all the sounds he heard muffled. Get the tubes and try to head of speech issues before they become a big issue. He had speech therapy from preschool til about 3 rd grade because the fluid did not turn into an infection so we did not notice until his speech was horrrible.

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Hi K.

My nephew had tubes put in his ears before he was a year old because he constantly had fluid in his ears or infections. He had his surgery at CHOP and did really, really well. He went from almost constant ear issues to very rarely having any trouble at all with his ears.

I have heard other people recommend pediatric chiropractics, you might want to investigate that before surgery. While I've never taken my children to a chiropracter, I have used one for back issues and sinus issues and love the results.

Good luck to you!

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Hi K.,

I can tell you first hand that tubes worked great for me. I had multiple ear infections when I was little. My speech was so damaged from it that the only person who could understand me was my brother. Finally when I was around 7 years old they decided to put tubes in. I have not had an ear infection yet alone a bad earache since that day and it is now over 30 years later. I had speech classes for many years through the school and you could not tell to this day that anything was ever wrong. I would say to definitely go for it.

L.

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Hi, My youngest daughter had tubes in her ears at 13 months. We never had a problem with the ears again. After the tubes, she became a little chatter box. She turned 3 last month, the tubes were out of the drum, but in the canal, and the ENT removed them with her tonsillectomy. My girlfriends 2 year old said very little, i was worried, after her tubes were inserted it was like she was a different child. I think she actually couldn't hear us. The hardest part for me, was trying to get her to wear her ear plugs when swimming. Hope this helps.

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