Seeking Info on Care of Recurring Ear Infections

I have experience in healthcare. Two words. Antibiotic resistance. Choosing this route will ensure that your child will never be able to use that particular antibiotic for any other infection ever. It is done for certain conditions, such as children with certain respiratory or cardiac conditions to take a constant low dose of antibiotics, but even then, it still isn't terribly common. I would recommend finding and visiting an ENT. Find your own! Anyone your doc recommends may just be of the same opinion and that may be why he would send you there. YOu may have to call and request a referral from your doc. If your request is denied, I would take it as a sign that you shouldn't trust that doc. I have seen a lot of success with tubes in the ears, I have also seen a lot of success with chiropractic treatments (my children's doc took his own daughter that route to avoid tubes). Either way, you need another opinion, by someone not associated with your doctor. I don't know how much yogart he eats, but that may help with some of the digestive/diaper rash issues. Good luck!

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talk to your doctor about tubes cause my daughter was always having ear infections and with the tubes she hasnt had any infections

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I would recommend taking your child to an ENT. If in KC, the ENT clinic at Children's Mercy is good, but you may have a long wait for an appt, so if you want to get in there, call ASAP. My daughter (now 5) had 5 ear infections between 6-12 mos of age and got tubes at 14 months. After that, she did not have any ear infections until last year.

My son is now a year and had his first ear infection at 8 mos of age. He started seeing an ENT for a seperate issue but in November when he was 10mos old, he passed a hearing test and his ears looked good. The ENT told me at that time that once my son had 3 more infections, she would put tubes in (based on family history) so I've just been waiting.. I took him back last week for a follow up for the seperate issue and he now has fluid in both ears and failed the hearing test (just 3 months later). I have taken him to the dr on at least 2 occassions thinking he had an infection based on symptoms, but never proved to be true and he has been seen by several other drs for various reasons who checked his ears during part of the exam and never noticed anything of concern. Anyway, he's now scheduled for tubes in April (the earliest it could be scheduled). My son has a 6 month speech delay, which may be attributed to other things going on, but I'm sure the hearing loss is not helping.

Anyway, if nothing else, I think your child needs to have a hearing test to make sure he's hearing OK. Your child is at a critical age for language development and if he has fluid in his ears that may be causing the re-occuring ear infections, that may hinder his ability to hear accurately (I've been told it's like trying to hear under water). You can mention that as a concern when setting up your appointment and see if that "bumps" you up in getting an appt. It may also help validify your reasons for taking him to an ENT. If you are in the KC area, I was just given the name of a highly recommended ENT.. since we have already established a relationship w/ one at Children's Mercy, I'm not able to use it, but would be happy to pass the name along if interested. I was told he is much easier/quicker to get an appt with and understands urgencies...

Good luck!

Totally time for tubes! Especially if his ear drum is rupturing... My daughter went through the same thing - ear infection after ear infection. I finally had had ENOUGH after her last ear infection caused her ear drum to rupture. She FINALLY got tubes put in and has been an totally new little girl. Too many ear infections AND the rupturing of your ear drum can cause permanent hearing lose - I know, it happend to me. Get the tubes!!! Good luck!

Please dont feel bad about getting a second opinion. My friends daughter finally got tubes and all is well. No antibotics where helping this poor baby. It is really worth it.

This may sound crazy, but I took my son to a chiropractor and that help him with ear infections We have not had any problems since going & I have been able to keep him off the antibiotics. I was a little nervous at first, but am glad I tried it. Good luck!

There is a formula when discussing recurring ear infections and it sounds like you might need to start looking into PE tubes?! My son, who is now 3 years old, has already had 2 sets of PE tubes and actually has a double-ear infection now that he is taking antibiotics for. He will return to the doctor next week to verify if the PE tubes are still in place or not. If they have fallen out, I will suggest another set of PE tubes. My son feels so much better and is well when he has those tubes. I understand that some people may not like the idea of surgery for their little one, but I am a big advocate for it as it will help the kiddos hear those surrounding sounds and noises that are necessary to hear, when they are still learning words, etc.
We go to Dr. Metz at Olathe Medical Center and he and his staff have been wonderful!
Best of luck to you!

Try a chiropractor, a little adjustment could prevent him from getting future ear infections and tubes.

Good luck!

I agree with Cassie, find the ENT on your own and get another opinion, now!

I am a mom of an 18 year old who was a chronic ear infection kid AND an RN. We too had a doc I liked and kept telling us that we didn't need to see an ENT. I finally found one on my own and HER opinion was that we should have been in there months before! Our son unfortunately had to have 3 sets of tubes because when he had an ear infection his fluid was so thick it would clog the inside of the tube and not be detected until either 1) he had another ear infection and/or 2) they did a tympanogram and found that sound waves were not going through.

I also found another doc who had a subspecialty in allergies and once we realized we were also dealing with allergy issues that made a difference as well.

If I could also suggest checking into milk/dairy allergies. That is the only thing that we had to figure out on our own, WAY too late. Now many years later, I look back and realize there was much more I could have controlled but just didn't know at the time.

Good Luck and in good health,

L. K

Get a second opinion about anything that you feel strongly about. Your the mom,trust yourself.

Our daughter had tubes and she did get some infections but the infection drained out the tube and she didn't have the pressure buildup that causes the pain. We took her to the ER thinking something was wrong one night. The dr. checked her ear, put pressure on the tube and all the infection came out. She felt immediate relief. So, even if they get infected, it's still better, in my opinion.

My daughtere had tubes and still recurring ear infections. After 8 mos, we took her off of milk entirely, and voila! the ear infections were gone. Our very good ped didn't even think it would make a difference, but it was like night and day. In 3 mos, you could even try ear candles from the health food store, but it would entail having several helpers to get him to lay on the table and be still. That took the problem away the night before we went to see the ENT with my son.

I would take the baby to the ENT. My adopted brother got tubes and it helped him. If it helped your family, then it will help your child.

Now, if it is an allergy, then you need to find that out first. If there is anything the baby has very often, take it out of his diet and see if it helps. I read an article that milk allergy can cause ear infections, but I guess it isn't a common reason, as my dr had never heard of it, like I said.

There is nothing better then a good doctor...so, he/she should not have a problem with refering you to a ENT to atleast discuss this issue. I had similar issues when I was younger (granted, I am 30 now) but I can tell you there is nothing worse then a ruptured eardrum. And I have had them as an adult too. I broke both pf my eardrums when I was about four. I lost 75% of my hearing and I now have good hearing because of my tubes. I also tried the same antibiotic therapy and all it did was make me ammune to penacyline (sorry for the spelling probs)which is what they used mainly at the time. My mom knew the ENT very well, I think I could still tell you her name. I know this isn't a solution but just a little info. Good luck

It cannot be said enough... See a good chiropractor before developing a chronic habit of medications with adverse side effects or irreversable surgical proceedures. That should always be the last alternative.

Be reasonable. If you try the chiropractic methods and they don't work, no real damage is done. You can go back to the medical alternatives. Why not try the method that is most commonly effective and the least risky first?

I have known many, many parents who switched to chiropractic to treat their children's ear infections. The satisfaction rate is 100%.

Get the tubes! My son had 4-6 ear infections between late August and early December. It got to the point that the antibiotics wouldn't work, so several days after he ran out the symptoms were up again. He had tubes in early December at the age of 8 months. They are a lifesaver! Go to Northland Ear Nose and Throat located in the Doctor's Building in Liberty. I'm sure they will put the tubes in!

My daughter, now 25, had chronic ear infections as a child, our doctor recommended a daily dose of Gantrisin, it's a sulfa type medicine. We had her tested for allergies and found that she had 'winter' allergies so she took the medicine from labor day to memorial day for a few years starting about the time she was 3, she was so much better, hardly any sickness during this time and no problems later. I was so glad to not have to deal with the tube thing, we love to swim. Anyway, another point of view.
Another thing asking for a second opinion is not telling your doctor that he doesn't know what he's doing, you're giving him a learning experience by giving him another perspective.

Get an appt with Dr. Julie Wei at Children's Mercy Hosp. She is one of the best pediatric ENTs in KC. All she does is children's ear problems. If anyone could advise you, it would be her.

I agree with the other moms that said try going off of dairy...lots of kids with recurrent ear infections are allergic to milk. I know someone whose kid had ear infections even after tubes, had to have tubes reinserted and adenoids out. Try Rice milk or soy milk.

Hello,
My daughter had terrible problems with recurring ear infections and we tried everything including going to a chiropractor for alternative treatments. We really didn't want tubes but we were like you tired of daughter being sick and in pain. Finally, we called an ENT ourselves that came highly recommended. Tha name of the specialist is Dr. Clary. His phone # is ###-###-####. He is in the St. Johns doctor building. We were very pleased with him and the surgery went very well. So if you decide to go this route that may help. Good luck!
D.

I read through most of the responses. I agree with seeing an ENT. Just make sure that your insuance does not require that you have a referal to an ENT first. If so then find another dr. on your plan so that you can get a second oppion then talk to that Dr. about a referal. ENT's or any special dr. can be expensive so just be sure of what your insurance will and will not cover. I have seen the bills from several other specal drs for my daughter and was greatful for my insurance on the two different ENTs. Her ped. wanted to have her tonsils taken out just because they are large. However both the ENTs that we saw said no there is nothing wrong with them other than the fact that they are big and she should grow into them by the time she is 6. This all happened when she was 4 almost 5 years old. She is 5 now. Her throat has never been a problem neither has her breathing.
I would get a second oppion if I was you either an ENT or another Dr.

Chiropractic has been very successful preventing * treating ear infections.

S.

My son got tubes in his ears when he was 10mos old and hasn't had an ear infection since. (He is now almost 2) He had a never ending ear infection for 3 months and antibiotics were not working. You should see an ENT and maybe consider a new general doctor if you are not happy.

I'm sorry to hear that your son is not feeling well. I am not a health care provider and I really can't tell you which treatment i think will work best for your son. I don't know how the dr appt went, but before you commit to either treatment, make sure your dr is aware of the symptoms your son has while on antibiotics. As if the antibiotic he is suggesting has a history of similar symptoms and if he really thinks that is a better option than the tubes. I would also ask about the chances of your son developing resistance to antibiotics if he is on them for so long. You mentioned that you had tubes, but I would ask what life would be like with the tubes? Now would be a great time for parent child swimming for example. Would tubes interfere with beach activities this summer?

Then you need to ask yourself if you would like to try the antibiotics for awhile. Would you prefer them if he did not have any symptoms? Just because you start that therapy, doesn't mean if it doesn't work for him, you can't go back and get the tubes.

Hopefully, some other mom will suggest something else you can try. I am not recommending it at ALL, but I have heard about using hydrogen peroxide for toe fungus, maybe there is something similar to try for ear infections. There may be a third, fourth, fifth option to consider in addition to antibiotics vs tubes.

Most importantly, you have to remember that you are your children's advocate. Don't let others decide what's best for your children. Take advice, knowledge, recommendations, etc, but you be the decision maker, you know your child and family best.

GOOD LUCK!

My daughter had constant ear infections until she was 1 and we put tubes in her ears. Now she's 2 and hasnt had any ear problems since. If you havent taken him to an ear specialist yet, you should.

Before you do anything else, I would check into food sensitivites/allergies!! My oldest son had reoccurring ear infections. We refused antibiotics and did our own research. I discovered dairy is a main problem that leads to ear infections! I took him off dairy for 1 year. 5 years later, still no ear infections. We didn't have to do the tubes or other antibiotics. Sometimes doctors forget the little stuff like food allergies.

This is what happened in our case. It is worth the time and effort to look into it. It may even be another type of food causing the problem. Checking into food allergies is simple, costs less that surgery/medications, and can be more successful. Please keep this as an option!

By the way, our son enjoys daisry products now with no problem. YEAH!!

Best Wishes to you!

J. H.

I would definitely see an ENT. If you live in St. Charles/St. Peters area I could give you the name of one. She is great, especially with kids. She put my sons tubes in, I think she was done in 5 minutes. He was a little goofy initially from the gas, but like someone else said, after their nap, he was fine. I, too an RN, and the long terms effects of being on antibiotic and resistance later is correct. ENT is definitely the specialist for this, and not the pediatrician. Hope he feels better soon!

I haven't read the other responses, but I have only one word - CHIROPRACTOR...
I went through the same thing with my son. He was on antibiotics for almost 9 months straight because his system had become dependent on them. (AS soon as we finished a bottle it wouldn't even be a week & he was sick with a 104-105 fever - he always ran EXTREMELY high temps)
The chiropractor not only took care of his ear infections, she also helped me boost his immune system naturally, & taught me massage techniques to brign his fever down. My son was only a year old, also, he did just fine. He hardly ever saw his regular physician after that. Good luck!

D.,
I know exactly what you are going through. I had 2 sons
with this problem. And the youngest one had 2 bursted ear drums. Listening to his pain day after day was really hard.
We did opt to do the tubes. The oldest one of mine had them
5 times and the youngest 7 times. But eventually it got better. I know it is hard to put your little ones through this kind of thing. But at least they do not hurt anymore. They may have perfected the tubes surgery since mine had them and maybe he will not have to have so many like mine.
My sons to this day have extra wax in their ears. But they know how to take care of them now. Hang in there and make sure you trust your doctors and ask as many questions as you want. This is your child and you have the right to know everything going on with him/her.
My best to you and your son. K.

My toddler son had an ear infection. The pediatrician prescibed an antibiotic. It didnot work so a stronger antibiotic was prescibed that caused him a urinary tract infection! After multiple and costly visits to the pediatrician and pharmacy with worse illness I got this fabulous book and following what it redd under 'Ear Infection'.He has never had an ear infection ever again! That book is 'Perscriptions For Nutritional Healing' by Phylliss A. Balsh and James Balsh.

Also:
Election Night Humor-4 minutes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pqFVqlMX2o
Enjoy!

I know how it is. My daughter is 2 years old. She was always running a fever of 100 or above and for 3 whole months she had ear infections. The doctor put her on 3 or 4 different antibotics and we finalky had tubes put in her ears on October 30th. She has had no problems whatso ever since the tube were put in. I would really think about since he is always crying alot and pulling at his ears. The doctor said that they fall out between 9-18 months when the ears are better. And he will get better and feel better.

Hi Sue, If I were you I'd take your little guy to an ENT and have him checked out. My daughter had ear infections like you son, we had tubes put in her ears and it cut the problem down to almost nothing. As our doctor said, they won't prevent all the infections but it will cut them down and help the ones they get clear up better. The procedure was so easy with my daughter, it was 1/2 a day and after her afternoon nap she was pretty much back to normal. Go with your gut and do what you think is right. A second opinion isn't going to hurt anything thing. Good luck!

Oh boy do i know how you feel! I have an 18 month old who had the same problem- by the time she was 14 months old she had had about 7 ear infections- by the time we cleared one up- she instantly got another one! And it can be extremely frustrating- not to mention- who wants to keep putting their child on meds all the time! I now i didn't. Anyways - after an allergic reaction to one antibiotic and then after a few- she was not responding as well to some of them because she had had them so many times- because several of her ear infections- didn't go away with the 1st antibiotic we tried-so we had to do two in a row to get it to completely go away. Anyways- my pediatrician kept telling me over and over- if she gets one more- we will discuss tubes but he kept putting it off so finally i got so frustrated with paying for office visits and meds that i went and got another opinion form a different pediatrician who told me before i even asked that we should see an ENT to get evalutated. I also had tubes as a child for my chronic ear infections. Anyways- long story short- in December she had tubes put in by Dr. Dlabel and we have not had one ear infection since. Surprising with the colds she has had and also because we haven't gone over a month without an ear infection in several months. Although i was a little nervous about having the surgery- it was so fast and she has been a much happier baby- and i would rather do that than put her on an antibiotic every day for a year- no way would i do that- but i defeinitly am not a fan of giving my child a bunch of medicine unless its neccessary either! Hope this helps!