Tubes for Recurring Ear Infections?

I don't know too much about it except that my best friend had ear tubes put in all three of her babies. Her doctor had reccomended it after each child had several ear infections. She was happy with the results. Bad ear infections can cause hearing loss if not taken care of. Good luck.

Dear T.,

I am not sure about tubes but the ear infections could be caused by a subluxation in your son's spine. I'm not sure if you are familiar with Chiropraractic care but I am the office manager for a chiro. clinic in Denver and we treat children with ear infections. It wouldn't hurt to bring your child in just to get him checked and see if Chiropractic can help. That is about all I, personally could offer for your case. Good luck:)

Sincerely,

L. P.

My nephew has had to have the ear tubes for his recurring infections and it really helped him and his family. The procedure was virtually painless (miniscule to no pain at all- especially compared to the pain with the infections).

I don't think anyone knows the "cause" of the infections- but I think some kids are more prone to them than others. Water in the ear can cause problems, but more often it's just something that happens.

It's unlikely that summertime will improve the situation as ear infections can come at any time, and if you are swimming and playing in the water more during the summer that will increase the chances of an ear infection.

One of the side effects and possible dangers of ear infections is hearing loss and speech delays because of it. My nephew had to have special instruction in language starting when he was about 3 because he couldn't hear words completely and that led to him having speech difficulties.
He's 6 now and the tubes have been out for over 3 years and his speech and language is fine, and he doesn't have any more ear issues.

Children learn language by listening and if they can't hear they can't learn language-
If you are apprehensive, make sure the doctors respect your concerns and answer all your questions to your satisfaction. If they don't, go see another who can. Find an EMT that specializes in children and with ear tubes and keep looking until you find one that respects you and your child and your concerns.
It wont hurt to talk with someone about the procedure and then decide. Just bcause you consult with someone doesn't mean you automatically signed the consent form.
It is your son's ear and they are important- so take your time and trust your instincts.
M.

My three-year-old had tubes put in about a month and a half ago, and so far there's been a dramatic improvement in his health. He was getting infections constantly, after every cold, and he's had two colds since the tubes and has been infection-free. The recovery from surgery was quick (he had his adenoids out at the same time so it was a little more involved) and, after a nap that afternoon, he was feeling fine. He went back to school the next day. I went back and forth on the surgery, too, but I'm really glad we went through with it. Hope this helps.

When my daughter was 12 months she had tubes put in her ears! She had many ear infections from 6 months on and when she didn't have an infection she still had fluid in her ears! She is nearly 4 now and hasn't had a single ear infection since that day! One tube has fallen out on it's own already and we go this summer to check if the other one has! The procedure literally took 10 minutes or less, easy peasy! I would much rather have tubes than the ear infection which then the antibiotics would always give her a bad diaper rash! It was a question of if for me, it was how soon?

HI T., we went through the same thing except our daugther had at least 10 ear infections over the first year. We went to an ENT and decided to go through with it and get the tubes. Our daughter was 1 week shy of her first birhtday. She did great with the tubes and they stayed in place for almost a year(usually last 6-12months). It was the best thing for us as we didn't have to worry about her being in pain all the time from the infections and also being on numerous antibiotics trying to get get rid of the infections. As for the surgery it did not take long at all and she was her old self by the next day and was eating with in a few hours of the the surgery. Alot better than we anticipated! Hope this info helps - just make sure you are happy with the ENT, hopefully you can find a pediatric ENT. They seem to have more compassion.

My 18 month old daughter received ear tubes just a couple of weeks ago. She had 12 ear infections in one year. I was worried about the constant antibiotics she was on. Her speech is very advanced for her age but she did have a little hearing loss. Her balance is a lot better since the tubes were put in. They will fall out on their own in about a year and it is unlikely she will need them again. I just know having a constant ear infections can't feel too good for her and I do not want her hearing or speech to be affected. The surgery was over in 10 minutes and she was playing around within an hour. I think we made the right choice for our daughter. I would talk to the ENT and see if they recommend my doctor would not do surgery unless they have 6 infections in 6 months. Good luck

Hey I had tubes put in my little boy's ears when he was 8 months old and they seemed to help for a little while but they fell out really fast and we had a second set done and i dont feel they helped at all he still got infections all the time and even with the tubes in.. in my personal experence i would not do it again but i hope you find the answers your looking for best of luck

T.,
You might want to go see the ENT specialist. Listen to what he has to say and his reasoning for surgery. It does not mean you have to do it but maybe get his second opinion. Ear infections can affect your childs hearing and speech. I know it is scary with your child being so young, but it might be for your childs best interest. Good Luck. J.

I have a student in my class who has had tubes in his ears. His mother thought the problem would get better and so did nothing until he was in second grade (he's now in 4th). Once the tubes were finally placed in his ears, he can hear now and his grades have greatly improved.

The problem? Because he couldn't hear very well (high and low sounds) he missed much of his early language aquisition and now needs years of therapy (speech and learning), skills which he missed in his early years. Hearing is not something to mess with. Your child is one...and it IS scary to have to go through surgery, but he'll be ok. You don't want him to miss out on the audio clues that he'll need to be a successful learner.

I know your concern. I took my son to an ENT after he had a horrible ear infection at 2 months. We waited for 3 1/2 months for the fluid to drain and it never did so my ENT said we had to have the tubes or we could be risking possible hearing loss from the buildup of fluid as well as delayed speech. My son is a great baby and although many people told me he would be a different kid after the tubes I didn't see much in behavior because he is so good already. However I did immediately notice he could hear better and his speech is coming right along. He is 8 months old right now and we had them done when he turned 6 months.
The surgery itself is NOTHING! It literally took 3 min from start to finish. And although he was cranky coming out of the anethesia he was fine as soon as we got in the car to go home.
I would recommend his ENT highly-he is one of the best in the country. I don't know where you live but he has two practices-one in Aurora and one in Parker Adventist.
His name is Dr. Tyler Lewark.
Don't be scared of the surgery-it is really no big deal and it will make a world of difference for a kid who has had 4 double ear infections. If he does get another one he will not be in nearly as much pain because there will be no fluid buildup. Good luck!

My daughter was only 16 months old when she got her first set of tubes after having constant ear infections to the point of right before the tubes they were back to back. We went and saw a ENT and he reassured me that it is very common. We were thrilled with the results. My daughter didnt have any ear infections after that, it was wonderful. The only problem was that she had to have another set put in last month. My daughter is 2yrs 9 months old. Her tubes fell out, they are only meant to stay in for 12-18 months, and because hers fell out she was having ear infections again. Our ENT said that it was normal because childrens ears are not fully developed until age 5. So we put another set in to get to her 5 years old. And once again, the ear infections stopped. It was sad that we had to do another surgery, but I am glad that we did it. Good luck to you. If you need a good ENT, Boulder Valley Ear Nose and Throat are great. Good Luck!

I would definitely at least go to the ENT because they will check your child's hearing as well. My son had 2 ear infections in a 4 mo. period (between 15-19mo) but the fluid never resolved and it turned out his hearing was well below normal. We would have never realized this without a hearing test. He got his ear tubes at 19mo and instantly began talking clearly, whereas before everything was just sounds, no words. The only ear infection occurence he got while he had his tubes was when one clotted off, we had them replaced after that seeing that he clearly needed them because he got quite a raging ear infection without it.
My daughter got ear tubes as well at about 16-18mo after a few non-respondent antibiotic ear infections and had no problems whatsoever.
My ENT and everything I have read has said to not leave the same ear tubes in any longer than 2 years otherwise there is a greater risk to hearing. Both my children had to have them removed at the 2 year mark because they did not fall out on their own. I have heard some pretty awful stories of children who had their ear tubes in close to 3 years. I was pretty diligent of keeping track of time and keeping the routine ENT appointments to monitor them.
Hope this info helps.

T. I understand your frustration and concern over tubes, I felt the same way when my son had the same problems at 18 months old. I decided it would not hurt to see the ENT to get his "opinion" on my options. I am really glad I did because I found out that because of the ear infections my son had a hearing loss of about 70%, and the 30% that he was hearing was behind water on his eardrum, so that everything people were saying sounded to him like we were talking under water. Being 18 months old he could not tell us that he could not hear. He ended up having his ears drained of the fluid and had tubes placed. After having the tubes in place for about 3 months he began talking at a very fast rate. We were very pleased with the results in the end. He is now 6 yrs old and we have only had 2 or 3 ear infections since then. I hope that helps you in some way!!!! Please let me know if I can help you further. The ENT that we went to is a family friend and is awesome!!! I would be happy to recomend him to you if you decide to go that way and he is located in Layton. Please contact me and let me know how it goes!!! M. E

I don't have experience with tubes, but my son did have a lot of ear infections when he was little. We eventually took out his tonsils and that fixed the problem. At 1 he won't remember getting tubes in his ears, and then he won't have to have so many antibiotics to cure the ear infections. Also, you won't have to deal with a cranky child, and I think that they just fall out as your child grows. Hope this is helpful
T.

I would like to suggest that if your son has been dealing with this for a long time you would want a second opinion. My daughter had the same thing happen to her. And when we went to the specialist, the first visit he did not immediately say lets put tubes in. He made more then one attempt to help her. We did have tubes put in her ears and it helped tremendously! And she doesn't get ear infections as much as she used to. It worked for us. Hopefully this will help you!

Hello! My first child had severe ear infections and tubes put in his ears twice. The tubes definitely brought immediate relief and helped to control infections for nearly a year each time. The surgery itself was very simple with very little recovery time. However, one of my son's tubes didn't fall out like they are eventually supposed to...They had to go back in and surgically remove the tube, and he has experienced slight hearing damage since then in that ear. When my second child had prolonged fluid in one of his ears, the ENT wanted to put in tubes. A friend suggested taking him to a chiropractor to adjust his neck area. Evidently, realigning the vertebra in the neck area contributes to better air flow and drainage in the ears. This was very successful in my child's situation...he never had ear problems again...and we canceled his surgery! I'm sure chiropractics are not such an easy fix for every kid, but it might be worth a try for your child, if you feel comfortable with the idea of your child having an adjustment. Hope you're able to find some relief soon for your little guy...ear infections can make sleeping so miserable!

Hey T.,
I had the EXACT same thing with my daughter for the first year of her life. She had an ear infection at least once a month. Then She had one so bad that the infection made her vomit and have diarrhea (sp?) and she was in the hospial for dehydration. The Dr. had her on high powered antibiotics and it didn't work, the infection kept getting worse until the whole hospital/dehydration thing. Then they put her on IV antibiotics for 3 days and that finally knocked it out. Anyway, I ended up taking her to a chiropractor when she was a little past 1 to have her checked out, (The whole family was getting a check-up) and the first thing he said when he was examining her neck was "Has she had a lot of ear infections?" I was like "YES! How in the world did you know that? They want to do surgery, tubes, and preventive anti-biotics." He said "Well, the part of her spine where the nerves go from the spinal cord to her ears, is badly misaligned, most likely from the natural trauma of birth, but it could be from a fall or something else, but at any rate, I would be shocked if she WASN'T having ear infections."

SO, I had him adjust her 3 times a week for a few months, she LOVED it and would ask for it when she needed it again, and the results were MIRACULOUS to say the least. She went from one or more ear infections a month to NEVER HAVING ONE AGAIN!!! She is almost 4 1/2 now and still free from ear infections. I am SO glad I found chiropractic and it cured her ear infections without surgery!

I don't know what the answer is for you, only you will know that, and I am not saying this should have been the answer for anyone else, but it worked beautifully for me and it was painless for her. I highly recommend you look into it, and your insurance may even cover it.

Good luck, and please let us know how it turns out!

My daughter got ear tubes 2 years ago at the age of 5. She had spent her whole life dealing with constant ear infections and at one point her ear drums even burst. Because of the ear infections she could not hear well, but after the ear tubes the difference was amazing. The surgery took literally 10 minutes and she did not have a single ear infection while the tubes were in. Ear tubes will naturally work themselves out after 1-2 years. Now that my daughter's tubes have fallen out, she is beginning to get ear infections again. The reason behind ear tubes is that a normal ear will naturally drain any fluid inside of it. In kids that get chronic ear infections, their ears do not drain the fluid on its own so the fluid remains in the ear and causes ear infections. The ear tubes allow their ears to drain properly. Usually by the time ear tubes fall out, the child's ears have developed enough to now drain on their own but in some children they may have to get ear tubes a second time. So far my daughter's ear infections after tubes have not been bad enough or frequent enough to warrant ear tubes again but if it does get that bad I will not hesitate to have it done again. I wish now that we had done it a lot earlier for her.

T. - My daughter was exactly 12 months old when we got her ear tubes last year. She had 7 ear infections in 6 months, always on antibiotics. Initially I did not want to do the surgery, it scared me so much. but after the 7th one I decided it was best for my daughter. It went so smoothly, no problems and she was/is happier than she had been in along time! As a family we are much happier. It's been a year. Her tubes are starting to fall out on their own. Hopefully they close up as they are supposed to with no problem. Ear tubes are the second most common surgery, circumcision is the first. She wasn't in any pain after the surger and was much happier. I would do it again. The previous lady mentioned problems she had as a child. I'm assuming she's in her 20's- 30's . . with all of the advances there have been in medicine I would think this is another area where improvements have been made. Our doctor did tell us that in rare cases the holes don't heal on their own and they have to do it manually, he assured us it would not be painful.

The surgery is so common now, that it's probably no cause for concern--although if I were you, I'd be nervous too! I would also be worried about the antibiotics and the pain your child is going through, so you just have to balance it out and make a decision you can live with. You could get a second opinion, which the ENT would basically give you, without committing to surgery. My ped told me if my son made it through the first year, usually it got better, and it did--he only had one ear infection during his second year. But then my neighbor's son had to get tubes in his second year, so every child is different. It may improve over the summer, with fewer colds, so you could wait a bit and then decide. I think the majority of babies who get tubes have a great improvement...good luck with your decision.

My son used to have at least one ear infection a month from the time he was about 2 months old until he had tubes the day after his first birthday (March 22). In this month since he had the tubes, he hasn't had any infections, or side effects from the surgery. We've also noticed that he's "talking" more, his balance is better and he's just happier- and he was a pretty happy kid before. I was very nervous before the surgery, and I couldn't be in the room when they put him under- I made my husband take him in. But, the Dr. was done in less than 15 minutes and my son even came out of the anasthesia happy. It was the best choice we could have made, so for us, it worked. My pediatrician and the ENT Dr. both said that if my son had not been in Day Care that they may not have done them, but since Day Care is basically a breeding ground, it was the only thing that would get rid of them. I think if your son is in Day Care, you should really consider it. If you have anymore questions or would like any more info from a Mom's perspective, let me know, I'd be happy to help. Good luck.

Both of my children ended up with tubes. It helped them tremendously. They didn't have a single other ear infection and my daughter started walking like a pro just days after her surgery. I think all the fluid and junk in her ears was slowing her down because it affected her balance.

T.,

I know what you are going through. Both of my children suffered from reoccurring ear infections. I however refused to get tubes in their ears though it was recommended. They grew out of it very soon after the recommendation. The reason for my shyness towards tubes is when I was a child I got tubes for the same reason. When my left ears tube fell out it left a hole. I was tortured (or at least being a kid it felt that way) because the doctors were trying to figure out weather or not to fix it or see if it would heal itself. I remember lying on a table with doctors surrounding me holding me down while I screamed putting sharp objects in my ear. I was completely deaf in that ear for 2 years. It healed itself but with the scar tissue that was left behind my hearing is still impaired. Not allot but a little. I know this is rare but I just couldn’t take the chance of putting my kids through it. I don’t want to change your feelings about them. You will know what is good for your child. Good luck!

I would definitely go to an ENT. My daughter had 22 ear infections in 3 years and her doctor would not tube her ears and now that she's four and a half, she has trouble pronouncing certain letters because she can't fully herself, so needless to say I wish that I would have taken it upon myself to take her to an ENT. From people that I have talked to that have had their kids' ears tubed, they said it was painless for the children and made a world of difference. They might also be able to make suggestions to prevent them (they way they drink, the kind of milk, etc...) first before doing the tubes. Have you tried over the counter ear gels that you put into his ears before he takes a bath? I tried it with my daughter and it did release the wax build-up. The only downfall is that multiple ear infections CAN, not always cause speech delays.

My daughter went through the same thing and it has decreased (she's 4 1/2 now). My doc explained to me that when they are very small, the ear canal entrance is very close to the sinus cavity - and whenever they get colds they get ear infections because the fluid automatically passes through and has difficulty draining. He said that when as she grew, she the distance between her ear canal and sinus cavity will increase - and the incidence of infections would decrease, and it has.

He did not recommend tubes because he said it was a rather invasive procedure to put her through with no guaranteed improvement. He also did a test to check the size of her adrenal glands to see if they were causing the infections (I think it was her adrenal glands) before he wanted to recommend intubation.

Get a second opinion, if you can, with an ear, nose and throat specialist. Intubation doesn't work for everyone and it's worth getting a 2nd opinion before putting your child through that.

Good luck.

I was in the same situation and was also, referred to a ENT for tubes in my son's ears. We decided to have the surgery done. I think the surgery was more traumatic for me than it was for my son (he was also around the same age). After all was said and done it was a good decision that was made to have the tubes put in his ears. We have not had a problem since. I am glad we made the decision now and saved him from alot a pain and unecessary problems. In his situation it saved him from having hearing loss.

Good luck in what you decide, I wish you and your son well.

Hi T.,

My son Joey got tubes put in both ears at age 18 months. It was the best thing we ever did... he had NEVER slept through the night before, and ended up sleeping right through the first night after the procedure. We also noticed a huge improvement in his hearing and speech. Before tubes, he only grunted and shrieked. Most importantly, he has not had an ear infection in over a year. Before tubes, he had one or two a month and was CONSTANTLY on antibiotics.

The procedure itself was a piece of cake. The only rough part was waking Joey up from the anesthesia. He screamed and cried because he was scared. But as soon as we left the hospital, he was absolutely fine.

One thing to keep in mind is that the inside of the ears cannot get wet after the tubes are inserted. So we have to put wax earplugs in Joey's ears for every bath or swim. Also, there is a chance the tubes can fall out and have to be replaced. Thank goodness, that hasn't happened to Joey.

Good luck and I hope your little one is doing well.

P.

Hi T.,

Both of my sons (now 12 and 3) had SEVERAL ear infections until they turned 2. there is a shot that children ar egiven till the age of two called Prevnar. My ped recommended I wait till they had turned 2, after the last shot of Prevnar. There is something in this injection that helps prevent ear infections. And, lo-n-behold. NONE since they each turned 2. My frist son was having one a month until he turned two. Ask your ped if he thinks maybe you could wait and see what happens after he turns 2-Good Luck.

My Daughter who was three at the time I had tubes put in has done great. She suffered with ear infections all through her second year of life. I highly recommend tubes. They are only in surgery for 15 minutes...tops. They don't feel a thing and you will be amazed at how happy they are. You can still get ear infections with tubes, but far and few between. Just make sure you don't get water in his ears. I hope this helps. I was hesitant too. I mean you're talking surgery on your little one. I know how scary it is. But no that all is said and done, it was the best thing I could do for my little girl. When they fall out, and if the ear infections keep reoccurring again, I plan on doing it again.

I think there are two schools of thought on this one. My son had 5 ear infections in as many months starting at 6 months and after talking with my Ped. We chose NOT to have tubes put in and see what happens as he got a little older. He is now 22 months old and has not had any ear trouble no trouble at all as a matter of fact since last Easter. As my Ped explained, the tubes that go down their necks are small and bent causing them to get ear infections easily. As they grow the tubes stretch and let stuff flow more easily. Ear infections as so common some doctors are not even putting kids on antibiotics. When the Ped and ENT took a look in my babies ears they both noted that although he had all these infections there was no scar tissue since we caught them fast enough so there was no damage to his ears.
Now my neighbors daughter on the other hand had the same type troubles and her Ped sent them to an ENT guy and they did end up having tubes put in. She has still had one ear infection since the surgery.
My question to your Doctor would be if you do have the tubes inserted in a child so young how long will it be before they will have to take them out?
In the end you have to do whats right for your baby… Tubes may be the only answer. Good luck!