Healthcare Advice!!!

From what I hear dr don't want to do tubes except as a last resort. They have some sort of criteria that they go by. They have to have so many infections in so many months. My daughter had one just about every month for the first 12 months before she got tubes.

I have had 2 kids with tons of ear infections. It has nothing to do with the daycare. His ears just aren't draining properly. I would get a second opinion and ask for a referral to the ENT doctor. He needs tubes in his ears so they can drain. If you wait, he could loose partion hearing. You will also be thankful because his infections will more than likely leave.

S.

Hi J.,

I'm sorry about your son. It hurts us when I children are hurting. Doctors are people and they don't know everything (even though many of them think that they do :)). What I would do is suggest to the doctor that perhaps Ayden should get tubes in his ears since he is having a lot of ear infections. Then ask the doctor what he thinks. He may say wait or say o.k. send him to a specialist. My daughter had to get tubes when she was around 5 or 6 years old. The doctor may think he's too young, and if he does think that he, of course, should tell you so that you can stop worrying. Talk frankly to your doctor about your concerns. Changing doctors is an option, but we need to be more aggressive in our own care and of our children's care. You can find another doctor that might be the same, in that he may not be as attentive as he should be. But I believe we must communicate with our doctors, and let them know we are involved in our care and we expect them to be as well. I write things down that I want to convey to my doctor and read from the paper in front of him. I tell him I wrote down my concerns because I didn't want to forget to tell him what's going on. He respects that and listens. I also told him to please talk to me in "regular people" language so that I could understand. Even with any medications, don't be afraid to ask about side effects, if you are going to feel different, etc... Hope this helps.
L. Jonas

Think of tubes as a LAST resort. I noticed several people saying to goto a specialist and consider them but I would not. My cousin had them and when they were sugesting her 20 month old son get them because of his ear infections she said no way. She did some research and found a oil that you can use to treat them. She has used it with great results and for the first time in about 9 months he does not have an ear infection. She also gave him echanesa(sp)to help boost his immune system.
I know a lot of children are getting tubes these days but from a 23 year old mom who had them herself when she was young, she would recomend trying everything else possible before having them put in.
Hope this helps and that your son gets over the ear infections soon!

my son had the same problem-finally after trying tons of a biotics -they refered me to a specialist....which did some tests-told me my son could only hear at 40 percent and made me feel awful for having waited this long-then we put him on a low dose abiotic and nasonex for 60 days and he was cured...so don't let them make you feel bad and know that there are lots of treatments b4 surgury..
S.

I think the general rule of thumb is that if he has 6 ear infections in a year, they consider tubes. However, it is spring and allergy season is in "full bloom". And he's fairly new to day care. There may be an adjustment period. You could always consider a private sitter that has only a few children to watch.For your own personal piece of mind, go to an ENT. There's nothing that says you can't go without a referral.

Do the ear infections clear up with one dose of antibiotic? Has he had to have the "big dog" antibiotics, or is he still on the lower end of the spectrum? If they clear up with one dose, and he is still on the low end, his body is winning the battle :-) HOWEVER...you are his Mom. If you would feel better taking him to a specalist than that is exactly what you should do. Do you live in Charlotte area? I have a WONDERFUL refrence for you. She is AMAZING. She did my niece's ears and adnoids, as well as about half this town over the past 15 years. She is NOT quick to do the tubes though...as it should be a last resort, not a first one. It IS surgery. Anytime you have to put your child to sleep to do ANYTHING, it should be a last resort. It is SO HARD when you feel your child is sick all the time. I hope things get better for you and your little one soon. Many Blessings. Jenny

I second the advice to go ahead and consult an ENT. My daughter had multiple infections and then had an eardrum burst at 10 months. That prompted us to put tubes in and I am very grateful that we made the decision. My pediatrician did recommend the ENT but admitted that she personally doesn't like to have tubes inserted. You need to make sure your pediatrician's judgement isn't clouded because of a personal bias. I'll admit I'm a little sensitive on the subject. I am 32 and have had permanent holes in both eardrums since the age of 16 due to not getting treatment from an ENT in time. Given my history, I don't believe in playing around with ear infections.

My 3 1/2 year old spent the entire winter with an ear infection- 6 infections, 2 bouts of pneumonia and the flu despite a flu shot. She did several rounds of antibiotics, which I think did more to compromise her immune system than help the ear infections. She was very healthy before this (only 1 ear infection in 3 years Our ped recommended allergy testing. Turns out my daughter is highly allergic to cats (I have 2) and dust mites. The allergy caused her to create lots of extra mucous, which she couldn't drain properly and it was leading to ear infections. Dealing with the allergies has reduced the mucous levels to an amount her body can deal with so no more ear infections. Also, dairy increases mucous production so you may want to consider decreasing or even eliminating dairy to see if that helps. Or at least make sure he's sitting up when drinking milk.

J., I had some problems with my son getting ear infection when he was younger. When his doc didn't want to make the next move I did. I took him to see an ENT & they set up the app. for him to have tubes put in his ears & that has been the best thing that I have done for him. It hase been 3 yrs now & he hasn't had one ear infection. Here is wishing you good luck with your son. S.

Hi, I am a stay at home mom of 3 boys and have had similar issues with 2 of my sons. Usually the pediatrician wants the child to have 3 or more ear infections within a certain time frame (I think within 3 months) before they refer them to a ENT. If your insurance doesn't require a referral for a specialist then I would set something up with them on your own. Some children usually grow out of ear infections as they get older. They are no fun for the child or you to deal with them when they aren't feeling well. I have learned over the years that it is much better to be proactive and go the step ahead for my peace of mind. I tried for 3 years to get my sons tonsils removed and he finally had them removed over Christmas break. Sometimes mother's intuition is the best to go on. So to answer your question, it wouldn't be a bad idea to go the step ahead and at least get started seeing the ENT. Hope this helps in your decision making.

Ask to be referred to an Ear, Nose & Throat Doctor. Seeing that Dr won't hurt but will set your mind at ease. I have five children and never had to deal with tubes but our 3 1/2 yr old just had an adenoid removed, ENT was his Dr for that. I personally have always used ENT Drs for my kids once they hit 3 yrs old, on sinus issues or illnesses of that nature. They are more up to date on meds and techniques on how to rid those problems. Where as your Peditrician is focused on all areas. Not to say we don't love our Peditrician but sometimes you need other people too. Good Luck and do it just to set your mind at ease.

I don't know if anyone has told you this yet, but feed him yogurt. There is a bacteria in yogurt that helps to prevent ear infections. When my daughter got a bunch in a row I started making sure I gave her some every day and the problem ended. I hope this helps.

My son just turned 2 and had 10 ear infections by the time he was 1. I waited till he turned 2 because the ENT i saw wouldn't do adenoids till that age. I wanted that done too because of his breathing problems. The day he had it done his eardrum was about to rupture. He was on every medicine they could give in 2 years. The pediatrition printed out a paper for me to take with me about his medical history. So far the tubes are doing their job. I would definately go to an ENT.

My son got tubes put in his ears at the age of 11 months. He too, had a lot of ear infections before he got the tubes. His doctor put him on several different types of antibiotics before recommending that we go see an ENT doctor. His ear infection would be better while he was on the medication, but as soon as he finished his last dose, the infection returned. It was like the infection was unresponsive to the medication. They would switch to a different one. After about six consecutive infections with no lasting results from the medicine, they told me to see an ENT. Surgery is a big deal and a last resort. If he seems unreponsive to the antibiotics, then call your pediatrician and suggest that you see an ENT, depending on what type of insurance you have, you might need a referel. I hope my advice helps and good luck.

If he's had more that 6 or 8 ear infections in one year, then yes, he should have the tubes. My son was constanly getting ear infections, and after the 6th one, I was told to go see a specialist. If you have to, go see one on your own, don't wait until your doctor says something.

How many ear infections has your son had? My daughter at age 9mos had 3 consecutive ear infections and I insisted on seeing a specialist (I am a physician assistant, although not in pediatrics). I saw the physician and he agreed. They sucked out a ton of mucus from her ears and placed tubes. She has been infection free ever since. Her only issue is that she is 3 and her tubes still haven't fallen out. some say they need to be surgically removed, others say wait. It doesn't hurt to get the professionals opinion. It is inevitable with being in daycare but I wouldn't have changed a thing.

Be sure you go to an ENT for this. Good luck and God bless.

C.

I have two children (out of 4) who have had tubes. My son is going in April to have a second set of tubes put in. We went to the ENT yesterday and he is barely hearing out of his one ear because of all the fluid in it. His first set was put in at 8 months. By then he had already had four ear infections that started when he was 6 weeks old. Since there was a family history of issues and he was already on a bad path they went ahead and did then when he was really young. Since his tube came out in August he has had six ear infections so we get to do it again. He had no ear infections during the year his tubes were in. My daughter was 2 1/2 before she got her tubes. By then her speech was horribly delayed. I had to fight with the doctor and see a second doctor before they finally gave me the referral. I wish I had pushed it sooner. The first doctor for whatever reason didn't agree with tubes. My daughter had 34 ear infections before she got her tubes. She did not have a single one after the tubes were put in. Antibiotics were clearing up her ear infections but she would get another one within a week or two of ending the medicine. It would be worth your peace of mind to see an ENT and get their opinion. They won't do the surgery if he truly doesn't need them. If he doesn't need them now, an ENT can tell you at what point you should look into getting them.

My son had the same problem and apparently the new thing is to let the ear drain out the infection. He is 3yrs old now and doesnt really get an ear ache that often.

How many is a lot? Has he been sick with other things like sinus infections, colds, etc.? A decent pediatrician would let you know if there was a need for tubes. I wouldn't worry about it unless his balance or hearing seems to be abnormal. Maybe you should ask the doctor about it if you're concerned that your son might need tubes.