Seeking Advice on Having Tubes Put in My Sons Ears

my son had this done because of the same thing.It stopped the ear infections but after a year since it grows the tubes will pop out. Watch and see if he gets them back.If he does not, which happened to my son,He did not have to get it done again and again till whenever.Good luck

I'm 3 for 3. My first got his first ear infection at 9 months... by 15 months we got tubes as he constantly had infections and was contantly on antibiotics.... His tubes fell out at 2 1/2 and had to have them replaced because the moment they fell out he got an ear infection. He also had undiagnosed allergies at the time... but even treating the allergies he would have likely needed tubes. They have now fallen out he is 5, and he hasn't had any infections.

My sencond started ear infections at 9 months and got tubes by 12 months. It even took a while after the tubes for that infection to clear up. His fell out a year later at which time we got them reincerted and aednoids out. No ear infections since then. He is now 4.

My 3rd got her set of tubes at 9 months... her ear infections started at 6 months. She continued to get infections until we started allergy meds at which point we were infection free for 9 months (until 2 weeks ago).

Each of them got muliple doses of antibiotics including a high dose shot of antibiotics... and nothing worked. It was simple, in by the time you sit down they are done, and they are waking up (which is the toughest part because they are crabby) but then they are like new children afterwards.

There are lots of great books that recommend alternatives for ear infections. My favorite book that I think all parents should have is "Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child" by Janet Zand, Rachel Walton, and Bob Roundtree. It is very thorough on ear infections, both conventional and alternative treatments. I also have the book, "No More Amoxicillin". Here's a web page that may help:

http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/birth.htm

I had the same problem with my son until we got rid of any and all milk products. He had the tubes put in his ears and they did help the pus drain so that the infections weren't painful any more. The procedure did involve anesthesia so it was scary but it was so quick and the recovery time was really really fast. It was worth it. However, like I said, after we got rid of dairy he never had a single ear infection and he had been suffering from excema all the time. That disappeared too.

I'm going to go the opposite way of every one else hear and tell you to try everything else you can think of first before you put tubes in your child’s ears. My husband had tubes put in his ears as a child and though it helped his ear infections it cause him to have partial hearing loss on his ears. Not to mention he can't blow his nose without pain and he still has a fear (at age 30!) of getting ear infections if he gets water in his ear (and I'm not just talking about the amount you get in there by swimming, but the amount you get in there by taking a shower). I know there are remedies out there to take care of this other than tubes. My baby brother had ear infection problems and my mother found a ped. that would do something other than tubes, which is really just the easy way out for a doctor. If you are interested I can call my mother and find out the medication my little brother had to be on. He had to take it every day (healthy or not) for a long time, but it sure beats the alternative.

I felt the exact same way. My son kept getting ear infections no matter what we did. I really didn't want the surgery either and had people on both sides of the fence, some saying yes get it, others saying no way. I struggled with it for a while, but decided to get them. He is 4 now and hasn't had an ear infection, not one! since he got them. he got them at about 15 months old.

Hi, my son started having problems too before he was one. You can try a chiropracter. They can adjust and also sometimes it can be because of diet or allergies. They can help you with all of these if you would like to try it first. My though was if it can hurt in anyway then why not try it. My Chiropracter is in Enon but I love them. There is a women or a man they both of kids them selves. There phone is ###-###-####. You can even just call and talk to Dr. Ericka. If you have any more questions my son has tried different things please feel free to email me. Hugs jo

I, too, wrestled BIG TIME with this decision. I'm really against any kind of medical intervention if my kids don't desperately need it. I'm not one to run to the doctor with every little symptom, but with my kids surgeries, I felt it would benefit them in the end much more than the suffering they were currently experiencing. Both of my children have had ear/nose/throat surgeries. One had it at about 18 mo. and the other at 5 yrs. old. My 18 mo. old just had tubes in her ears (no other surgery with it like my son who had tonsil/adnoids) and it was so much better than I thought it would be. The surgery, for them, is much less painful than recurrent ear infections. It really is an in-and-out type thing. I wouldn't even consider it surgery, although technically it is. They do put them under, so her coming out of that was a moment of tears for her, cuz of course I wasn't right there when she woke up. The surgery took 10 minutes. But, they promised me they would come and get me the minute she was in recovery waking up (which they did), so her tears only lasted the 20 seconds it took me to run from the waiting room to recovery. I've never regretted her getting tubes. She hasn't had one ear infection since her tubes, and it (the surgery) actually saved her from further hearing loss (she had some minimal permanent hearing loss from having so many ear infections). I would recommend you go ahead if it's what your pediatrician is reccomending. The only thing we worry about now is that we have to make sure to put "plugs" in her ears when she takes a bath or go swimming, but you can get children kinds at Wal-Mart for about $3.00, so that's not too bad. It really isn't as scary for the kids as it is for us adults. My little girl was herself after just a few hours, running around the house. My little girl's surgery was done at Baypark by Dr. Coleman of ENT Physicians here in Oregon. Dr. Ababa (sp?) from that same office is supposed to be really good, as well. The nurse practioner there (who you see even more than the doctors doing the surgery) is EXCELLENT (just as good as the doctors with communication, bedside manner, expertise, etc). Her name is Kim and she is a household name in this house - my kids LOVE her. Any more questions, please don't hesitate to ask! :)

Hi M.-
My youngest daughter acutally just had tubes put in her ears and her adnoids out this past Friday, this is her second set and two of my other three children have tubes in their ears as well. It is a very simple outpatient procedure and the most my kids have ever had afterwards is some discharge from their ears but I guess that's the point of the tubes anyway to release any fluid build up. It still is a scary thing for me even thou my kids have been thru it each time I am just as nervous but they always come thru like nothing really happened. I love our ENT his name is Dr. Marc Guay I am not sure what area you are from but if you live in the Elyria area I would defintely reccomend him. Hope all goes well.

M. i feel you pain having gone through the same thing with my only son 16 month old. He had the one ear infection after another it felt like i was at the pediatrican every week, and finally saw an ENT at the childrens hospital, and they suggested the PE tubes to prevent further infections and preserve his hearing. so we arranged for the surgery. the procedure itself was only 15 mins long. My son had one more ear infection after the procedure and since then he has not have another ear infection. Its been 2 month. Good luck

Hi M.,

I am a massage therapist and work with Chiropractors. I have seen many children including my own that come in with ear infrections. It's amazing how simple this slight adjustment of the cervical spine can help the ears to drain properly. I AGREE with Sharon about the yeast & the adjustments. It's something you won't have to worry about...there is always a risk with any kind of surgery, then how many times will you have to do this in your childs life time...doesn't sound too good to me. Be sure to take all 3 of your boys. Insurance may cover your visits, some Chiropractors do not charge for children under 5, it was worth the visits to me & my family!
L.

Yes go for the tubes, and why they are in there have them take out tonsils and adnoids to get it over with. My son had to have 2 sets tubes and my daughter had hers also, best thing i ever did for them. Now days a lot of drs. drag it out so long and use so many antibiotics, you almost have to make them do the surgery.. It is painless and quick.. Good Luck-J.

My daughter had ear surgery at 7 months after 5 ear infections in a row. It has proven to be the best thing I could have ever done for her. Dr. Silberman from Hillcrest performed the surgery and was so wonderful. Shortly after, we took swim lessons at Euclid High School and I dunked Julia underwater every lesson (which she loved). The surgery is FAST and mommy is with baby within 20 minutes of the start. Don't let your fears stand in the way of a clear path to better health for your son!! You will feel GREAT after the surgery is done, and so will he!!

My daughter has had 5 surgeries and the easiest by far was the tubes being put in her ears. She just turned a year old on monday and it is honestly a very quick and very simple procedure. I would be sure to use the very best doctor like anything else. I went to the surgery by myself and it didn't take but 15 minutes for them to be done. It really was low stress, but again we have been through some pretty tough surgeries. If you are near the Dayton area I LOVED my daughters ENT and his name is Balwally. I also have to say that my daughter has not had an ear infection since the tubes were put in the end of October. I wish you the best of luck in whatever you decide.

Don't be afraid. We had this done to my gradson who was 16 months and it has made a world of difference. He takes 2-3 hour naps now and usually sleeps all night. It has been a blessing. The procedure only takes a few minutes and he has been fine. He slept alot the first day and was his normal self the next. It is the most common procedure performed at Children's medical center. I have heard only positive reports from all of the parents that have had this procedure done for their children. Think of how many pain and misery you are saving your child. If you trust your pediatrician and feel confident with the EENT then have it done. Only you can make this decision.

I am not a doctor in any way just know by experience in the famuly, so think about this carefully. My twin neices had tubes put in their ears, they are now part deaf and have to weat hearing aids. I would not suggest it, unless it was 150% needed. My daughter was told to have to have them when she was just 2, I choose not to get it done. Yes, she still has a few ear infections, but not as bad. She will be four soon.

M., it is so worth it! When I was a toddler, I had 14 ear infections 12 months. I had tubes put in and man oh live, what a difference. I rarely get ear infections, even now as an adult. I can only remember of maybe 2 or 3 after the tubes were put in. Definitely have it done.

My daughter had ear infections very often when she was a baby, but her Dr. said that instead of the surgery to put the tubes in that they more frequently do it lazer now. Apparently how it works is they put a hole in the inner ear with the lazer, and by the time the whole closes they grow out of the ear infections. Don't know if this will help , but it's worth asking about. Seems much simpler to me. Good luck.

My son who is almost 3 had tubes put in his ears in october and it is the best things we ever did for him. He hears lots better and his speech has inproved greatly. Also I was informed by our ENT that everytime he gets an ear infection he was losing more of his hearing because scar tissue was building on the ear drum and that if we continued to let him get ear infections and treat them that there was a great possibly that when he was older he would be deaf. So Hope this helps you make a decision. If you need someone to talk to let me know my e-mail is ____@____.com and I will help you all I can.

Hi M.. My son is on his third set of tubes and it has been worth every surgery. Without the tubes we battle constant ear infections. Also before his first set, he wasn't talking because his hearing was so bad. after the tubes and some speech therapy, well now he won't hush up!!! As for surgery the only reason the Dr puts a child under is because they need to be still during the procedure. A friend of ours had tubes as an adult and it was done right in the office and she was awake. Also said there was no pain.So my opinion is go for it!! It is worth it. Good luck and God Bless.
T.

Hi M.,
I understand how tired you must be of all this sickness as well as the thought of such a little guy having surgery. If you want to get him well and avoid tubes, you need to get the yeast out of his body. He obviously had it already but the antiobiotics have made it out of control. I could tell you of mom after mom who solved this.
S.

M.:

I know surgery sounds so extreme, but trust me, it is WORTH IT!!! My daughter had tubes in her ears before she was even a year old because she was essentially on antibiotics all the time from the time she went for her two-week checkup. The procedure is barely invasive, and it literally takes only about 5-7 minutes, then your child is reawakened!!! My daughter has NEVER had another ear infection since the tubes were removed, and she just turned six!!! One tube fell out spontaneously about a year later, and the other tube was removed very simply in the office!! It really is NO BIG DEAL!!!

~L.~

My youngest son (who is now 2.5) had tubes put in his ears at 9 months of age. I was also incredibly concerned about him having surgery at such a young age, but, aside from about 45 minutes of crying upon waking, he came through it very well. He actually still has his tubes, which is good since the doctor explained that if they fell out after a year or so, he might actually have to have new ones inserted since he'd still be quite young and his eustachian tube might not yet be at the right angle for proper drainage. He has not had a single complication post-surgery, and has had ZERO ear infections, after having had about 2 every month (or just one HUGE long one that never cleared up) from the time he was 2 months old. Good luck, and please feel free to contact me if you have more specific questions regarding this. It was such a relief to see my son out of constant pain, and to know he wouldn't suffer from long-term hearing/speech issues.

8th ear infection!!! it's time for tubes!! My daughter has had the surgery twice. Once when she was 10 months old. I know surgery is scary but it really is an easy and quick surgery. They shouldn't even call it surgery. The hardest part is watching them go to sleep. And it's not scary just emotional. After the first tube surgery, the second one wasn't as hard. It's so quick. I couldn't even go into the bathroom quick enough and the doctor was WAITING for me. It's 5-10 mins tops. The recovery room is a little hard especially if they wake up too soon, but it's nothing more than you haven't already handled with 3 kids, it's just a lot of crying. Recovery was pretty easy at home. She slept most of the day, woke up and was her old self. After it's done, you'll wonder why you waited so long.

Here are some reasons, why you should have it done. Ear infections are very painful. He sounds like my daughter, we wouldn't know she had an ear infection until she had a fever. The personality on my daughter changed because she wasn't in pain all the time for the infection. It really is important that they don't get the antiboditics (sp) all the time, otherwise they really do build an immunity to them. Also, all the ear infections could cause speech delays. I don't know how he is doing in the speech department but it made a huge difference for my daughter. I hope this helped.

My daughter is 19 and had the same problems. There is nothing to the tube thing, actually they did it twice because the second time they found she needed her adnoids taken out. Children that have ear infections like that, and nothing is done, can have hearing loss as they get older, so it would be in his best interest to do it.

Good idea. My son also had them, around 2 yrs old and no problems since, he is now 18! If you leave infections or fluid sit in his ears for an extended time, he will lose hearing permanently to a certain degree. Not worth it. Just my opinion.
Good luck

Both my boys have ear infections. My oldest at 4 had tubes put in and my youngest when he was 5 months old. I don't regret it. I have had no problems since then and they are 2 and 6 now. It is very scary to think about it because I was but the process is really fast and my children were done in about 20 at the longest. Just voice all your concerns to the doctor and ask alot of questions. I hope this helps.

I completely understand your reservations. My best suggestion would be to do some research. I opted for tubes to be put in my daughter's ears and it was a God send. It's a simple surgery and the benefits were tremendous. My daughter was at high risk of losing her hearing if I did not agree to the surgery so I never looked at it as an option. She had tubes for a long time, they finally came out last summer when she was nearly 9, but she didn't have a single ear infection the entire time and hasn't had one since. All I can say is talk to your ped., do some research, and make a decision that's best for your child after weighing all of the options. Oh.. and someone said that when they come out their painful... my daughter had a little buzzing in her ear for two days so I took her to the doctor just to check it out. The tubes were coming out (actually sitting sideways in the ear) The dr. took them out with a pair of tweezers. She said she didn't feel a thing. The doctor said they normally fall out when they're sleeping or taking a bath and usually feel nothing. Emory's "sound effect" was only caused by the way the tubes were sitting in her ear. Good luck with your decision.

M.,

I am a mom of 3 one of them already has eartubes and my third child is about to get them. I am also a pre-op/or nurse. The thought is scary and of course like anything else in life there are risks. Personally it was the best thing I could have done for my daughter, the results were immediate and woderful. I would go to your ENT and talk to him about you fears. Even do some research on your local hospital anesthesiologists, find out who is good with kids and then request them, you can do that! It may make you feel better and in a little more control of the situation!

good luck!
D. b

my daughter used to get ear infections like crazy when she was younger. We didn't really smoke around her but it was in our house so we think that was one of the causes. When we moved to a new house we only smoke outside and knock on wood she hasn't had an ear infection in almost a year. I don't know if you smoke but that's one thing that really helped her. Watch the meds that they put him on too some of them just don't work at all and you have to keep going back. The Zythromax really worked with her. Good Luck

My daughter had tubes in right before she truned 1 that was after 5 months of ear infections. Now she is turning 9 in a month and has only had 2 ear infections since. I know how worried you are about it I was so scared about it to at the time. With all the ear infections she had problems with her speach. We have finally got her up to the level she is supose to be at if I was you I would go through with the tubes cause it affects their walking,hearing and their speach. I surgery was not that long and we were able to bring her home the same day. I hope this helps you with your decision if you need any more addvice on this let me know my name is C. and my e-mail address is ____@____.com.

Hi M.,

I am sorry to hear about your son, as mine went through the same thing when he was a baby. My husband and I said the same thing. We didn't want him to have surgery, because we were scared, but now I wish we had done it. My son ended up finally having the surgery when he was 9, because he never stopped having ear infections. I feel bad because we waited and for how many infections he had to endure. Once he had the surgery he never had another infection. Just something to think about. I wish we had done it sooner.

M.,
I have not had to deal with tubes yet, but I have had to deal with the ear infections. My husbands cousin had the same issue with her son a few years back and when I talked to her about my daughters infections she told me what she did that totally prevented tubes and future ear infections. There is a homeopathic drop called mullein/garlic ear drops. You can get them at New earth in Akron, I don't know what would be close to you, but I am sure there is something similar. I used them and the ear infection went away. Also, you want to give him acidophilis it will put back the good bacteria into his system and get rid of the yeast from the antibiotics. I hope this is helpful. Any other questions, let me know.
Take care

My daughter started having infections at 12 mos. We went ahead and had the tubes put in because my husband and I both went through this as children. After they were put in, all her pain and infections went away. I highly recommend it. Her tubes fell out when she was about 3 and normally the tube that drains the fluid has grown by age 2 and they don't need any further help, but her's didn't and we got them put back in. Once again, the infections instantly disappeared. If you don't, your son will continue having infections and you will be forced to give him antibiotics on a regular basis, which is not good and may make it hard for him to respond to antibiotics when he's older (he'll become resistant). She has been perfect since her 2nd set and she's 6 now. We are so glad we did it. The surgery only lasted 5 minutes too. If you are in the No.Ky area, I can recommend a wonderful ENT. Let me know, J.

M.

Go for the tubes. My daughter had hers put in at the age of 18months. She always had problems with ear infections and at 1 year old she was barely speaking. After we finally got fed up with our Ped we took her to a ENT doctor. After she had them placed her vocabulary took off like a rocket.

She is now going on 3. The only down side is we just found out the one tube fell out and she may need it replaced again. It's not uncommon for a child to have to have the surgery a few times, but to me it's worth it. The initial placement only took 15 minutes and the doctor stated the replacement of the one that fell out would take no more then 5 minutes.

My oldest son(now 16) also had repeated ear infections just like your son and at the same age. I was very young (18), and after more infections than I could count I went ahead and had the tubes put in. Being so young myself, and anxious to have his pain just stop i never considered any alternative. I can say that all his problems just completely stopped from that point, and his tubes eventually fell out about 5 yrs later during a ear cleaning(totally freaked me out when i seen something red fall out of his ear btw). On this issue I would say to go ahead and research all other options, but in retrospect I would still go ahead and do the surgery for my son. It was a very simple and quick surgery although I was scared. He still has to have his ears cleaned out because they get clogged about once a year, but other than that he is completely fine and healthy.

M.,
I know how you feel. As a child, I had 2 sets in my ears. Now as a mother, I have had to make that same decision... to tube or not to tube. It was simple the first time - I thought it would be the only set for our son. I only got upset when he was put to sleep - take my advice- don't go back for that! It's an aweful feeling to see them fight it. It took 3 of us to hold him down.
Anyhow, he has had 3 sets of tubes in the last 3 or so yrs. and had the adenoids taken out after the 2nd time. One of the tubes fell out too early-2 weeks post surgery this last time and had it reinserted shortly thereafter. Talk about being upset- 4 times putting our child under!
I must say I didn't want to go through with it again until it was explained to me why it is so important to get air in the ears and allow that fluid to drain... When fluid fills up behind the ear and stays there it allows the ear drum to sink back into the head cavity. Eventually, within a year or so, the ear drum will create a cyst and will require like a 4 hour surgery to reconstruct the ear from inside. Now, don't you think the 15 minute surgery sounds pretty good? That's what made me decide to go forth with those tubes. We were already treating him with Claritin for allergies and he was still getting infections. Our son is allergic to every antibiotic except zithromax and we are very concerned with it becoming ineffective. Tubes seem like the only option for us.
Some ENTs like the idea of sending your child to an allergist, some do not. Good luck and keep looking for the right answer -every case is different.

Hey M., I have had 10 sets of tubes in my ears in my life and the surgery takes so little time and is minor really I wouldnt worry, its better (in my opinion) than to keep him on antibiotics that he will eventually get immune to right? KIds are stronger than you think..

Hi M.,
I have a 2 and a half year old son and I had tubes put in his ears almost a year ago. It will be a year in May. He was up to his 8th ear infection as well. His bascially didnt stop, they just continued from 1 to the next. I understand your pain and I feel that it is the best descion I could have made for my son. Not 1 ear infection since and his health has improved drastically. He is like a new child. His hearing has also improved. He had fluid pressing on his ear drum and they thought he may actually have a hearing problem but when the Dr put the tubes in he drained the fluid and he can hear a pin drop now!
We have to put ear plugs in his ears everynight for his bath but he got used. We will do that until the tubes fall out in 1-4 years. We go for check ups every 6 months.
I am not sure where you are located but if you decide to go ahead with the procedure I can suggest a great ear, nose and throat Dr in the Beavercreek and Dayton area.
I hope your son is feeling better.

S.

My daughter had tubes at 19 mos, and my son at 14 mos. I, too, was leary. However, in both cases, my kids were already done and starting to awake by the time we took our seats in the waiting room. That is how fast it goes. They give them just a little anesthesia and pop the tubes in and DONE. You will notice a 200% improvement in the way your kid feels and sleeps. I couldn't believe the difference. Also, frequent ear infections can lead to scarring and retention of fluid which effects hearing and speech, if not take care of.

my daughter had about 10 ear infections before she was a year old. i decided to get the tubes. i was also worried about the procedure. i was able to sit with her until it was time for the procedure. before they took her back they gave her a medicine to relax her and it worked. she was kinda loopy and laughing at everything. when they told us to wait in the waiting room we went out there and they were done and called us back within 10 mins. so i really didn't even have time to sit and worry about anything. the hardest part for me was her coming off the anesthia (?) luckily my mom was with me. we weren't able to leave until after she could drink or eat something. she cried for awhile. but once all was done i think she's maybe had one ear infection. she got them when she was about 18 months and now she's 3 1/2. good luck

My youngest son got tubes at 8 mos, and it helped him tremendously. To answer your question about alternatives, though....my midwife just recently mentionned to me that she had gone to a local lecture with a pediatric chiropractor that had amazing results with young kids and babies and cleared up their ear infections thru some simple adjustments. The theory was that some babies get out of adjustment thru the birthing process and their ears dont drain properly and they are subject to lots of ear infections/ colds. My midwife told me that she has several patients who have done this, and that the ear infections and colds stopped immediately.
If you do decide to have the tubes put in....as everyone has said, its very very simple. The only reason they put them under at all is to hold them still while they do it. It only takes a couple minutes to do the procedure itself.

I have not had to do this with my son just yet but I am taking from what other moms I know have done this. They said they wish they had done this sooner with their child because it has made a world of difference. One mom I know had their little girls tubes put in 2 weeks after her first birthday and said she did not realize that she was not walking because of her ears not draining properly. I know it is scary to put a baby in anstheia but if it will make him better I would do it.
If you don't there maybe delayed speech and developement problems that you don't see now but can occur later. That is what happened to my brother. He had 9 ear infections the first 5 months of his life, he was 4 years old and still not talking. My mom is convenced if they had gotten tubes he might not have needed speech pathology for 3 years, he would not have needed it at all.
Okay this is my 2 cents. I hope this helps you. If a dr. is suggesting for my son I would go ahead with it.

I'm hands down for the surgery. My son had his adnoids out and tubes put in almost 2 years ago. Last winter and this winter have been wonderful!!! The last winter before that we were home every other week, on antibiotics for ear infections or sinus infections for both within two weeks of getting off the other one. He was also starting to suffer from pneumonia because the congestion was getting into his lungs!!! This winter (knocking on wood) he has had no problems! No antibiotics, no fevers, runny nose that is managed with tissues, and a little claritin here and there. No doctor visits! I didn't like the idea of surgery but he was under for a total of 20 minutes and up and running around that afternoon at home. I would recommend the surgery to anyone that the doctor suggest it too. The tubes normally stay in for a year and fall out on their own. My sons fell out this summer and he hasn't had any problems. He didn't act as if they hurt or anything. In fact we visited the doc a few times and it was laying in his ear and not even bothering him so the doc left it to fall out! ;) I had tried other things, as I said the breathing treatments, humdifer for his room for the congestion, not allowing him to take baths for dirty water to get in his ear (before (for swimmers ear and after the surgery) he was on pulmicort breathing treatments (which we no longer have to do at all :)) and childrens claritin (after trying others the doctor had given us) every single day, over the counter ear drops the minute I thought something was going on, among other things. Best wishes and good luck to you!

Hi my name is P. s. Tubes are for the better, but keep in mind when they start to come ot as he grows its not pretty.

I understand totally. My son had surgery at 11months and again at 18 months. (Not on his ears.) I know how scary it is.

Both of my kids just this past year got ear tubes and my son also had tonsils taken at the same time. We are now going on 10 months for my son (ear infection free!!!!!!!!) and my daughter got tubes in late June so we are on 7 months ear infection free with her!

As far as "surgery" goes....this is an easy one and SOOOO worth it. They don't have pain and there really is no down time with the ear tubes. My daughter came home and ran around all day feeling totally great ! With my son he never once complained about his ears...his throat yes but even that was not too bad.

I wish I would have been told about tubes when my son was little....he was 7 years ! and my daughter was almost 4 yrs.

BLESSINGS!
M.

Having tubes put in sound alot worse than it actually is. Your son will benifit from it and will actually never even know it happened. My nephew just had it done a couple monthes ago due to drastic hearing loss and now he is alomst at 100% hearing and it's wonderful and he never even realized what happened. It's quick and nearly painless and when the tubes fall out as they eventually will you won't even notice and neither will he. :)

The word surgery just makes it sound bad. Tubes in the ears are wonderful for children with lots of ear infections. My son got tubes for his 1st birthday. He is now 7 and the tubes just came out last year. They took my son in for surgery, I went to this little area at the surgerical center and got coffee and a newpaper went back and sit down and they came right out and said he was done, it was 15mins at the most. Go ahead with the tubes, You will not regreat it. He will fill so must better and you will too.

I'm not going to say you should or should not but when I was a kid from age one I got ear infections real bad and all the time. Tubes were never even offered to me, they kept me on antibiotics and that was it. I ended up having to have surgery on that ear when I was 9. They cut my ear almost off and bout cleared it out (and put it in medical books). So needless to say I have no hearing in that ear because of all of those ear infections that they could never get rid of. Im 28 now and still cant get water near that ear. I cant say I know much about tubes but you should definetly look into something. I am sorry I cant be of more help but my ear problems alone are reason enough for me to encourge you to stick in there and ask every question. I hope all works out well.

There are definitely alternatives to try before going for tubes - here are just a few ideas:

* DIET, specifically UNDIAGNOSED ALLERGIES
Low level, undiagnosed allergies are a big culprit in recurring ear infections. The most likely culprit is one or more of the 8 most common allergens (cow's milk, egg, wheat, soybean, fish, crustacean shellfish [e.g. shrimp, lobster, crab, and crawfish], peanuts, and tree nuts [e.g. almond, walnut, and hazelnut]). And for example, if your child is allergic to dairy, there's a 50% chance that they're also allergic to soy. (Fun, fun, fun! NOT.)

So, in order to see if your child's condition improved due to diet, you'd have to eliminate one (or more) of those allergens completely for a month or more to see if the ear infections cleared up, and then reintroduce the food to see if the symptoms return.

An *excellent* book to check out of your local library that discusses undiagnosed allergy, its affects on children, and what you can do to help (including ideas for diet changes), is Dr. Doris Rapp's book called "Is This Your Child" (Dr. Rapp is a pediatric allergist and has been in practice for many, many years). It's definitely worth the read.

* ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES
Craniosacral Therapy
Chiropractic

Best of luck to you - we've had to deal w/ the "does she need tubes?" dilemma, too, with our daughter. We found Dr. Rapp's book to help us make a more informed decision about whether tubes would be right for our daughter.

Also, as a child, I personally had 6 different sets of tubes put in my ears and countless rounds of amoxicillin (the pink stuff!). The result was that I ended up w/ scarring on both eardrums and eventually cholestiatomas (small benign tumors http://www.earsite.com/tumors/cholesteatoma.html)... and then 3 more surgeries (mastoidectomy & timpanoplasty) in my teens and early 20s (2 surgeries on the right, 1 on the left) to remove these tumors and repair the eardrums (skin grafts).

I know this doesn't happen to every child who gets tubes, but I would personally try to avoid tubes because it's pretty common to have more than 1 set. I'd try diet changes first, as well as chiropractic care and craniosacral therapy to see if that would help w/ the drainage - if none of that helped, then I'd consider tubes next. That's just me though, and obviously each parents has to do what feels right to them.

Hope your little guy's ears clear up soon, however that has to happen! :)

My daughter had them put in when she was 7 months old and has had 1 ear infection since then (which was pretty gross...all the fluid that would normally build up in the ear drained out instead - no wonder it hurts!). She was 2 in November. It really is over as soon as you sit down...however, I recommend you go back there with him. I went with my daughter and yes, it was hard to deal with but she's a "mommy's girl" and it was going to be stressful enough for HER with a bunch of people she didn't know standing around....so I decided to just suck it up and go back there with her. It's probably not the only thing I am going to see as a parent that I'd rather not see...right! If you are on the West Side, our ENT is fabulous and Fairview has a service where someone will take you on a tour of the facility and explain exactly what will happen. They show you the tubes and answer any questions you might have AND one of the people from her deaprtment was there on the day of the surgery to help us if we needed it. Best of luck to you!

Hi I am the mom of 4 boys. 4, 3, and twin 1 yr olds. My oldest son was speech delayed, and I couldn't figure out why.. My Dr. said "i didn't sepak until I was 3" Like that made a difference. I was sure it was something else.. by the time he was 2 we still had no real answer, My instincts told me he couldn't hear out of one ear. I MADE the DR. have his hearing checked.(He was one of those who had ear infection, with no sypmtoms)Turns out he had fluid built up behind his ear that prevented his ability to hear without it sounding garbled. I pushed for ear tubes asap. Now my second was 9 months old, he 6 Ear Infections on 9 months, he had the surgery at that point, and my oldest had his at 2 1/2yr sold. I was nervous as well. But There was SUCH a difference it was crazy.. My oldest is now speaking with no problems, Had we waited like our Dr wanted, his speech pattern would have become set, and he would have had a life time of speech difficulties. SO Now my twins are on their 4 ear infection in 6 months, Tomorrow(1/16) they meet with the ENT specialist. I WANT them to have the tubes.,. I already see speech delays, and I know it is from the fluid in the ears.
The surgery doesn't take long at all. they are in/out. I hope my long version helps you in making your decision.
let me know if I can be further help.
Kathy

YES! DO IT! I went throgh the same thing with my dd, and ds. My son had so much fluid in his ear for so long that it actually affected his speech and he is now in speech therapy.

The procedure itself is only a few minutes, and is not h*** o* them at all. We were at the hospital at 7:30 and home by like 9-9:30, I thought he'd be tired, sick, in pain, HA! He ate a huge breakfast and played, you never would have known that he had surgery that morning.

All in all, it was much worth saving them countless days of sickness and fevers from the infections. If you'd like to talk more, you can e-mail me personally.

HTH
T.

Go ahead with the tubes...they are great...My son is 8 years old now. He had tubes put in his ears when he was 3. We fought ear infection after ear infection from the time he was born until he was 11 months old, he had 9 infections. I was really scared to of the surgery, but really, it's nothing, it's a fast procedure. We were at the hospital for an hour I think and he was ready to go home..Since the tubes came out when he was 4 years old, He's not had one problem with his ears. So, don't let anyone scare you with the tube and surgery deal. I don't know where you're from, but if you're close to the Springfield area. Dr.Duvall is the best and he's awesome with kids....I WOULD SEND ANYONE TO HIM!!! Actually we have an appointment for a check up on Thursday....Don't be freaked!! Everything will go just fine...Any questions, just message me back or my email address is ____@____.com

Tubes are a very safe and "routine" surgery. Many of the docs that do them do that exact surgery all day 2-3 times a week!! My daughter had hers put in when she was 18months old. I wished I had done it sooner! She never had another ear infection after. She also had her tonsils out when she was 2 1/2~ I can count on 1 hand the #of times she has been sick since~she's now 9! I would definately go ahead with it! If you have any questions on some docs to go to in the Dayton area, just let me know!!(I work in surgery as a scrub tech!)

First let me say I have no personal experiences with this with my own children but I do know lots of people (I used to be a teacher in both infant and toddler classrooms at Daycare centers) who have gone with the surgery and I don't know anyone who regretted it. I did have a friend whose children (they were about 2 and 6 mos) had repetitive ear infections and she took them to a chiropractor to treat them. She said it was helping and the ear infections were now very infrequent, but I don't know any of the details. I believe the procedure is very minor and uninvasive, but I can't imagine watching my child be sedated - I'm sure it's not a big deal but I can understand your hesitation. Good luck.

My daughter get them all the time. Since she was a baby. (They will get them all the time.) She has had 4 or 5 this year. But the dr. said "for her to get one more before he thinks about tubes for her. " I had tubes put in my ears in the early 80's. It help me. If your son gets alot of them it could hurt his learning in school.