My six year old daughter just got tubes in her ears yesterday, along with tonsil and adnoids removed. We still have weeks of summer left and she LOVES to swim in our little 3 1/2 foot deep above ground pool and at the lake. She just started actually swimming this summer and loves to go under water with a mask and snorkle. I asked the doctor and nurses how to protect her ears and they acted clueless. The doctor actually suggested cotton balls, which seems ridiculous to be - they would just fall out. One nurse gave me a handout on after care for tubes and it suggested the use of "earbands", but she didn't know what they were and neither do I. I want to let my daugher enjoy the rest of her summer, but definetly do not want to damage her ears! Please let me know what you have used and worked for you - a certain kind of plugs, bands or swim cap?? Or please any advice from nurses/doctors with a little more experience with this. I do really like her doctor. He works with kids and adults. He does not have any kids himself and I think he just doesn't get how important it is for her to swim. He was thinking more of just how to protect her ears during bathtime.
Just a regular old swim cap worked for me when I was a child and for every child I have ever known who had tubes. I don't know if you can find them in stores anymore but you can certainly find them online.
When I was young with tubes, my mom has specail ear plugs made. They were molds of my ears. I also had to wear a swim cap to help keep them in place. Your ENT should be able to recommend something.
I also cannot swim in lakes anymore without ear plugs.
I did the exact same thing with my son that Megan below describes. Although as an adult he CAN swim without plugs.
I would advise you get your daughter on probiotics and keep her on them. Could prevent ear infections in the future, even after the tube push out.
My daughter had this molded plastic stuff that I bought at Wal-Mart. It was like two soft lumps of plastic that I could mold and fit in her ears. It comes in different colors and I see lots of kids at the pool wearing them too. I didn't care for the ear band - it is exactly like it sounds . . . imagine a swim cap with no top, just a big rubber band that goes around the head and covers the ears.
I would get the soft plastic ear plugs and if they don't stay in well, top it off with a swim cap.
Good luck.
Hi Mama-
I know they make wax ear plugs that you can warm up and will stick in your child's ears. My sisters pediatrician was telling her about that. There are silicone ones, too. I have seen some at target, but you may want to call your ped's office and ask the nurse which are the best ones. They may even get you a prescription. Basically, you just want the opening to be blocked. Loads of kids had them when I was younger, and I only every saw them use the wax.
put some in, let it sit, and then try it in the tub our shower. As long as your little ones are careful, they should be fine. You can also wear one of those swim caps that goes over the ears to protect the wax/silicone. It molds to the ears when warm, and your daughter should be just fine. Try the ones at Target- they are $5-$6 for a pack of 3 sets, and they are reusable. =)
-Erin M
My son has ear tubes and his ENT doc told us that we didn't have to worry about water getting into the tubes for normal swimming and bathing. He said that he would have to go at least 6 feet underwater for the pressure to be enough to get inside the tubes (yes, you get water in your ears when you swim, but not deep within the ear where the tubes sit). If it makes you feel more comfortable, you can buy wax ear plugs at Walgreen's that you can just press at the entrance of their ears to block the water. We used them the first couple of times our son went swimming after he got his tubes since we were a little nervous and they didn't seem to bother him too much. However, we stopped using them and he's had his tubes for 2 summers with no problems.
My daughter also has tubes in her ears , we had to keep her ears free of water for 2 weeks afrer the surgery , so during bath time/hair washing we put some cotton wool in her ears with some vaseline on it. After that 2 weeks period we were ok to go swimming , but she is not allowed to swim in lakes while the tubes are in her ears , probably something to do with the bacteria in the water , whereas a pool is sterile. So for the next couple of weeks avoid the pool but after that it should be fine , and avoid lake swimming altogether.
First of all for a dr. to say to use "cotton balls" is really weird. It sounds like he doesn't know much about tubes! Did you ask a ENT Specialist? If not just call one near you and they should be able to tell you what to use. Go to Walmart and near the pharmacy they have several "MOLDING PLUGS" that are good for swimmers.All you have to do is wram them up in your hands and put them in the ears and shape it to fit the ear. I would also use a hair cap..................But I would wait for a wk or until her throat and things are heeled before I let her in the water. Because she can get infections really easy. And it is easier to rule out things that way.
Gook Luck and I hope She as ALOT of POPCYCLES and NOT ICE CREAM it can make her cough and build flem.
I have twins and they both had to undergo tubes twice. I'm surprised the doctor/nurses were so clueless especially if they are ENT's because my ENT wanted to sell me the special made ear plugs but I opted not to buy because they were too darn expensive.
Go to Walmart they have pretty much the same thing as the ENT pushes on you. The ones I found were orange and they were quite big for the ears because I think they were made more for the adults than children but I just cut them in half and used in the ears. My girls have to be half fish so I understand what you are talking about. I actually had a discrepency with my ENT because one of them said they really didn't need to have ear plugs unless they were submerging their heads under water and then another one said why chance it? Even if in the bathtub I would make them wear them so I did because I didn't want to chance an infection.......Oh and I think have seen the same ear plugs at Target too but they are like maybe silicone rubbery strechy material-lol. I can't think of how to describe them if you have never seen them before.
I agree with the others here - our Dr told us to keep them 'dry', but that bathtime wasn't an issue. Just not to let her lay down in the tub where she would get a lot of water in them - if they got a bit in while we were washing that was fine. If she went swimming, they also recommend the kind that you 'mold' into their ear. I think they were a silicone one. I think I finally found ours at Walgreens. I had a hard time finding them when I was looking.
My son had like Megan special ear plug made at the ENT office that had to be remade(as he had grown after a year.).This is what he was wearing for bath too.For us they told us it is best (although not obligated ) to prevent water in the ear canal until the tubes fall out on their own.Our neighbor son had the same surgery and his tubes fall out after six months,for my son it was two years.(he had the surgery at 3 years old,the neigbor's child was more like five at time of surgery).So, i don't know if age has anything to do with when the tubes will fall out on their own.I like the special made ear plug as it was always the perfect shape as it is a stong plastic plug.We tried cotton balls(cheapest option )and seriously it wasn't neither convenient or proctective enough. They also were not ok with swimming in stream and river for at least six months after surgery(because of possible infection).It was fine in public pool though as long as he had his ear plug on.My son is now five year old and can go swimming wherever he want whenever he want with nothing in his ears anymore.
If your ENT does the special molded plug ,i will invest in it.Ours were like sixty dollars but they did lasted a year. Good luck.
Nathalie
Our 2 year-old daughter has had tubes twice, and the ENT has given the same advice both times.
Swimming in the ocean/chlorinated pools is fine. Lake water should be avoided for 1 year because it is full of bacteria that can reinfect the ears. We've chosen to heed that advice because we don't want a 3rd go around with tubes before age 3.
You can use plugs, but they're not fool proof. I'd err on the side of caution and avoid anything that could make her have to go under anesthesia again, if possible.
For the record, she needed them the second time because they naturally fell out the first time and the fluid trapped was a breeding ground for bacteria/infection.
my son used a swimming cap....we found a navy blue and he wore that when swimming. it did pretty good on keeping out the water in the ears!!
we just got the ear molds, and well, they're too tight for my daughter's ears. so i complained about it because they couldn't get them in to stay in even while in their office, so the lady just dropped them in my hand and said: well they're too tight so what? she will grow and then they will fit. WTF?
paid 120 for useless junk
so i am back to regular kids swim wax earplugs. they're not foolproof but that's what i am stuck with. i also use the earband it to keep them in place. got the earband it via amazon.com
read reviews, as i ended up getting the small sized ear band it rather than the medium even though the medium is recommended for my age daughter turned out it was too big. the small fits
earband it...you can't use it alone. it soaks up the water. but it's to be used to keep the earplugs in place
3rd set of f&^%$# tubes for us. hate them passionately but now they have become a necessity. i hate those things. 1st ENT said don't get her ears wet with anything. so we used earplugs
2nd ENT said ears can get water in them. that's fine. first time she got water in them she developed an ear infection and the tubes fell.
3rd ENT said do whatever you can to prevent water from getting in. even recommended the custom made earplugs (the ones that i am stuck with now because they don't fit).
so use your judgement as, per experience, ENT have no clue about ear tubes nor what to do afterwards.
good luck
We used the Ear Band-it with Puddy Buddies. It was easy to use and easily purchased at Amazon.com.
I haven't read any responses - but my daughter got 2 sets of tubes. One at age 2 and one at age 3 (2nd set of tubes she got her adnoids out as well). She was in swimming lessons. Our ENT said pools were ok. He said pools are ok up to 3 ft deep, oceans and baths are ok but NO lakes. I never used any type of ear plug and she was fine.
my 3 is on his second set of tubes so far. the first time the doc told me that if we go into "dirty" water aka: lakes,ponds, etc he needed ear plugs. in pools, baths etc he would be fine. then went he just got this last set of tubes in feb he said to keep them dry, so i dont know if he put the other kind of tubes in or not but i rarely use plugs in the bathtub just out of laziness i guess but he doesn't put water on his head and his siblings know better than to do that. but what i use are call puddy buddies and the band. I LOVE them. they are super easy to put in and he will leave them in his ears!! follow the link that is where i bought my band system(the band and the ear plugs) they are a great company, if you ordered your band system today you would get them early next week. :) best part is if you follow them on facebook they send out codes also for discounts :) even better huh? good luck
http://www.earbandit.com/go2/puttybuddies.cfm
when he first got his tubes i went to meijer and walmart and bought those ear plugs and HATED them, they were "hard" and he would squirm when i put them in, when i got the puddy buddies,which is like a play-do feeling very soft, he never wiggled at all when i put them in!! skip the store crap and go for the puddy buddies you will not be dissopointed at all!
Just get some earplugs from Target. My son has had tubes since he was under 2yrs old and he loves swimming.
My stepson had 6 sets of tubes total, and we were always told NOT to get any water in his ear. he wore ear plugs every time he took a bath or shower. For the pool, we bought these big orange looking ear plugs, so they could be easily seen if they fell out. BUT we never allowed him to put his head under water at all. We made sure he always kept it above water.
We were told early on that water can damage the tubes, and can sit in the ear and cause the infections. As he kept going through sets, we were told that somehow water was getting in the ears at times, and that would be the cause of so many of his ear infections.
We went to a pediatric ear speicialist.