Baby with Fluid in His Ear

I had two boys who went through ear infections every month. The doctor would give the antibiotics for 10 days and say it was clear and they would get it back again. We finally went to a specialist.a pediatric ent. He said the antibiotics did not have time to clear up the infection for only 1o days. He gave them antibiotics 3 times a day for 3 weeks. It cleared them up and they didn't have another ear infection until my youngest was 12. I do not know if this will help but my pediatrician said theirs cleared up but didn't. I found a new doctor. Good luck

Before looking at tubes, take him to a chiopractor that is used to working with babies, they can adjust him and clear up those ear infections, I have a friend of mine who's son had a ton of ear infections until she took him in and hasn't had one since , he's 6yrs now

Hi K., you have a ton of responses on this topic. I did not read any of them. What I did with my now 4 year old was I took him to my chiropractor and he did a small adjsutment and the fluid drained and never came back with another ear infection. He was set to get tubes also. I did not knwo what else to do either. My DR of course sent us to the ENT but I knew there had to be another way besides major surgery. I have 2 nephews that had chronic ear infections bot got tubes and both still get ear infections. You really need to get to the root of the fluid problem and then the infections will never come back. I do hope this helps.

I don't know if your doctors office is like mine but you could prob call them and explain it to them and ask them to call in something to your pharmacy for the pain.

well, my son had the same issues, he is now 15 mos, old and has had a few ear infections to the point of where they had to give him the highest dose of antibiotic shots in his legs, but he did get over the infection and his ear drum ruptured but healed fine and he can hear good, because he has learned new words even this week.

My advice be patient..he will heal, the last resort dr want to take are tubes which is where my son was headed, it does get better, I did buy over the counter ear drops that are homeopathic and you can buy these almost anywhere and give infant tylenol at night to help with sleeping and my son did fine, so my advice to you hang in be patient it is a growing pain for a lot of kids...

S. l'ville, GA

K.,
I know how frustrating this can be. I have been able to help a lot of mom's with this same concern for their children. I am a chiropractor, and I find that if there is pressure on the ear tube from the mal-position of a bone in their neck, this can lead to multiple ear infections, and no answer to why there is excess fluid in there.
Please visit my web page- and if you have any questions, or would like to talk to me directly, please do not hesitate to call.
In health,
Dr. Heather Wyant
www.acfamilychiro.com

Don't know if this is doctor approved, but we used it with all of our children since the second (we have 6). Our second had fluid buildup and no infection, but his hearing was affected and his eardrums were bulging so they were gonna put tubes in his ears. We gave him the original Dimetapp every night at bedtime and once during the day. Also we put drops in his ears that were half rubbing alcohol and half distilled white vinegar (this part came as recommendation by our previous doctor). His pain went away with the first dose of Dimetapp. I took him back to the pediatrician every 2 or 3 days (she kept telling me it wouldn't work), and 2 days before the scheduled surgery for tubes, his ears were completely clear. She was amazed and told me that we still had to go back to the ENT. He looked at Daniel's ears and said, "It would be unethical for me to put tubes in his ears. What did you do?" So I told him. I wonder if he ever tells any of his patients about it or just puts the tubes in. Daniel's hearing came back completely. Before this he was 2 and completely non-verbal. Afterwards he began learning about 10 new words a day! Good luck!

K.--Try Similasan for Babies. It is homeopathic and available at Wal-Mart over the counter.

If you have a good health food store, they carry a product called an EAR CANDLE. It sounds barbaric, but it can pull a lot of junk out of the ear canal. The store will have directions available for using this. At the same good health food store you might be able to locate a drop from a company called "herbs for kids". It is a willow bark, garlic and olive oil drop that will help clear up ear infections.

Remember that you cannot always clear an ear infection with antibiotics. And it is not good to use them too often. There is a great book called "Smart Medicine for a Healthy Child", it will tell you what conventional medicine will prescribe, and then herbal and homeopathic remedies. It has worked well for me in the past.

Also Baush and Lomb make a prescription drop that numbs the inside of the ear. I moved from the best pediatrician in the world to a big town and a group of doctors. I have always requested the drops from the group--they never offer it--I do not know why--it isn't even that expensive! It makes sleep easier to come by.

I am a SAHM of four, just turned forty, have been married for 15 years. I have 12 down to 9 months. Have confidence in your own ability to help your child, and request help for what you need from the doctors. C.

My DD has had lots of ear infections to. It is easy with fluid in his ear for it to turn into another ear infection. Watch out for the signs like fever that I am sure you are aware of. I know that sleeping upright should help - like elevating the crib or having them sleep in carseat, but at that age it is much more difficult.

Does he have a runny nose too? It is all connected. We would put saline in DDs nose before bed and it would help her get rid of the mucus and seemed to help her.

I hope he feels better soon.

Im in pharmacy school and see a lot of children with this problem. To help just relieve the pain, you can drop a couple of drops of sweet oil (plain olive oil that you would use in the kitchen is the same thing) in his ear. I have no idea why this works, but it will take the pain away for your little one. Good luck! Hope he feels better soon!

My son had the same situation and he ended up getting tubes in his ears. The surgery is NO BIG DEAL. By the time you get a chance to worry the procedure is over. He hasn't had but one infection since and his is almost 6. We had the tubes put in right about your sons age.

Sorry to hear about your little one's ear infection. I would seek another opinion. I am not sure where you all are from but we use Dr. Christopher Vickery off of Belair Rd in Evans. He is wonderful. Hope this helps. In the meantime, you could use the heating pad set on low to help ease some of the pain. Take care.

T. Ouzts
Waynesboro, GA
mom to Shelby, 3 yrs old, osteopathia striata with cranial scelrosis,g-tube 2005-2007, nissen fundoplication, Tracheostomy, speech delay, repaired cleft palate, GERD 2004-2006, hearing impaired and most of all my heart.
www.carepages.com babyshelby
www.myspace.com/tracelyn28
Proverbs 3:5-6 says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."

I don't know how to stop the pain, but I have a suggestion to help prevent future ear infections. Teach him how to drink out of a cup or a regular straw. The only time that my children got an ear infection was when I was training our younger son to drink from a cup. We used sippy cups and spill proof straw cups. The pressure from having to suck so hard caused them ear infections. I had to put my older child's drinks into the spill proof cups as well so the one year old would not turn over his older brother's drinks onto the floor. Good luck.

K.,
I definately feel your pain.... I have two boys, a 2 yr old and a 7 month old. Just last week I had to have my son get tubes in his ear as he had 5 ear infections since december, and a month ago my 2 year old had many ear infections and the fluid was not clearing and had to have tubes as well. I would see if your doctor is against this, or if you can go and see an ENT and see what they have to say. It has helped my 2 yr old and hopefully will do the same to my seven month old.
Good Luck!!!
K.

I would suggest going to a good chiropractor. My kids & I have been going to Dr. Theobald in Mt. Pleasant for about 8yrs. now. My oldest has been going to him since he was 2 & my youngest since he was born, they are now 11 & 5. Both of my boys have only had 1 ear infection. On someone as young as your son, he would use a hand held gadget to adjust him & this would allow the fluid to drain. If you go to him as well, the child(ren) get adjust for free. FYI: He got rid of my migraine headaches.

Hi K.,

I can commensurate with you. My now 3 1/2 year old suffered from chronic ear infections when he was an infant. I never found anything that helped him with the pain. We did motrin, tylenol, his physician finally gave him codeine and at that point we went for tubes. The decision to place tubes was the absolute best decision we ever made. It cleared his ears, runny nose, respiratory issues, etc. Not sure if you are or have given any thoughts to placing tubes but one that maybe you should consider. I can tell you that I will not hestitate the next time around like I did with Caleb. Good Luck!! C.

My daughter had 4 double ear infections in 4 months that stared when she was 15 months old. I alternated tylenol and motrin every 2-3 hours to help with the pain. Her doc told us we could do this until we had had tubes put in her ears. When we did that, it was our miracle. She has now had tubes for over a year and not one ear infection! The surgery was scary but it helped so much. Good luck and be sure you do what you feel like your child needs. I had to change docs. If you dont feel like you are getting the results you want from your current doc, find a new one. Constant ear infections and fluid in the ears can lead to permanent damage. Good luck

K.,

Take it from someone who went through this as a child, PLEASE, take your baby boy to another doctor. I was blessed to have an excellent ENT specialist from the start. Ear pain can be so excruciating, I can understand why he is so cranky. I sympathize with him, I remember some of the pain, you just don't forget it! I had tubes put in/taken out and that took care of infections. I've also had tonsils removed and adenoids removed due to temporary hearing loss when I was a toddler. If you get prescription ear drops to put in his ears, "heat" up the bottle of them in a warm glass of water. That is much better than cold drops going in the ear (the warmness helps seems to help the ear relax). It sounds like about one infection a month, long enough for one to clear up, and another one to start. Please just go see a different doctor. To view a practicing Georgia doctor's credentials, go to the state board site at: http://www.medicalboard.state.ga.us/bdsearch/index.html
Good luck. I will say a prayer for your son.
L.

You may have to stick to Tylenol or Motrin as needed for the ear discomfort. They do have prescription ear drops to treat pain, but how well they work for middle ear pain is debatable.
Most middle ear fluid will clear on its own in 8weeks, but if you suspect his ear infection is back....of course contact his Dr.
Sorry I did not have any other great ideas, or any info on herbal remedies......

Hi, K. so you'e seen Ear nose thoat Doctor right...
also try elevated your child bed this will help , while he's sleeping, wish you luck, bye.....Sumter SC

Hi. I have 4 kids and my 2nd one had double ear infections every month from the time he was 9 months. We have a close friend who is a chiropractor and we told him about it. By this time my son was 15 months old and had already had a ruptured ear drum. I took my son to see the chiropractor and he made the tiniest adjustment laying his head on my chest. My son has not had an ear infection since. It was amazing! Our friend is Kenneth Boscher at Conyers Chiro. With kids you want to make sure you go to someone who knows what they are doing so they arent making unnecessary adjustments. I hope this helps!

I am a mother of four and my baby, who is now 19 months, was diagnosed with Celiacs disease (a severe gluten intolerance, ie. allergies to wheat, oats, rye and barley). He had recurrent ear infections and constant fluid in his ears. My other son also had allergies as a child...same thing...too many ear infections. To get the fluid to clear, I had to give him Sudafed for awhile. I'm a natural kind of mom and use alot of natural remedies, however, there is not a good replacement for clearing fluid. You have to ask the desk clerk at your pharmacy for children's Sudafed and then sign for it. Ask your pharmacist for a syringe and dosing. Use it for a while just to clear up that fluid. Then, I would seriously consider seeing an allergist. That many ear infections is not a normal part of babyhood and signifies that a child is creating too much fluid to clear the body of allergens which is why they get fluid in their little ears. When it sits for long periods of time, it is a wonderful breeding ground for bacteria...and then the ear infectious cycle begins. Allergy testing for infants is a skin test...a little uncomfortable for them, but, definately worth finding out if there are foods that need to be avoided. But, it's not as accurate as the needle testing--which they do not do for infants (thank goodness). If tests come back negative...don't give up. I would strongly suggest that you do some research or google search on "ear infections and allergies" and "food elimination diets". I would also suggest that you check out Dr. Sears website. He's awesome for baby info. "askdrsears.com"

Anyway...I've spent years studying the topic of alternative health because doctor's have never had answers for our family's health issues. We have been blessed to find so many answers in the alternative world...even the cure for the common cold and flu. It's great!! I will warn you, however, not all alternative measures, doctors, supplements are created equal...it will take some dilligence and research. For me, it has also taken a great deal of prayer and persistence. But, the answers are worth it. If you would like any further info...I would love to talk to you anytime.

Good luck!!

We use something called Ear and Nerve extract to put in the ear. I put the bottle of it in a small glass of warm/hot water to warm it up and put it in their ear. It's wonderful stuff and we are NEVER without it. We do natural remedies about 99.9% of the time and I am amazed at how this stuff works. www.herbsfirst.com. I don't know how far away you are from me, but I have an unopened, still has the seal on, bottle here that you could buy from me. I'm in Auburn next to Dacula. I gave my last bottle to a friend of mine whose sweetheart couldn't go to work due to an ear infection, so this enabled him to go. Just email me privately, if you are interested.

But, there are other things you could do as well. Just make sure you warm up whatever you put in the ear. Colloidal silver (I have that too), garlic oil, get some garlic from the store and put a clove in his ear. You could keep on hand, your own concoction of garlic oil. You can go to your local health food store (there is a great one called 'Good Nutrition' off of Beaver Ruin Rd and off of McGinnis Ferry Rd. Again, I don't know where you are at, but these two health food stores are wonderful and would direct you in the proper direction with what they have there.

Becareful Ear infections are a side effect of vaccines.

If your baby is falling down alot that points to the pressure from the water in his ear is throwing off his equilibrium.

Try Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide in the ears that might help.

I would also get his ears candled that might help pull out some of the water.

Go see a Homeopath to help with the Ear Aches and help get your child healthy.

All Doctors do is perscribe drugs with side effects.

Infant Tylenol or Infant Motrin will help with the pain. Just only give the Tylenol or Motrin for a couple of days, if the pain is still there at that point, take you son back to the pediatrician.

Four ear infections since November? Is he around any smokers? Secondhand smoke is one of the leading causes of ear infections in children. I lived with my mother, who is a smoker, with my oldest son and he had ear infections constantly and finally got tubes put in his ears at 16 months old. Of my three youngest children, who are not around smokers at all, only one of them had an ear infection ever, and that was only one time.

Good luck.

Hey K.,
My child had that problem also when she was little and somtimes will not go away.I took my child to another doc and got a second look.She was getting them so much and hurting it is was not far and also being on so many meds could harm her.She had tubes put into her ears and we have had no problems since then.she was 6months old and now she is going to be 4!check another doc and give him some pain med over the couter for now put get him into another doc or tell your doc you would like to go see a ears noise throat doctor now!or you just take him your self,you go on your feelings,sometimes we are our childrens doctors!wishing you the best of luck! try also one more thing a warm wash cloth!

Hi K....I remember looking up natural ear ache relief remedies on the internet and found several that I tried and they seemed to work. You may want to check the net for ideas. Some were using a hot water bottle (place a towel in between the ear and bottle...i've also used a heating pad)...drops of mineral oil....and alcohol/white vinegar solution or warm garlic oil has been reported to be very helpful (check out natural cure reviews)...hope this helps somewhat.

My friends baby doctor gave her pain drops for her two children (ages 3 and 4) when they had ear infections. My doctor did not give me anything when my child had an ear infection the first time. After speaking to my girlfriend, I called and told my doctor I wanted pain drops for my sons ears and wanted the prescription called in at my pharmacy. The medicine is in a squeeze dropper bottleand is called A/B Otic Ear Drps QUA.
You have to place 3 to 4 drops in the ear(s) every 3 to 4 hours. I put six drops in my two year olds ear because he acted as though he needed it and it worked so wonderfully. I do not know why EVERY kid doesn't just get these when they have an ear infection!
My son would wake up and stand in the bed crying holding his ear in the middle of the night but not after I got the drops.
I do not understand Doctors sometimes! If my girlfriend had not "educated" me my child would still have been hurting for nothing!!!
I do want to mention the second time my son had an ear infection he was given 10 day antibiotics and then a 5 day stronger one when the infection was resisitant but having those drops was still crucial to releiving his ear pain and for now he is ear infection FREE! If it does reoccur I know what to do to help him not hurt!

My daughter, who is 12 years old now, has had 10 ear surgeries and deals with hearing issues all the time.Trust me when I tell you that the fluid may not go away by itself. When fluid stays in the ear for 3 months or longer, your child will have a permanet hearing loss. I would suggest going to an ENT pretty quickly and doing some research online about the issue. Make sure you ask the doctor specific questions and he or she answers them.
We have actually been to approx. 5 different ENT doctors. The last straw was when one doctor, told me that my child could hear just fine and not to worry about her... But, I knew something was wrong and found a different doctor. After the hearing test,which she failed, we were scheduling surgery. The doctor told me, "Your child can not hear!" I'm not trying to scare you to death, but do what you think is right!
Prior to her last surgery, she was at a 30% hearing loss in each ear. At the present time she is within the hearing limits, but she has to sit on the front row in every class. Any distractions or noise in the classroom, and she can not function.
C.

I do not want to come across the wrong way, but I feel that you may want a second opinon. Every time your child has an ear infection it leaves scarring in the ear. If your child is falling down a lot his ear infection could be causing an imbalance and he could easily get hurt. It is worth a second opinon from another doctor. Have you considered a Nose, Ear, Throat doctor. Good luck and I hope you son is well soon. May God be with you.

Have you tried chiropractic care? Many times there is some sort of blockage in the drainage that can be corrected almost immediately with chiropractic care :) If you visit www.icpa4kids.com you can find a pediatric specialist in your area.
I think it's about 80% of ear infections that are not treatable with antibiotics, and many times tubes are unsuccessful because baby's ear canals are not fully developed yet.
If you are skeptical of chiropractic care, I can personally say I was too, until I went, and have talked to MANY chiropractors and families that have found similar benefits, including clearing up ear infections in as little as 1 or 2 visits! The birth process can be very traumatic, especially if there was any instrumental intervention, and can lead to things like frequent ear infections.
I hope this helps! It's definitely worth a try!

If you can get him to sleep on his side, place a warm water bottle or a heating pad (set to low) under the affected ear. This should relieve the pressure and encourages drainage. And you can give him baby Motrin for the pain. Hope your little one is feeling better soon.

First of all to help with the pain they make a numbing drop for the ears ask the Dr for it, it really helps. Second go to he drug store they sell a homeopathic ear drop that will help dry up the fluid. Last most ear infections are caused by a food allergy. The number one food allergy is milk. If you are breastfeeding contact a local LLL leader for help. (you will have to remove all dairy from you diet) If you are not breastfeeding try using a soy formula. If you have already done this and he is still getting ear infections the second common allergen is soy so you may have to try the super expensive formula there are two different types by different companies ask your doctor for a recommendation.

Our son had ear infections when he was 9-12 mo old. A lady with 7 kids told us to add a little garlic powder to his food. It did the trick, now we even use it for colds. The only thing is my husband thought if a little would work alot would be better and our child reeked! So just go easy, Like less than 1/4 of a teaspoon added to his food 2x a day.

hi K., my son is almost 3 years old and has had many ear infections. pretty much nonstop since august. they would clear up after antibiotics and then 3 days later be back, even after a recheck with an all clear from the pediatrician. they infections NEVER cleared up on their own and we never got rid of the fluid completely. i can totally relate to your problem. we finally brought my son to an ENT and he had a lot of negative pressure (fluid) and we opted for tubes...it was the best thing we ever did! he has been infection free for a month and has even had a cold but it didn't go further than that. i would ask your pedi about seeing an ENT , i wish we had done it sooner--it was a very easy procedure--literally took 3 minutes. and it's such a relief to not have him in constant pain anymore. i hope you get some relief for your baby!

K., You need to take your child to an Ear, Nose, & Throat Doctor (ENT) for an evaulation. Another thing an antihistamine/decongestant combined medicine for his age will also be helpful. Dairy products aggravate this condition in some children. Good Luck!

You might want to ask for a referral to an ENT specialist. My youngest had many ear infections and we took her to an ENT specialist and had tubes put in her ears. Let me tell you, it was an amazing difference! Suddenly she didn't get ear infections constantly, she slept better, she gained a little weight (she is very petite), she eats better and she is obviously much happier and more comfortable. Constant ear infections require a lot of antibiotics which can lead to some serious issues. Get the referral and talk to them then decide if it's right for you. I am so glad that we did it and if I could go back I would have forced the issue sooner.

K. - My youngest child had several ear infections during his first year and chronic fluid in both ears. Long story short, we tried every remedy but resorted to tubes for him b/c we just couldn't clear the fluid from his ears. He was not babbling the way he should, so we became concerned about speech delay issues. I'm not suggesting tubes, in fact, I would do everything possible to avoid them. They worked for our son, but he is now 3 and the tubes are still in place - which means they might have to be surgically removed - not a great option.

There is a book called "Dr. Denmark Said It!" by Madia Bowman. Dr. Denmark is/was an amazing pediatrician with a wealth of common sense knowledge. She suggests administering antibiotics every 3 hours around the clock for 72 hours. She also suggests removing milk from the diet and keeping the child off of carpet if possible (potential allergans). Had I known this, we would have pursued this route rather than tubes. Hope this helps you! Blessings - J.

Fourth one since Nov. Have they talked to you about getting tubes in his ears? that seems like a lot of ear infections. My daughter also had a lot of ear infections and hers seemed to be related to teething. I would give him tylenol or motrin to relieve his pain.

K., go talk to a chiropractor. I know it sounds silly, I work for one and we see a lot of kids with ear infections/problems. My son is almost 17 months old and never been sick! Nor has he ever had a shot/immunizations. All I'm saying is at least check it out. It is all natural, no drugs. Good luck! Or at least try a all natural store and tell them your situation.
Johna

Hi K.,
I would sugget taking your little one to get adjusted by a Chiropractor. My baby had a double ear infection and Roseola at 9 months. I took her in to get adjusted a few days in a row and then followed her up on a continous basis. She cleared up completely within about 3 days. As far as the reaccurance of infections, you could try giving him some Acidophilus. This is found naturally in yogurt but an increase can help build a stronger defense. If he has had a lot of ear infections and has been on antibotics in the past then this will definately benefit him. They sell supplements at Gods Green Acres in Summerville. Best of luck!

I would ask my doctor to see an ENT doctor. It could be that your child needs to have tube put in to help drain the fluid. My youngest son had this done when he was 13 months and it was the best thing we ever did for him. No more sleepless nights.

Hi K.-
Long story short... too much antibiotics is not good. Motrin and Tylenol doesn't help with what the little ones are dealing with in the ears. Over the counter, there is something called... "Ear Ache Drops". It's by a company called Simalisan. Not sure if I spelled the name right but you can warm up the little bottle in your hands or in any other place, like under the boob, lol, and then put a drop in the ear. I live by it for the discomfort the little ones have and have let my friends borrow it for their kids. There is a prescription version called A/B OTIC EAR DROPS (QUAL). Not many doctors think of it... it takes a good doctor to know about it. Then there is this stuff my doctor gave that dries up all that snot and drippy sinus and fluid in the ears called Rondec Syrup. It worked wonders for my two year old.
Good Luck!
J.... SAHM of a five and two year old that use to have fluid build up and ear infections! By the way, my five year old was one visit away from the ENT "specialists" too. Never made it for that.

I hear you. I had one who was very prone to ear infections. I really liked drops by herbs for kids...garlic and willow oil.
I have also used homeopathic remedies. Both of these can be found at whole foods or some health food stores. Sounds like he may need to beef up his immune system so I would recommend vitamin C and probiotics. I appload your doctor for not putting him on an antibiotic which will just make his immune system even weaker. Warm garlic oil or olive oil in the ear can be very soothing as well as a heating pad. A heated rice bag is really nice too. I hope some of this will help! If you decide to beef up his immune system with supplements/vitamins please look for whole food supplements and not synthetic ones and ones with lots of sugar. Use the best you can find and afford. It truly makes a difference. I have raised 11 children and pretty much stayed out of the doctors office and used antibiotics only 5 times in 21 years.

I hope your little ones gets relief soon! I know how hard it is to see them in pain!

Sincerely,
K.