My son was mildly ill for a week with some runny nose and mild occasional cough that was under control with meds and was able to go to school. By the end of the week in the middle of the night he had an ear ache. By the next night he was sitting up and there was so much fluid pressure on his ear drum that is burst and fluid came draining out with a tinge of pink and later mostly yellow. We took him to ER as it was late Friday night, waited forever, and he was given his first dose of antibiotic. We got his prescriptions the next day, oral and ear drops. I've been continuing his decongestant. He's overall acting pretty fine. Problem is the leaking is not stopping. Being it was in the middle of the night I didn't ask some questions being exhausted myself getting over an illness.
Anyone had a child with a burst ear drum? How long does the leaking continue? Just want to get an idea of what others have gone through. We have to go to the doc tomorrow for a follow, as long as they have an opening. I cannot send him to school with his ear constantly leaking. We put cotton just on the outside of his ear to soak it up and has to be changed often, otherwise he walks around holding a paper towel to his ear to catch the drips. The doc did say there was a very heavy amount of fluid in there and couldn't actually see the hole in the ear drum but between her and the Ear/Nose/Throat doc this is what happened.
Anyway, just looking to see what others have gone though. None of my kids have even had earaches since the 80s, let alone a burst ear drum. My son is 6.
Thanks,
K. B
mom to 5 including triplets
Taking him in today for his follow up at 2pm. Still leaking but not as bad but still changing out cotton often. He feels better though, acting almost normal.
**Doc looked him over. The hole had to be so tiny that it's already healed. Not unusal to have heavy fluid but she said it's drying up fast, mainly just redness left. One problem though was when the doc wanted to verify the dosage the ER only prescribed him half of what he should have been taking for his weight. So she doubled the anti-biotic and gave me another perscription to fill after this runs out. He's back in school today!
I've had my eardrums burst from infection so many times it's not funny. If he had an infection, and then the eardrum burst, he would not have been in pain, this would have released the pressure and the pain would be relieved. (I'm saying this from personal experience.)
My ear will typically drain for anywhere from 5-8 days after it ruptures. I wouldn't be surprised if it starts to slow down here soon.
Good luck to you mama!
oh, that is such a miserable thing to have happen. both my boys inherited my crappy ears and have had to deal with that. it does sometimes drain for several days afterwards. gah!
khairete
S.
Take him to an ENT-they are more specialized with issues concerning ears nose and throat. I would be really concerned about the fact that he has a burst eardrum. I would be worried about his hearing later on. I hope he feels better soon.
My son had a burst eardrum over Thankgiving weekend. (Yup, and while camping, no less!) That thing drained for 4 days! It's nasty, stinky, and really uncomfortable. The cotton balls in the ear are about the only thing you can do for the drainage.
Hope he gets to feeling better!
My daughter continued to get ear infections after her first set of tubes. Her ears would drain up to a week after starting treatment. Remember that his system continues to make fluid even after the infection is gone.
Keep his ears as dry as possible, finish the antibiotics, and follow up with the doctor to ensure his ear drum heals properly.
I have had my own eardrum burst and was writihing in pain...so on the one hand I think if his had burst he would have been screaming...but I agree that the fluid seems as if it had to come from a burst eardrum. I did not experience all that fluid that you are speaking of. Definitley try to get into that doctor's office. Good luck!
My son's burst when he was 3 yrs old. I don't recall fluid after the first day. Maybe there was some and we chalked it up to the draining of the drops we had to put in there every few hours? It is Monday, so I would call your regular doctor and let them know what happened, about your ER visit, etc, and ask them what to do. They may want to see him for themselves. And if so, I would take him in. Our son's was diagnosed in the ER as well, since it happened on a Saturday morning and the doctor was closed.
