Ear Infections - Saint Paul,MN

I just wanted to give you a heads up. My daughter suffered from chronic ear infections and though she did not need tubes nor did it effect her hearing she does have some speech and language dleays because of it. She is 6 now ans get speech therapy at her school 3 days a week. That is something you need to watch out for as you daughters speech gets more developed especially around the age of three. Thats when I noticed that the toddlers at the childcare center I taught at had better language skills than my daughter.

My daughter had 3 ear infections in 3 months. I got this book: "No More Antibiotics: Preventing and Treating Ear and Respiratory Infections the Natural Way" from the library that teaches you how to do massage around the ear to help prevent. She hasn't had one in two months now. The book was a great education. There's another version called No More Amoxicillian which is the one I found at the library.

http://www.amazon.com/More-Antibiotics-Preventing-Respira...

2 out of my 3 kids have tubes...one had them at 13 months of age and the other at 12 months. My 3 week old also had an ear infection. For us, it is just hereditary and bad genetics. Ear infections are caused by many things, but there is no clear answer to stopping them. Although my son only had 1 infection after his tubes were placed, compared to 9 months straight of infections and antibiotics. My daughter has not had any, compared to 12 months straight of infections. Yes, I've read information on the pacifier use, it has to do with pressure not infections due to sucking. But it can also be related to using a bottle. Best advice is to find a pediatrician that has evening hours (we use Southdale Peds in Burnsville, they are great and schedule same dayap pointments with an MD until 9pm) and then chart the ear infections for frequency. Also, go see an ENT, get a tympanogram and a hearing test.

Recurrent ear infections can seriously damage the hearing ability and reduce language acquisition. Advice from moms' are great, but an ENT will explain the anatomy and why she keeps getting them. Also, connecting with a pediatrician consistently might make you feel better since you are doing the best for her.

Tube placement takes about 4 minutes alltogether, very simple procedure. They can actually do it without putting the kids to sleep....not sure I would want that for my kids though.

Good luck, contact me if you want more info/support.

S.

I know the Dr's at Caron Chiropractic and they have said that an adjustment can help with ear infections. They are great with small children too. It's worth a shot-at least try it before resorting to tubes.

Caron's # is ###-###-#### They are open MWF 7am to 6 pm & T,TH 9am to 5 pm & take Medica, HealthPartners, BC/BS, Preferred One, Medicare, VA & most other major insurance carriers.

Good luck!
A.

Ear infections are not fun! My son is now 2 1/2, and got tubes in his ears on March 16th (at 23 months). For him, that was the right choice. It is a very hard choice to make, and I was afraid to do it, afraid I was making him get something done he didn't need, or that it might not even help. The ENT told me that 1 in 4 children still get ear infections with them, and most will still get 1 or 2. The tubes stay in anywhere from 4 months to a year. My son has had them in for 7 months (today) and they are still working well. He has not had one ear infection since he got them. Before he got them, we were in the same situation as you. Amoxicillin doesn't work for him, cefzil did, but they started to wonder if it ever went away at all, because within a few days of finishing antiobiotics, we were back in. Luckily, at that time, I was a nanny and able to take him in to his regular Dr during the day, and bring the other child with. He started getting ear infections at 4 months old, and had quite a few until 16 months, when he stopped going to daycare. Then he didn't get one for 4 months, and I thought we were going to be lucky. Then around Thanksgiving last year, he got one. I wasn't worried, one after 4 months wasn't too big of a deal. But then they were constant. We finally saw an ENT in Feb, who wouldn't give me any opinions, just told me how the tubes work, and everything like that, but not what he thought for my son's situation. I wanted an opinion from him, but because they are not necessary, they don't give you an opinion. You can either put your child through a simple surgery (and being put to sleep) to save them the pain of ear infections, or deal with them all the time. The ENT said a lot of parents will schedule it for a month out, and cancel if there aren't any ear infections during that time. I did that, though I knew he would have 2 during that time (ended up being 3, he got one the day of the surgery, but it went away without meds). The surgery wasn't that bad. They let you hold them while they put them to sleep. Then they take them into a 15 minute surgery, and bring you in right away when they wake up to hold them. All children wake up crying, so you do need to be prepared for that. Then motrin for a few days, and ear drops, and it is over. My son has done great since his surgery, I was really unsure whether to do it, but now I know that I made the right choice for him. People told me more sleep, less time outside in the winter, vitamins... we tried it all, nothing helped him. He went to a chiropractor, and still does, but that did not help it either. He was off his pacifier and bottle by a year old. The tubes were a simple thing that have saved him a LOT of pain, and sleepless nights, and constant antibiotics. Now I just hope that when they fall out, he has outgrown his ear infections and won't need to get them put in again... I hope this helps you a little. Every child is different and it is hard to know what is right for them, but I have been through it and I know how hard it is. I hope you find the right choice for your daugther!

Some claim chiropractors can help with ear infections I haven't tried this myself.

Dear S.,
When we brought our son home from Korea, at 10 mos. of age, he had an ear infection and continued to have them chronically for the next several months. When I asked by pediatrician about milk sensitivities contributing to the build-up of fluid/mucus, she was skeptical. I took him off formual with a milk base, and all milk and switched him to enriched rice milk. No kidding, within 2 weeks he was better, and has not had an ear infections since. Also, he drinks regular milk now (he's 6). My pediatrician was very impressed with the change. It was like a switch was flipped that turned off the ear infections! It is worth a try! Also, chiropractic care is a great complimentary care for this type of problem.
Good luck,
A.

Hi S.,
I went through the same thing with my duaghter for 8 months and finally she got tubes. One thing that was suggested to me until she got them was to put a book under the head of her mattress so that it was at a slight elevation to help with draining in her ears. Once she got the tubes she was a COMPLETELY different child. GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My daughter had a similar history with recurrent ear infections. After 5 in a row (3 weeks apart) they referred us to a specialist. In the month before we could be seen, we did one thing: completely stopped use of a nuk/pacifer. Some internet research I read said there was a connection between pacifer use and recurrent infections (like the pacifiers re-spread the bacteria.)

By the time we saw the specialist, her ears were completely clear and she did not have another infection until the following winter (that was last year). She had 2 or 3 infections spaced 1 month apart last year, and they stopped in the spring.

Her doc thinks that we'll be lucky this year because most kids with recurrent infections will stop on their own after 3 yrs old. We'll see.

My newfew had tubes at 2 or so, and now has continual goop coming out of his ears (at age 5!) A coworker's kid had tubes and the the infections stopped, but again gets a lot of "drainage."

I had tubes as a kid, but to this day I still get 1 ear infection a year.

When my son turned 2 we had tubes put in. For the first 2 years he seemed to have an ear infection every other month. One infection never seemed to clear up. It took 3 different antibotics. We heard from some people that the chiropractor helped there kids. We spent almost $1000 and it didn't help. He also has allergies and the chiropractor said that even with the adjustments, it might not help. Wish we would have put tubes in sooner. He sleeps better and has not had an infection.

I would bring her to a chiropractor. There is probably something a little more going on there, and her getting an adjustment can really help clear up the real issue here.

If you would like references I could probably get you a couple different numbers to try.

I had a friend that her daugher was having lots of ear infections,she was looking on the web trying to find other cure's for them. She found something called Mullein Garlic Compound, she got it at a organic food store and it worked great. She has been ear infection free for 6 months. I know that this stuff can be kind of scary sometimes but I dont know what this could hurt it is all natural.
I hope this helps!
A.

Just a couple things are they viral ear infections or bacterial they only way to know is to swap the ear and do a culture doctors are quick to give anitbiotics to treat ear infections when ears are red but don't know which one it is if they are viral the antibiotics won't do anything for them. I actually stumped my doctor one time when I asked. If they are viral then the only thing you can do is comfort the child with warm towels and keeping them upright. Also another thing have you gone to see a chiropractor ever they can help do wonders and explain more things to you. I did with all of my children. Doctors a quick to do tubes but they cause as much scaring in the ear as the ear infections do sometimes more because the tubes don't always stay in forever and then they have to redo them. Chiropractors have homeopathic drops you can put in the ears that help with the discomfort. if you want to ask me more or talk more my email is ____@____.com wanted to put tubes in my daughters ears and I said no and she has now outgrown having the ear infections. There can also be complications of putting the child to sleep while they do the tubes.

S.,

My son had 9 ear infections in 8 months and they cleared up completely when we took him off dairy. We were on our way to an ENT for tubes too and thought we'd give the dairy thing a try as a last resort. He also had reflux and that went away as well once he was on soy. It was a miracle! No more constant medications. Why the doctor never suggested it, I'll never know. Good luck with your little one.