Ear Infections Leading to Tubes in Ear...

I have a soon to be 10yr old next month. He has had three sets of tubes, and they work wonders. he has not had any more problems with his ears since. He use to have trouble all the time until he started to get them at the age of 3. I would highly recomend them. I hope that this helps you.

I would definately try the chiropractic adjustments first. I've heard great things about it, and my son got adjustments (not for ear infections) for the first 3 years of his life. It's definately worth a try, anyway!

Let me begin by telling you that I absolutely feel your pain. I've been through the exact same thing with my daughter. She's had tubes twice so far. The procedure really is quick but I won't lie, it feels like a lifetime to be away from your child in that situation. When they put them to sleep it's also a bit heart-wrenching but I did okay with all that. I would like to offer some advice I wish I would have followed for myself. Tell your pediatrician that before you consider putting tubes in your child's ears, you would like allergy testing done. You DO NOT want typical skin prick tests. Tell him/her you want the blood test called immunocap. Once quick vial of blood will tell a whole lot. I say this because many recurrent ear infections and other illnesses are a result of an allergen, more specifically - an allergy to milk. I thought of doing all this when mine was small but for some reason I never did. She's two and a half now and I found out a month ago she's allergic to milk. Very common. This happens all the time. Get the allergy test done first before committing to tubes UNLESS your child's hearing is in danger or long term health. It's not a bad procedure and only takes about 20 minutes.

Hi B.. My name is S.. My daughter was 14 months old when she had tubes in her ears. I took her for a check up and she had an ear infection. They tried 10 different med's until one finally worked. But she had fluid in her ear's. I took my daughter to a ear,nose and throat doctor that her doctor suggested. First, my doctor wanted me to NOT let Connie drink from her bottle when she went to bed. Because the suction made it worse. Because all the passages are connected. When she had the surgery it took 20 minutes. I Thank God she has been fine. That was in 1990 and now she is 18 yrs. old and NO problems. With the knowleage they have now, maybe it will be even better. Good Luck and God Bless. S. P.S. My email is ____@____.com if you need a friend

While I have been lucky in that neither of my girls (both under the age of 1) have had ear infections, if you are questioning whether or not to have your son undergo surgery at such a young age I would definitely say try chiropractic medicine first. I am a firm believer in having children adjusted at an early age. Both of my girls were adjusted within a week of coming home from the hospital and are adjusted on a regular basis. If chiropractic care doesn't work then you can always resort to Plan B.

I went through the same thing with my twins. The pediatrician we were seeing kept putting the boys on antibiotic after antibiotic. After several I basically began pushing the doctor for a referral to an E.N.T. if nothing else, just for an opinion. Things escalated to them needing antibiotic shots. I was convinced that the one twin was not hearing as well as his brother by this point and was not talking as much or as clearly as his brother. I finally found another pediatrician and took the boys. When he read their charts and I told him about all my twins ear infections and the treatments not working and that the last pediatrician seemed rather resistant to sending the boys to an E.N.T. for an opinion, he told me one more ear infection and he would do the referral. As luck would have it, Theo got another ear infection and true to his word the pediatrician referred us to the E.N.T. He looked in Theos ears, read his history and tested his hearing. He was not hearing very well and the E.N.T. suspected that the strain of bacteria that was causing his ear infections was resistant to most antibiotics. The next step was tubes. I was nervous not so much because of his age, because it was right before he turned 2 and my oldest was 1 yrs old when he got his tubes, but because Theo was so tiny and also had a congenital heart problem. A year ago December he got his tubes and I have thanked God for putting the pediatrician in my life and such a wonderful E.N.T. Although Theo was facing speech delays by this point, the change was immediate. He started talking more and my husband and I could understand him. When he has called me mom 50 times plus a day and everyone asks do Iever get tired of it, I tell them no. I could never get tired of listening to my son after I waited so long to really hear him talk. Please do not make the mistake I made. Surgery of any kind on a infant or toddleris scary and is not without it's risks, but to me in this case, the risk of my son having permanent hearing loss would have been worse. We went through Fairview hospital. Theo went through preadmission testing which is basically a physical and then the date was set. I was able to stay with Theo until they put him to sleep. The proceedure basically consists of making a small incision in the eardrum and placing the tube in the hole which allows for the ear to drain so that fluid does not build up behind the eardrum and perforate it, which my oldest had an eardrum perforate and his did not heal and when he was older had to have it repaired. Good luck to you and Keegan!

B.,

You have received so many emails about this already! i will tell you the short version of my son! at 7 mon he started getting earinfections and they didnt stop we went through every medication and the shots before i could get my doc to give me the go a head to see and ent by then he was 13 not speeking or walking. just to say he got tubes and both ears had putty thickness behing his drums! he is now three and in specials preschool for spech delays and delayed in aother areas due to speech delays not that your son will go through this but he could! the tube surgery is not painful for them or tramatic. My son was acting him self by that night just tired that was all. i just wish i could of got them sooner.

M.

I have a four year old and a one year old. Both girls have tubes and got them in when they were about 10 months old. I have never regretted it for a second. Each girl battled infection after infection with all sorts of doctor's visits and antibiotics. The procedure itself only takes about 15 minutes, but the child needs general anesthesia. Both my girls recovered wonderfully and were normal by the end of the day. Little kids usually get first sugeries of the day because you can't feed them before the surgery.
My older daughter hasn't had a single infection since her tubes were put in. And one of them is still in place (they fall out on their own in time). My younger daughter still gets infections and drainage when she gets a cold, but doesn't get pain or fever because the tubes are doing their job...letting the fluid leak out.
I understand anesthesia is a scary thing but I couldn't deal with the constant infections. Also, the surgery isn't extensive or complicated so the risk of damage is very low. Much lower than the risk of getting hearing damage from the constant pressure of fluid in the ears. Not to mention risking getting resistant to the antibiotics.
Good luck! J.

B.,
I am new here and a SAHM of two, boy 7 1/2 and girl just turned 5. They are the light of my life! My daughter was plagued with ear infections for the first year and a half of her life, and my son didn't have ear issues at all. We, too, agonized over whether to get tubes for her or not (I myself had to had tubes when I was 3). We thought she was speech delayed or had a hearing problem because she didn't respond unless you spoke to her relatively loudly. Our ENT told us it was like she had been trying to hear while under water for the first year and half of her life (she had fluid behind her ears that much!)

Ultimately, we decided to do it. I can't tell you how glad I am. She was 16 months for the first set, and has had two sets since (at 2 1/2 and 4). She is a different child. Fortunately she has always been a good sleeper (even with ear infections) she never complained that they hurt (she'd always get a secondary infection in her sinuses or chest and we would discover the ear infections upon exams for those).

We discovered after all sorts of other tests (because she still continued to get the sinus infections) she needed to have her tonsils and adnoids removed, and finally, in December 06 after exhuasting every other possible treatment option, she had sinus surgery (for which she was very young to have but desperately needed). So, we were lucky and did "two for"s on the tonsils and adnoids and the the sinuses, because each time the previous set of tubes had fallen out and they were able to replace them at the same time as the other surgery. She was always able to swim, bathe, etc. normally with them. They gave her a huge reprieve from constant antibiotics (her infections would never clear up without them).

I know from what I write it sounds like we are surgery happy parents - - please believe that is not the case. The surgeries were always our last resort..after exhausting all other options. I am happy to report, she is doing well, with minimal infections and only anitbiotics twice since her sinus surgery. Her tubes have fallen out again, but our ENT doesn't think they are necessary unless she recurs with much greater frequency.

I honestly think she didn't know how good clear ears felt until after the tubes...she is a ray of sunshine.

I am not a fan of medicine unless absolutely necessary, but my perspective has certainly changed over the past three and a half years...because medicine is saving my son's life on a daily basis. He was diagnosed with cancer (Leukemia)at age four and has been in active chemotherapy since then. He is here with us today because we trusted our instincts as parents, and knew that we knew our child better than anyone else in the world. He finishes a 39 month chemo protocol next month, and God willing, he will be cancer-free for all his wonderful life to follow.

So, you see, my daughter was going through all this while he was in chemo, and, trust me, the last thing we wanted to do was be at the hospital again....we didn't jump to any surgeries. All I can say, is trust you instincts as a Mom, and believe that things will work out. GOOD LUCK!

Hi B.,
I was freaked out with the prospect of getting tubes in my little guy's ears, but I put much more worry and analyzing into the process than was necessary in the end. It was a short, easy procedure and we saw immediate improvement in his condition. My son battled non-stop ear infections, and like you said, he didn't seem to suffer much. One time, he had pus coming out of his ear and he never even flinched!! I was horrified, and so worried about his hearing. Once he had the tubes, he did much better. And, I must tell you that the tubes actually came out by themselves within a year (which freaked me out too :))...but I guess the holes stayed open b/c his ears still drained, and it was fine. Best Wishes!

I have three children all now teenagers, but they all had tubes in their ears. My oldest was 5 and had to have tubes due to a buildup of fluid. She did great! The other two were around 16 months and did great as well. Our middle daughter was up constantly with earaches and nothing seemed to work. We tried preventative antibiotics and every time she would go off of them, the infections would come back. Putting tubes in her ears was the best thing we did. The procedure lasts about 20 minutes. My husband and I went to the waiting room after they went back for surgery and by the time I got through 5 pages of a magazine, the dr. was out of surgery already. I would recommend it if nothing else is working. It was the best thing we did for our kids. The tubes just fall out as your child's ear heals. There is no other surgery to remove them, etc. They are very, very small. You will wonder how they ever got them in the ears.
Good Luck!

B.-
My two year old daughter had tubes put in her ears 8 months ago. I was really worried about the surgery. They came in and played games with her before they took her into have the surgery. She never cried when they took her away. She was actually laughing when the doors closed. I was more upset than her. After about 20 minutes the ENT came out and said everything went fine. About 5 minutes later they took us back to her recover room. She was a little sleepy but looked fine. When she saw my husband and I all she wanted was to eat. She at 4 cookies and a big glass of orange juice. Later that same day her speech became sooooo much clearer. You could actually pick out words. I feel that becasue of all of the ear infections, she was not hearing us correctly. She was only repeating the sounds the way she heard them. It was the best thing I could have done for her. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Hi B.,

I am the mom of a 13 month old who just had tubes put in 11 days ago. Let me tell you she is a completely new person. I was so torn as to what to do, but after so many antibiotics, we just had to do it. The surgery took less than 10 minutes and it did take a good 30 minutes for my daughter to stop fussing on her way out of the anesthesia, but her appetite improved right away, balance, sleeping, and I think she makes more sounds now. I always thought she was just one of those serious kids who didn't smile much and always had a runny nose. Now she never stops laughing and wakes up with a clean face. I think she must have been in a lot of pain for some time. I haven't had to wipe her nose in almost 2 weeks!!!!

I have since spoke with some people who have talked about some of the more holistic approaches to clearing up ear infections, like forgoing all dairy, etc., but my experience with ear tubes has been amazing. Trust me the surgery is much harder on you than it is on them. Her Dr was Steven Ball at the Cleve Clinic Strongsville, if you need a suggestion.

Hope that helps!!!!!

Both my children have had tubes in there ears and they never had a ear infection after the tubes. They both got them at young ages around I think my son was 2 years old and my daughter was 1 or so. After the procedure it hurts them alot but it really only last that day with a pain med. I know I was worry about it to like are they going to lose there hearing and something but they reasure me that it was fine. To this they both and they are 8 and 4 years have not had a ear infection. I had tried all the meds and my daughter even was getting shots to up clear up the infections but we would be back in a week or so later. Now we just go for sinsus infections or check ups.
Hope this helps and good luck to you.

My 9 month old daughter had ear infections in both ears for almost 6 weeks. It took two different oral RXs and two different ear drop RXs to finally clear them up. My pediatrician didn't make a diagnosis but refered us to a few different ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialists. We have yet to see one, but I would have your Dr make a referal before you make a decision. Ear infections are not contagious, but are more prevalent in children in daycare and so an ENT may have a different opinion than the pedi. Good luck!

Hi B.,
Our family has dealt with ear infections and tubes forever. It isn't as bad as it sounds. Tubes will greatly help a child with recurring infections. Even though your son doesn't have a lot of pain with an ear infection, having many can cause scar tissue. Scaring can lead to hearing loss. The whole procedure, of putting in the tubes, takes all of 10 to 15 minutes. The child is a little sleepy when it is done. They will be upset and cry because it is very scarey to them, but it doesn't hurt. We have had great relief with tubes. Good luck! Hope this will help you.

My son is 15 months old and had tubes put in last week. It was a 10 min procedure and he is fine. Best thing for him. My oldest needed them but didn't have constant ear infections, he had wax build up compacted in his ear. that led to speech problems. once he got the tubes in at age 3, his speech did improve but he still has problems with certain sounds. he is now almost 7 and has speech therapy in school. to be honest, i NEVER hear of back adjustments helping with ears. i don't know now your back has anything to do with ears! good luck!

Putting tubes in the ear is a choice but that is MAJOR SURGERY. Why not try the chiropractor? It can't hurt and will more than likely help. I would also cut out dairy. Dairy is one of the leading causes of ear infections in young children. Diary is something you may be able to re-introduce when he is a little older and more able to handle it. Even if he hasn't started on whole cow's milk he got it from the formula or from you (if you nursed). That is a must less traumatic way to fix the ear infection problem than tubes. Best of luck to you. Let us know how everything goes and what you choose to do.

Wow - you're living my old life! My kids are grown now, but my middle child, a boy, had the same situation. Exactly! We went the tubes route. We did not have a very successful experience. We also had the chiropractor adjustments (a guy in Norton did it). That didn't work. As my son got older we determined he had pretty bad allergies. Dust mites, mold, grass, trees, animal dander. Once we got his allergies under control (shots, cleaning, covering bedding and pillow with plastic, clean sheets daily, air filters in bedroom and living room, getting dog and cat cleaned frequently, twice daily vacuuming with a good hepa machine, dusting every day), the ear problems (and sinus problems) went away. They told us he was ADD - which he is somewhat, but him feeling horrible 24/7 was to blame for his learning difficulties, plus he lost about 60% of his hearing in one of his ears. I blamed the tubes, but it was probably from several years of ear infections.

Just remember, what ever action you take or not doing anything - either way is a lifelong decision. I would see an ear eyes nose throat specialist to rule out other mitigating factors before going under the knife or taking anyone's advice on any board. I can only tell you what we found out after the fact with us. Our child is not yours. Good luck. I feel your pain!

Hi B.,
I just thought I would let you know that my 2 1/2 yr old son had tubes put in about 6 months ago. He had 16 ear infections before he was 1 1/2 yrs old. No matter what I did they kept reoccuring! Finally, I made an appointment with an ENT. He met with us and after examining my son thought that it would be best to put the tubes in!
So...we scheduled the surgury (he also has to has tonsils & adnoids taken out in the next couple of months.)
After his surgury....I WAS AMAZED!!!
It wasn't 2 weeks before his mood and speech improved and his vocabulary has improved 100%!
I am totally amazed & he hasn't had an ear infection since the tubes have been put in!
If I had to do it again....I DEFINATELY WOULD!
The procedure is nothing to worry about...it doesn't take very long and you can't even see the incision!
The worst thing I can say about the experience is that my son was VERY Crabby when he came out of surgury. (but they warned us that he would be since it was a new experience and the medicine usually affects them and makes them confused and they don't understand!)
I definately recommend atleast seeing an ENT (ear,nose & throat doctor) I think once you meet with them you will be able to way your options alot better! Good luck & if you need anymore info let me know! Hope this helps!

My son had tubes when he was 13months old. He had a constant ear infection for about 6 months. Same thing, antibiotics, diarehha, diaper rash (aquaphor with malox for that). I REALLY did not want tubes, thought it could be fixed homeopathically -- and it may very well be, but we went with the tubes. I could deal with any more sleepless nights -- I was getting MEAN! The procedure was very QUICK, and except for my anxiety before hand was permanent and instant releif. As soon as we came home (the whole procedure, from leaving our house to getting back home was about 1:45 minutes) He was babbling and making noise istantly (he had become a pretty quiet kid, I don't think he could hear much) he was able to hear a pin drop as of the trip home in the car! It was a God send for our family.

Hi B.,

I had a daughter who had to have tubes put in her ears when she was 3 years old, she is 24 now and doing great. The tubes will eventually fall out. They are so small that you cannot see them.

The only thing with tubes in the ears is that you really have to watch getting water in their ears because I believe that is why they are in there in the first place is because of the water buildup behind the eardrum causing the swelling and eventually loss of earing if it does not clear out.

I also had a friend whose daughter had tubes put in her ears because of frequent ear infections and they kept falling out so the doctor finally went in and kept draining the water out and she is partially deaf in that ear now.

I also at the age of 49 had to have tubes put in my ears because of fluid buildup behind my eardrums and at first they used the shorter tubes, which worked in one ear but not the other one, and then had to go back in a few months later and put longer ones in to get the water out of the other ear. I have so much nerve damage because the water was in there so long before they even put the first tubes in that now I have to get hearing aides.

I know that your daughter should be fine because she is so young and resilient that she will bounce back and you will not even know that anything was wrong in the first place.

Debbie

Please listen to the advice of your pediatrician. My son had constant ear infections for a six month period and it wasn't until he had a febrile seizure (due to the fever of an ear infection) that we learned we should consider tubes. The febrile seizure was frightening (ambulance to the ER, oxygen). In any event, after we had the tubes put in my 14 month old son did we learn his hearing had probably been impacted before (he couldn't hear due to the constant fluid in his ears). The pediatric ENT surgeon from Children's hospital (Dr. Hart) was amazing. The procedure was fast- i went to the bathrom in the waiting room and it was over. And we could notice the hearing diffrence immediately. We are not out of the woods yet... but far fewer ear infections.
Susan F.

Tubes were the best thing we ever did! My daughter is now two and a half and we have had minimal issues since. We did it the first time at about 9 months and then again at 20 months and took out the tonsils and the adnoids. The ENT figured out the ear infections were caused by the sinus infections which dropped dramatically with the t&a. Her speech was delayed until that second surgery but she has now caught up and surpassed where her verbal skills should be.

The surgeries were no problem. Do it young before he really understands. He doesn't know enough to be nervous or scared and as long as you 'act' relaxed, so will he. She went with the nurses easily and both were fairly short procedures but do feel like a lifetime. The recovery wasn't bad, you just snuggle with them until they completely come to. With just the tubes, she was fine within an hour of waking up, a little groggy though. She was back at school the next day. It even helped her balance.

One thing I will tell you is that tubes do not stop ear infections. You may still get them, they just won't be as bad. We treat ours at home with ear drops with a steroid. There is some pretty gross drainage at times but if you think about it, you'd rather let it come out then know that gunk is sitting up in his ear. We still go swimming but she just doesn't put her head under the water, same with the bath. Water is not a big deal unless you are pouring water directly into the ear and do you really think you'd be doing that at any point in time, tubes or not?!

My advice is to look into the ear drops and get a good ENT!
Good luck!

http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/children/par...

This is a good link to tell you about ear infections in children. My daughter had tubed put in when she was 1 and they fell out when she was 3 and she never had a problem after that. The ear canal in a child is not as an adults. In a child it is more open to the middle ear and inner ear where as in an adult it is not. This is why children are more prone to ear infections. Anything that can get in the ear will, in the winter it is worse, make sure he has a hat on or his ears covered when he goes outside and make sure he is not around people who smoke.

Both of my children had tubes in their ears, and I don't regret it one bit. My son went through 7 ear infections in 5 months and by the last one, none of the antibiotics worked. It is a simple procedure and doesn't hurt the children at all. The hardest part for me was the 30 minutes or so where they were coming out of the anesthetic because all they do is cry. That was hard to watch but both of them instantly "woke up" when the anasthetic wore off and they were so happy!
I do have a friend who swears by a chiropractor too, so really the choice is yours. But I do now that if you do nothing the ear infections can lead to scarring on the ear and possibly cause problems.

I can give you the perspective of someone who has had tubes (several times), and is happy for it.

Like some of the other moms' experience with their children, my ears were so bad that I had hearing loss. I had my first set of tubes placed when I was 4. They also took out my adenoids at that time, and while I felt pain in my throat from having my adenoids removed, I didn't feel anything with the ears. Back then, one would have to keep water out of the ears (so I used earplugs when swimming, for example). That is no longer necessary. I had a few more surgeries as a child for tubes in my ears, but this was because they wanted to change the type; one got infected; and I think one time I just needed them longer. It is NOT standard to require tubes more than once, since, as someone else mentioned, most kids grow out of it when their necks get longer and the Eustachian tubes (from the ear down the throat) becomes more vertical and can drain properly.

I do have scarring on my eardrums from repeated surgeries, but it does not affect my hearing. I know I would have had speech delays and other problems (e.g., safety issues) if tubes had not been done. As someone else said, chiropractic requires repeated adjustments over time, and is thus more expensive and less convenient. Moreover, it may not be safe for an infant, whose bones are still forming, to have adjustments made. The surgery is a one-time deal, the kid doesn't really feel anything, and the result is almost instantaneous.

Good luck.

S.

My 4 year old has had three sets of tubes and with his last on Tuesday we had his adenoids taken out. My 18 mos old daughter had tubes put in at I think 7 mos. I was devastated when at 4 mos my son started getting ear infections. I felt it was my fault because I only nursed him for 4 weeks. We had the tubs put in for my son and it was a different child! He started sleeping all night he was in a better mood they are GREAT! One of them fell out when he was 2 and the the ear infections started so we had to get a new set. Now at 4 one fell out and he had so much fluid (not ear infection this time) in his ear that he was only hearing at 30% out of the one ear. So this time the doctor also took out his adenoids. My daughter got her first ear infection at 4 mos AND I was still nursing. So at least I was not blaming myself for it this time. She has had no problems with hers. I would recommend getting the tubes.
Sorry so long and rambling!

2 out 4 of my children required ear tubes for very frequent ear infections and every antibiotic under the sun. I think it was the best thing. Although, they did get a couple more ear infections in their early childhood, it was nothing compared to what they had before. And they cleared up with just one course of antibiotics. The procedure was outpatient, and my boys were up running around shortly after the procedure. If your pediatrician is recommending ear tubes, I would at least consult an ENT, for your own peace of mind.

Hi B.! I can tell you from experience - I had tubes put into my daughter's ears when she was 10 months old at Mary Rutan Hospital. She had 15 ear infections in her short little life, and many of them were DOUBLE ear infections when she had them in both ears and it was making my life as a single parents a living nightmare! She had a few checkups at the ear, nose, and throat doctor in Bellefontaine and they were extremely nice and helpful - letting me know EXACTLY what was going to happen with her surgery. Arriving at the hospital, they gave her "happy medicine" that made her relax and very loopy (it was hysterical, lol) - that way she wouldn't be scared when they took her away from me into surgery because parents are NOT allowed to be in the room while it's done. It took about an hour and another hour for her to 'come out of it' and then she was back to her normal self! She has been EAR INFECTION FREE since then, and now she's over 2 :) I'd definitely say go for it!!

Hi B.,
My daughter had tubes put in her ears when she was 3. She didn't have many infections but she had fluid and hearing loss. We were nervous too but the entire procedure took all of 15 minutes and that included having her adenoids removed. It has been about a year now and she has never had any issues with her ears. It is unsettling to have your child put under but really it is much worse on the parents than the child. She was up and running around in a matter of a few hours. I would say to take her to an ENT specialist and if they say to have it done, do it. It will pay off in the long run.
L.

I have heard great things about Chiropractic treatment for ear infections. Since it isn't as permanent as having a surgery done to your child that could cause permnent hearing loss and pain (which it has in my husband, he won't even blow his nose for fear of the ear pain) I would go that route first. It certainly won't hurt your child and if it dosen't work you can still get the tubes done. Good Luck.

I would try your chiropractor's advice first. Tubes do not last forever and will eventually have to be replaced, if need be, after a few years. Sometimes aligning your body will cause everything to drain better. it's worth a shot. and a bit less invasive. :)

My son went through 4 tubes, helped some but also then scar tissue for surgeries. I now just have him adjusted. Also the ents in dayton only do short term tubes but the ones in cincy do long term. Also most md will not agree that chiro care helps. please email if you have any more questions.

I know it can seem far-fetched that something like an allergy to cow's milk proteins can wreck such havoc on ears, but it absolutely can and DOES. You don't even need to do a blood test to figure it out --> you simply:
1) do a trial elimination for 6 weeks of all cow's milk products (read labels closely, maintain a diet free of cow's milk products)
2) observe child closely to see whether symptoms disappear (such as reduction in ear fluid, decreased or no infections, fading of red/rosy/dry/rashy cheeks, improved sleep)
3) once child has hit baseline (where ear symptoms are gone), you can reintroduce cow's milk products and see whether the problems return

A blood test *can* be helpful, but any decent allergist will tell you that the ultimate test of whether one is allergic is to eliminate the food, watch for symptoms to fade and when they're gone, then do a "challenge" and reintroduce the food --> if the symptoms return, that's your positive result.

Just a few links to help get you started, if interested:

Tracking Down Food Allergies
http://askdrsears.com/html/4/t041800.asp

Go Dairy Free (where dairy = cow's milk, NOT eggs)
http://www.godairyfree.org/

http://www.foodallergy.org/allergens/milk.html

It takes a week or 2 to really get into the habit of eliminating cow's milk from your diet, and after that it gradually just becomes habit. You can do it! It's worth checking out, IMO, to avoid repeated ear infections and tubes (and likely other associated health issues as well). Best of luck!

it looks like you have already received alot of good emails but i will write to you not only as a mom but as a mom in the medical field, i am an audiologist working with an ENT practice so i see kids on a daily basis with ear infections and parents who have to make this decision. I would at least recommend seeing an ENT before making the decision. it may help to also go the chiropractor for an adjustment too. But if your little one has fluid and fluid that has persisted for many many months tubes are going to be the best and quickest way to drain th ears. When there is fluid in the middle ear space it acts as a sound barrier (think of it as when you are tyring to listen under water) , it doesnt always cause a decrease in hearing but often can. This can lead to speech delays and speech therapy. I think you have to do whatever you feel the most comfortable as a mom. Surgery is scary, especially for a littel one, but the surgery itself is done within minutes and is very simple. Seek advice from an ENT they will tell you based on the number of infections, health, etc. if they think it would be good. I am more than willing to recommend a facility close to you. Good luck in your decision, jsut make sure you feel comfortable with whatevery you decide.

-E.

Tubes in the ears saved out lives. It's outpaitent, and after a long nap in the afternoon he was back to his old self...actually even better. We have not had antibiotics for ear infections in over 2 years now!!! :) The procedure is short, and the tubes fall out on their own. Once in, the child never feels them. The "worst" part is you worring over the procedure (totally expected) and the fact that their little ears drain, and if really bad, stuff runs out their ears sometimes. My sister, many years ago, also had the procedure done. She went two summers unable to swim due to swimmers ear as soon as she hit water. She could never take a bath either. Tubes in, she never had any problems after that. She did have to have them put in twice, as she was very small and they fell out too soon. (normally stay in 6months to a year.)
I have never heard of the thing with the chiropactor, and once you start getting adjustments you normally have to repeatly get them every so many months to years. I must say though, I am not a chiropactor going person, and therefore probably have a uneduated biasis against them.
Ear infections are directly related to the fact that childrens ear canals are much shorter and a more lateral angle than adults. If they drink laying down, or are the least bit congested, fluid can easily travel up the canal. In many young children, the canals are so small that the fluid can not get back out, leading to ear infections. The only thing that will really help is growth. Since we can't speed up the growing process, we have found ways around it. Putting tubes in allows for the fluid to exit another way. Therefore it doesn't get built up in the ear canal and decreases the chances of ear infections. This is why I don't see how the chiropractor thing would work. You can adjust the location of the ear canal, nor can the size be changed. (Then again, that's my biasis.) I wish you the best of luck. But from one mom to another...If I had to do it another 10 times...I would choose to do tubes every time.

Hi. B.. My daughter also battled ear infections from birth. It got so bad that she had fluid behind her ears and it was causing her to not be able to hear. The doctor put the tubes in her ear and she has been fine ever since. The tubes will fall out on their own over a period of time. Also about the Chiro, personally I believe it helps, but I would be leary with Chiropractic on such a young child.

B.,

If you can stand one more opinion on this...I did not see anyone saying anything about the developmental aspects of letting even a mild hearing loss go on at such an early age. If she has fluid in her ears she will be missing some important language development and you really want to be sure that she has all of her senses working well at this time in her life. There is certainly a risk of permanent hearing loss from the fluid and the infections, but that is less common than the certain loss of opportunity to hear the sublties of language at a time when their brains are soaking up language at such an astonishing rate. Weigh all the risks out before you do anything, but put this high on your list because you will never see the things that she is missing...tubes do fix the fluid problem.

My son is now 12. When he was between 5mos and 5 yrs he had more than 10 ear infections. The doctors never discussed tubes with me. They always gave him antibiotic and let that clear it up. However I always thought that wasn't enough. When he was 5 I started working for a chiropractor and he began adjustments once a week, he had one ear infection early on and then never had another. I solely give credit to the adjustments. I would encourge you to try the adjustments on a regular basis. It might not work for every case, but is much less invasive than surgery. Hope this helps alittle.
S.

I think you will get a lot of replys that say having tubes put in is no big deal. As a nurse I say only use surgery as a last resort. Anesthesia- even in small amts. is something you don't want unless absolutely necessary. I would try the chiropractor- you have nothing to lose! Good luck. Only 1 of my kids suffered from frequent ear infections and she out grew it by around 18 months old. Try to make it to summer and see if that helps.

I know it is scary to go with tubes- it is surgery after all. But I am a teacher and I used to work with hearing impaired and speech delayed kids. The impact of not being able to hear properly to learn language can be HUGE. Not to mention the pain!
I did chiropractic and no longer believe in it (yoga and exercise were the permanent answers to that issue!), you've tried to clear up these horrid infections with medication. That's so often more effective than any home remidies.
My daughter hasn't had to do tubes (yet?!), but a good friend has had all three of her kids go in for SEVERAL sets. It is honestly no big deal for her or her daughters.
Good luch!

Your story brings back memories, including the fear of surgery. We went through everything you have described, including the chiropractic and pediatric advice. We had tubes put in when she was 13 months old after 9 months of almost constant antibiotics. It was scary, but the doctor let me hold her as he waved the anethetic gas in her face and, when she went limp, I almost passed out with fear. She came through surgery fine (it's really minor surgery) and then we had to get custom-made earplugs for bathtime (one blue, one red to distinguish left from right). I just kept them in the bathroom and it became part of the bathing routine. She also wore them anytime she played in the sprinkler, or went in her wading pool. Long story short, she never had another ear infection, and the tubes eventually fell out themselves. She has no hearing loss, and her speach developed absolutely normally. It was the best decision we ever made. Now, do keep in mind that my daughter is now 16 years old and prodedures may have changed, but we are glad we had it done. So, good luck!

I would listen to the doc, otherwise due to the many ear infections your child can end up with lots of scar tissue on his ear drums and loss of hearing, you can also look into having tonsils and adenoids removed that helps eliminate ear infections sometimes

my daughter is 15 months old. she had 7 ear infections within a few months. she was absolutely miserable and in quite a bit of discomfort. she saw 2 doctors and was on 4 different medications to try and clear up the infections. nothing worked. we went ahead with the surgery and honestly, within 3 days, she was a different child. totally calm and obviously without pain. having the procedure done was scary, but it was very simple and actually took less than 30 minutes from start to finish. since the surgery, no ear infections and no issues at all. i hope this was helpful for you!!