Multiple Ear Infections vs Tubes?

I had the same problem with my daughter when she was one. My Chiropractor told me to bring her in. According to him it's the tension that builds up behind the neck that leads to the congestion in the sinus and retention of fluid in the ear. He gave her a series of adjustments (massage behind the neck) and her ear infection was gone and never returned. She is now 9 and has never had an ear infection since.
Dairy products are a big contributor to ear infections.

Before you try surgery, try cranial osteopathy! It's very gentle bodywork. one of my best friends, who is a D.O., could help shift an ear infection in just one treatment. She stopped doing these treatments in her regular medical office because she was only allocated 15minutes to work with patients instead of the hour or so that it took.

I go to Dom Anaya in N. Portland. He also worked on my son after he was born with a forceps delivery to make sure his neck wasn't torqued, and to make sure all the bones in his head were moving well. My son hasn't had any ear infections or colds in 16 months of life, and loves dairy.

Have you considered seeing a naturopathic doctor? They can often help you find treatments other than antibiotics that still work. I had an infection that I had been told could only be treated with antibiotics, but when I saw my naturopathic doctor, she found a treatment for me that was the active component in garlic, a natural antibiotic. It worked the same and was not terrible to my system! No side effects, whatsoever. I strongly recommend consulting with an ND. They can still write western med prescriptions too, so it's a nice balance. The name of my wonderful ND is Tanya Hudson. Her phone is ###-###-####. Email: ____@____.com luck!

Where to start. I have a 5 year old that did have multiple ear infection and we did not get her tubes. As a result we are now dealing with speech issues they believe is due to her having periods of time with hearing that was not what is should have been. I also have a 18 month old that does have tubes for a hearing loss issue and the surgery was all of 10 min. I think it was a total of 30 min of him being way from us. It really was a no big deal kind of thing and I wish we had done it for our daughter...who now is in speech 2 days aweek after school.
I hope this helps

My son too had multiple ear infections during the first 18 months of his life. And when he started to speak it was garbled and he was soooo frustrated! His ear infections left fluid in his ears and what he was trying to say was what he heard through that heavy viscious fluid. I was lucky to have a good pediatrician he knew what my son and I were going through, explained it to me and suggested the tubes. We had them put in. Immediately my boy was talking and being understood, his vocabulary was increasing by 5-10 word A DAY. He could hear for the first time and was relaying that back to me. No more thrush infections inside his mouth and on his butt, no more antibiotics, no more doctors and fevers and that awful breath they get when that musous is infected!

The surgery to get the tubes put in was scary. Little ones don't always come out from under that anesthesia well and he cried and had what seemed like nightmares for about 30 minutes as he woke up. I held him and cried and wondered why I had ever done that to him, but 30 minutes later he was smiling and being his normal sweet self. I'm sure that I suffered more than he did, and that was okay with me. When he was 4 the tubes fell out while he slept and never caused him any problems. Do your baby a favor and swap tubes for those doses of antibiotics - I'm sure glad I did.

Wow, sounds like you've got a lot of information to sort out!

AS a naturopath and a mom, I can attest to the value of evaluating food allergies, and using homeopathic remedies. My daughter had terrible colic that was solved by eliminating food allergies. I imagine had I not done that, it would have progressed to many ear infections, like her father had as a child.

For the acute situations, when your child is up all night, there are a handful of homeopathic remedies that are useful, some of which work right away. Belladonna, Chamomilla, and Cal Carb in 30C potency are most frequently used, but depends on the child.

If you have other questions of want to sort this out with an ND, feel free to give me a call. ###-###-####.

In wellness,
Dr. E. Mendenhall, ND

We were in the same situation and I always felt bad when my little one got ear infections. So at 18 months he got tubes, the best thing we ever did. He is now 4 and has only had 2 or 3 ear infections since then.
He was only out of my arms for like 2o min for the procedure, they gave him a medicine to make him drowsy while i was holding him, came and carried him away and before i knew it he was back! He had way less recovery for that than he did a ear infection.

My daughter had ear infections from the time she was 6 months old and allergic to all antibiotics. The solutions was suppose to be ear tubes. The tubes would allow me to place antibiotic drops into her ears and keep the antibiotics were they belonged and not through her body. Once the tubes were put in at the age of 12 months the infections never stopped, just now puss ran down her face. Then the doctor suggested taking out her adenoids. That did the trick. Her adenoids had grown into her estuation tubes were crushing them, so when she had an infection the ears could not drain properly and the medication would not drain down to the infection. Once the adenoids were out she has had only one to two infections since and she is now a happy healthy 3 year old little girl.

Good Luck,

B. C

4 kids, 13yrs, 10 yrs, 5 yrs and 3yrs. Work PT, married 17 years

Get the tubes!! My daughter used to get ear infection on top of ear infection. They were so bad that her eardrums burst on more than one occassion. Half the time we did not even know of the infection until her drum had burst. It cause significant scarring on her drums, and as a result she has loss of hearing. (Not complete loss, but enough) We finally had her tonsils, adnoids removed and had tubes put in her ears. since that time she has not had a single ear infection.

The only draw back that we noticed with the tubes is you need to be careful about submersing the ears in water...so No baths..or if you do have a bath, make sure they don't "Float" so that water gets into the ears... (Ear plugs work for swimming)

Best of luck!

I feel your pain Lisa! I have twin daughters they are 22 months now and have outgrown this distressing trend, but for almost the first year and a half of their life, they had ear infections just about weekly. One would clear up only to be followed by another one. Then, we might get 2 weeks of reprieve only to be hit with one even worse than the last. We tried every anti-biotic under the sun causing both girls to be plagued with AWFUL yeast infections (Diaper Rash). It was one of the most frustrating experiences of my life and we were very close to getting the tubes (to my great dismay). But something happened and they stopped getting them and we didn't have to have surgery. I know that's not very helpful -I just wanted to share my experience because sometimes knowing we aren't alone is all we need to keep going on. I do have one helpful piece of advice though - I have had SEVERAL people tell me that they had GREAT SUCCESS with chiropractic treatment for their kids. I wanted to try this route prior to surgery since it is much less invasive, but my doc wouldn't write me a referral because of his own personal judgements about chriropractic medicine - if you have the insurance coverage and can get a referral - try it. What do you have to lose?

I have five children. With the 3rd, I learned that garlic oil is a PRIME healer for ear infections. My kids are prone to ear infections when they get a cold, partly because of small ear canals. In the last 12 years, I have cured AT LEAST 15 ear infections AT HOME without EVER having to visit the doctor a single time. Compare this to my first two children who both had ear tubes put in at the same time because they got so many infections!

You can purchase garlic oil in the nutrition section of the grocery store. It is in a dropper bottle and will cost around $10. OR you can make it at home by yourself using olive oil and FRESH garlic. You squeeze a clove of garlic into a couple tablespoons of olive oil (exact measurements are not very important with these natural substances) and let it sit out for a few days on the counter ("steep") so the oil will absorb all the qualities from the garlic--but make sure the oil does not go rancid (from getting too warm, or sitting out too long). You strain the olive oil so that there are no pieces of garlic left in the oil. When there is ear pain, you then drop two or three drops of the garlic oil IN BOTH EARS even if only one hurts. Wiggle the ear a little bit to get the oil to go down into the canal. This is tickly, so explain it to the child first, and promise something attractive after they let you put it in. Then remove all the cotton from the end of a Q-Tip, make a little plug, and put it into the ear canal to hold the oil in place. This will eventually fall out, in bed or somewhere around the house--just put up with the annoyance, pick it up, and throw it away. It is so worth it timewise, moneywise, and to avoid using antibiotics. Do this same procedure to BOTH ears. If the baby's right ear is the painful one, try to get him to lie down on the left ear so that the oil goes down nice and deep into the canal. However it is not necessary to make him lie down if he really doesn't want to.

Whether my baby wakes up in the middle of the night complaining of a hurting ear, or mentions it during the daytime hours, I treat it the same. It really is remarkable how quickly the complaining stops. I often only have to treat the ears twice and it cures the infection--however, I try to do it several times a day for good measure. I have never to my recollection had to treat it for more than one day.

My little ones tend to get the ear pain after a cold sets in. Be prepared with garlic oil on hand whenever there is a condition that predisposes the child to the ear infection--for example, whenever my daughter gets a cold I know that a painful ear is probably just a couple days away. Store the garlic oil in the fridge to keep it from going rancid. If rancid, DO NOT USE. It is detrimental to the body to use rancid oil. Make some fresh garlic oil. When without any on hand, I have several times made garlic oil on the spot and dropped it immediately into my daughter's ears without it being able to "steep" for a few days first, and it worked just as well.

Further, it is good for a child to drink from a straw when you are treating the ear infection. It exercises, or works, those ear canals that move when the mouth moves. The best straws are those little coffee or swizzle straws since they are so tiny and the child has to suck harder to get the water or juice. It works the ears even better. QUIT the milk and dairy as they are so mucus-forming. We don't drink milk at all, but most folks do and simply go off of dairy during a cold or other illness.

I'm sorry to be so long-winded, but hope I've been detailed enough to make the process clear. Hope it helps somebody's child! Best regards, Z.

The last respose is what I agree with. You may also want to check into the cause of the congestion. For mine it is alleries for which she was on medication for at 4 months old.

Have you thought about alternatives? There is a reason he is getting ear infections so much. It is much more effective although not necessarily quicker to fix the cause rather than the symptoms. Just a few things to think about. (My son was very sick all the time until he was 4, and healthier living did the trick for us)

Anyone smoking around him, even in the car w/ the windows rolled down
Allergies, not just to pollen or mold, but also think about foods (dairy, soy, pretty much anything)
Chemicals-they are probably the #1 source of free radicals attacking our immune systems today. Think about all the chemicals in everything in his environment. The laundry detergent and fabric softener used on his clothes and bed linens the shampoo and soap you use on his body, toothpaste, the detergent you use to clean the dishes he eats off of, the cleaners/candles, fragrances you use to keep the house "clean". Every single one of these things contains ingredients that can cause allergies, ear infections, asthma, and immune system diseases.

I have a lot of suggestions if you are interested in hearing them. My son now takes vitamins and supplements for his allergies/asthma and we got rid of all of the chemicals in our home. He is 90% better now, and luckily we avoided the tubes.

My now 4 year old had two sets of tubes... she had almost constant ear infections without them. She got her first set at 1 and second set at two.. by 3, she was fine! In that first year, I know she had some hearing loss and trouble picking up speech because she couldn't hear clearly. Get the tubes! The way I see it, there's more damage if you don't. We never had any trouble with the surgery either...

Hope the input helps :)

When my son was born, we had to have forceps to help him get out. We took him to an osteopath 'cause I've read that forcep babies can be prone to ear infections. Although we have had some ear infections, I think the osteopath really helped. Osteopathy is a little more on the "alternative" spectrum of medicine, so not sure if you'd be interested.
basically, the osteopath we saw did really gentle "cranial manipulations" (they are by NO means painful - it really didn't look like she was doing anything but touching our son's head). But the small adjustments kind of open up that space around the ear canal to prevent further infections. It has worked well for us - and was covered by our insurance.

I am sure you will get lots of terrific advice here so all I can share is my expeirience which was to get a couple of Dr. opinions and then go with our gut. My daughter had something like 14 visits for ear infections (really probably a few that just never went away no matter what we used) before she was 8 months old and nothing seemed to drain those ears! We could have waited to see if they would go away with age... but I just couldn't bare the side effects of the medicine any more. We had one dr. for it and another against and in the end we decided to put the tubes in. It was a little scary but the Dr was great, described everything, she was out of site for less than 15 minutes and felt like a new kid in less than 24 hours. We had only two infections after that and they were far less painful and the drops in the ears had far fewier side effects.

On the other hand, if you can make it through this cold season I'm sure there is a change the cannels will be big enough next year to not need the tubes and you wouldn't need ear plugs all summer... I can't really say in your case but in our case a year later without an infection (knock on wood) we are happy we went with our gut.

My son had 10 ear infections between the age of one and two. His temperature would soar to 104 degrees and he would be completely and totally miserable. He would cry and cry and cry. Not to mention that he has been 6 1/2 premature and always lost oxygen saturation levels everytime he got sick no matter what the cold was. It is hard to endure and it is even more painful to watch them go through this period and I know how many nights I spent crying more than he did but I would recommend unless the doctor really feels it it excessive to wait until he turns two. I didn't think there was a chance that my son would out grow it like they told me he would cause he had so many but he did and we haven't had too many issues with it since. We have had I think two ear infections since then. Good luck to you and I sure do hope your little man feels better!

Hello Lisa -

As one who had tubes as a child and who has worked with many parents whose children have experienced chronic tonsillitis and/or ear infecations, I would like to mention some other options that you might deem worth exploring.

First, food allergies tend to cause excess mucous as well as sinus and ear infections. Dairy is the single biggest culprit and wheat comes in a close second. Other factors can affect it as well, such as air pollution (car exhaust on a roadway nearby; newly painted walls within the home; new carpet or furniture or shower curtains that are outgassing).

For many kids, eliminating dairy takes care of it, in and of itself.

There are a number of books that can be helpful when trying to understand the bigger picture surrounding this:
Beyond Antibiotics by Schmid
Alternatives to Antibiotics by McKenna
A Shot in the Dark by Coulter
Back to Eden by Kloss
Food Revolution by Robbins
Conscious Eating by Cousens

Elderberry tincture (the best one I have found comes from Quantum Health in Eugene OR) is anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal. Given orally it is immensely helpful with all types of infection. Also, putting ear oil (olive oil, garlic, sometimes Mullein - available at health food stores) in the ear and keeping the ear extra warm by blocking up the tube with a bit of cotton ball at the opening also helps.

I hope that helps.

Cheers-
D.

Lisa, I hear your frustration. My daughter also had alot of ear infections in her first year and the day after her first birthday I had the doctor put tubes in her ears. She never had an ear infection again and is now 6 years old. (she also started walking about a week after her tubes)
the surgery seems really scary but it only took about 10 minutes. Seriously it took me longer to order a latte. The only down side is the fact that they have to go under general anesthetic and coming out of it can seem a little scary to the babies. My daughter cried for about 1/2 hour after wards I think because she was really disoriented. good luck I hope this helps
Paula

My son had 13 antibiotics prescriptions filled for ear infections by the time he was 11 months old. He basicly had an ear infection from the time he was born until we had tubes put in on his first birthday. After his surgery, the doctor came out to talk to us and told us that had he not done the surgery, my son would have never been able to learn to talk correctly because there is no way he could hear correctly with the "flubber" that was in his ears. He said he took out a massive amount of infected "fluid" that was so thick it never could have drained naturally. He was also on a nebulizer and inhalers during all of this for asthma. The day before his surgery was the last time I used his inhaler... once he was able to drain the liquid on his own, he didn't have any breathing problem.
He also didn't have another ear infection for 4 years. He did, as in about 50% of cases, start having them again about a year after they fell out (which they do when the ear drum grows... it pushes the tube out naturally). After the 2nd ear infection this time, I requested that he have them put back in. He had his 2nd surgery on his 5th birthday! He is now almost 9 and has never had another problem.
His hearing test before and after the second surgery were like the difference between night and day... and his doctor (the same one) said that the fluid the second time was nothing compared to the first time.
I am thankful I didn't hesitate to have the tubes put in. A surgery, which so rarely goes wrong, that he would never remember, was a small price to pay for a lifetime of hearing.
Also keep in mind... not only will the fluid affect his hearing.. which affects his speach. Each ear infection scars the ear drumb which also damages the hearing.

Lisa,

I have a younger friend that has a seven daughter that use to have ear aches all the time when she was an infant and toddler and now her daughter has a hard time hearring and grasping concepts being taught in school and is in special classes. She now regrets not having tubes put in her daughter's ears when she had the chance to.

You may want to consider having tubes put in your son's ears. Kids recover from hospital stays better than we adults do. What we think is scary they may not, they take things a lot easier than we think they do. My four year old grandson spent a week in the hospital starting on Halloween with Type 1 Juvinile Diabets. He drove his parents crazy and the nurses loved him. He didn't really care for the stay, he wasn't effected by the stay. Dad made Halloween fun for him by bringing his costume to the hospital and letting him wear it and bringing him a bag of sugar free candy so he wouldn't feel left out.

If you choose to have tubes put in his ears you can make his hospital stay easy by taking his favorite toy or blanket. And people that come to visit most likely will bring him toys also.

I have two kids, and both had lots of ear infections. My daughter would get them every few months, and then when she turned two they went away. My son started getting them at 6 months, and they just never went away- he would get one on top of another, that would lead to a double ear infection, etc. The Dr. suggested tubes, and we hesitated for a little while, but he kept getting them- even after the winter. So when he turned one, we did the surgery, and got the tubes put in. I am not going to lie- it was very nerve wracking to have him go in for surgery, but it was over in 10 minutes! He is now 1 1/2- he had one ear infection about a month after, and none since, and it has been almost 7 months.
I would watch your son for a little bit and see which category he falls into, if they go away and come back or just never go away... it might be worth doing... I am glad we did if for my son.

Hope this helps you!

Hey..something to consider...a lot of times, chornic ear infections can be traced back to food sensitivities/allergies. Dairy is a biggy, as well as wheat and soy. You can research on the web or talk to a naturopathic doctor. Also, when giving kids antibiotics, since all the healthy fighting bacterias are killed too (hence the diaper rashes, redcued immunities), you can replace these very easily with probiotics (liquid and pill forms, sprinkle over food or into whatever liquid, it's tasteless.) New Seasons, Fred Myer are two options to find them. Good luck, I know it is so hard with your little always miserable!!

I agree with Jenn...I would try alternatives before ever considering tubes. My son had the same issues...tubes were suggested...and we decided to go the natural route...and it worked. Have you tried garlic oil drops? What about silver hydrosol? I would suggest seeing maybe a naturopathic doctor first. There are plenty of alternatives to consider besides tubes. In fact, I just recently had a double ear infection myself (flew on a plane while I had a bad cold), I refused to go the antibiotic route because I get yeast infections every single time I've ever used them. For me, I did the silver hydrosol (Sovereign Silver) and my ear infections were gone in about 3-4 days...and no more pain after the first day. Our society is way too into jumping into doing invasive measures nowadays...please try an alternative.

My son had ear infections ALL THE TIME when he was born. Does he also have colds and a hard time sleeping? That was my son. He finally had to get tubes and his adenoids removed when he was about a year and a half. As soon as he recovered from surgery he started sleeping through the night. He is now 5 1/2 and has not had one ear infection since the surgery. So...as scary as it is allowing your little one to go through surgery, it is worth it and he will be just fine. I will keep him in my prayers.

Fortunately my daughter (7 months) has not had any ear infections so I can't speak to your issue on a personal level. However, I was a social worker in my past life (before my daughter was born) and worked with a few parents who elected to have the surgery done and they all were very glad that they did. Complications are rare and for them, surgery eliminated their child's constant ear infections.

I think it is very much worth it to try the tubes. I was afflicted in childhood with multiple, horrible ear infections (this was in the mid 60's--no ear tubes available back then) and had a great deal of pain as a child, as well as times of not being able to hear properly. It came to be that I was virtually deaf in the left ear; the infections took their toll. Finally, the time came when my left ear drum was eaten away by the infections; I had skin, from above my ear taken and graphed over the ear drum section. The only thing about the surgery that was not so great was the 2 day dizziness (anesthesia, probably, for the most part)and nausea, which is a natural thing when anything is involving the inner-ear; balance, etc. By the 3rd day I felt so much better and could hear in the ear, even through the packing and bandaging. :) I was elated. (I was 6) Keep in mind that anesthesia was much heavier, then, and it took a few days to get me back to normal. I would think that the procedure would take no more than an hour (?) and you would have a much happier child, and you,elated parents. :) Get all of the information you need; ask questions,ask for pamphlets and check things out on Medical sites online and remain calm about it. :) If any of my children had this problem, you bet I would have the tubes put in! Best to you :) K. E.

My son had tubes put in before he was even 1 years old. It was very frighteneing for my husband and i but definately worth it. Our son is now 3 and has only had 2 ear infections since. Before the tubes we were at the doctors every 2-3 weeks. I say go for the tubes.

Hi Lisa...I sure do feel for everything you have been through. I am an educated herbalist with a Masters of Science in herbal medicine and believe wholeheartedly that there are more options than just antibiotics or tubes. I have a practice here in Seattle...or there are other practitioners, like naturopaths that may be able to offer other possibilities for healing. If it were a simple...go to the store and take this...I would offer that suggestion, but I am sure your child needs a more in depth look at complete health history. Email me back if you would like to chat. Many blessings of healthy ears!
M. Baumgart
Clinical Herbalist
Columbia City Healing Arts Center

Lisa,
My 6 year old had tubes 2 times before he was 3 and it really saved us. The surgery is quick and the hardest part is coming out of anathesia--be prepared for lots of tears. I am so glad we went with the tubes for when he did have ear infections the ear just drained. Yes, the drainage was a bit disgusting, but he was so much more comfortable and doctors treated it with drops.

Lisa,
I have a daughter who is almost three. From the time she was about 3 months old, she would get an ear infection every other month or so. Amoxacylin was no longer working so they started to prescribe her different things. I was worried, but our pediatrician said that they don't start worrying about ear infections until they hit 2 years old. There was one period where she had 9 infections within 13 months. Then she turned 2 and hasn't had an ear infection once. One thing our doctor had us do, was bring her in a about 10 days after she started taking the antibiotics, just to make sure it was completely clearing up. That's how they realized that Amoxacylin wasn't working. They didn't really cause my daughter too much discomfort, so it would probably depend on how severe the infections were. I wish you and your family the best and I'm sure you will make the right decision for your family.

My daughter was just over a year when for the same reason had them do the tubes. They don't stay in forever, seems like 1-2 years is all. She did not have any more problems with ear infections after the tubes. I think we made a good decision. Good luck with your daughter.

My son had ear tubes when he was a year old, he will be two in March. After he went through about five ear infections and several different antibiotics we decided to do tubes. I was nervous about having him put under, but the whole surgery took only about ten minutes. We were in and out of the surgery center in about two hours. We went to Overlake Hospital and they were awesome, he got priority for the first appointment because they do have to fast and have no liquids before the surgery. That was probably the hardest part for us.

The surgery worked wonders for my son. He has no had an ear infection since! He's been sick a few times, but it never has turned into an ear infection which before it would have done so right away and lasted for quite a lont time. At first I was a little aprehensive with getting water in his ears, and bought the ear plugs. However, after reading a lot of new studies, decided I would do without the ear plugs and lead a normal life of taking baths and being in the water. We also do swimming lessons and we never had a problem with water. We have flown a lot with him before the ear tubes and after the surgery and have noticed that the ears pressurize a lot better with the tubes and he has a better experience.

Anyways, we had a great experience and I am so glad for my son's sake that we decided to get him the tubes. However, I know any surgery is scary so you have to do what you think is best for your son.

I had to make this hard choice for both of my kids when they were infants after fighting continuous ear infections - my daughter was 17 months and had been fighting ear infections for almost a year, and my son was 7 months. I have to say it scared the daylights out of me...I was in my late 20's and had never had surgery and I was thinking of putting my babies under the "knife". Eventually, I had to do it (they were becoming immune to numerous antibiotics) and I've never regretted it. My daughter never had another ear infection and my son (after having a 2nd surgery to remove is adenoids - his infections were jumping from his adenoids to his eustachian tubes) never had another one either. It's a hard choice to make and the results are not always as positive as my personal experience. Good luck!

As an infant our son had multiple ear infections. Within 1-2 days after antibiotics it was back to the doctor with another infection. I can't even count the number he had!!! At 6 months of age, he had ear tubes placed in both ears. He is now 4 and has had only 2-3 infections since then. As others have stated. Any surgery can be scary. It is a quick and simple procedure. After about 20 minutes our groggy son was back with us. Looking back, I would definitely do things just as we did.

My fifth child had multiple ear infections. After a year and a half, and 6 pediatricions. I finally went to my family G.P. and told her I wasn't crazy. She wanted to put her on a maintence antibiotic, but we decided to put her on the strongest antiobotic for 14 days not 10. We used Ceclor, and found that she was not getting completly over it in 10 days, and it was just taking the pressure off. Then it would come back. She also had tiny ear canals. They never came back. She is 17 years old, and whenever she gets an earache, she plugs her nose and blows. Also have tried warm garlic oil. Good luck, L.

My son had tubes put in when he was 3 1/2. Not for continual ear-aches, but for continually plugged ears that were negatively impacting his hearing and thus, speech development. It was a relatively short procedure, he recovered quickly and with no other side effects. I'm not sure what the procedural differences are on tubes for a toddler vs. tubes for your 1 yr old, but we're glad we decided to get the tubes for our son.

You might want to visit a Naturopath physician, he or she can guide you using homeopathic remedies. I have four, almost grown, children. We have used homeopathic remedies for over 20 years and have made it through ear infections, as well as many other illnesses, with no antibiotics. Remember that antibiotics decrease your child's ability to fight infection by doing the immune system's work and weakening your child. Research antibiotics and how they affect bodies before giving anymore to your child. Your child will thank you when they are older, mine did.
O.

My daughter had chonic ear infections 5 in four months and was constantly on antibiotics. We finally decided to try tubes, it was such a minor surgery. She was in and out within 4 hours. Within 1 day she was completely back to normal and wanting to play. We were surprised because we were told it would be at least one week before she would be back to normal. She did not even have so much as a cold for two years after the surgery. We wondered why we waited so long.

With the fear of antibiotic resistent bacteria that is now around, in which a very simple infection can prove to be deadly to little ones, I worry about having my kids take any antibiotics, unless absolutely necessary. The more often they take them the more immune their system becomes to the results of the antibiotic.

Talk to your doctor, babies have this surgery all the time with great results. Tubes is just a very small slit in the eardrum with a small plastic-like tube inserted to promote draining.

Don't do ear tubes just yet. Many kids bodies just wind up pushing them out. And the American Pediatric Association has reccently advised doctors that antibiotics don't work for infections. And messing up his digestion can just screw his little sytem up even more. I would take him to a naturopath. There is a good one at Kwan Yin Healing Arts Center, Dr. Archdeacon ###-###-#### or Dr. Gibbons @ the Family Center for Childbirth ###-###-####. Good luck but you have to get to the root of the problem & not just treat the symptoms to really get your kid healthy. Good luck & I hope he feels better soon.

From my experience I had many ear infections, therefore I have lots of scar tissue in my ears. At 24, I had yet another ear infection on top it I was pregnant. I found a wonderful Dr. who finnally put tubes in my ears. I know your little one will thank you for it. If you have the right Dr. it will become a positive. The hearring loss you experience with always having water behind your ear-drum is dangerous as an adult but think of your little one when they are starting to walk. It sounds like the antibiotics are just not cutting it.

I had a son who had cronic ear infections. He was always on antibiotics but nothing really seemed to help. We finally made the tough decision to have the surgery. I knew I had made the right decision when a few months later my son looked at me and said his ears didn't hurt anymore. He had been living with cronic pain and I did not even know it.

all 4 kids had ear infections and tubes... it is the BEST thing ever - very easy surgery - no complications with any of them - See Dr. Rone at Mary Bridge. He did tubes for child #2 and #3 on the same day....his wife is our pediatrician.... Do the tubes... multi ear infections could cause speech delays, vestibular issues etc requiring Occupational and speech therapy when he starts preschool... DO THE TUBES...

BTW - combat anti biotic diaper rashes with Yogurt...I used Stoney Field Farms Whole Milk Vanilla Yogurt ($3.60 fr a large container at Fred MEyer...)

Also...Cefzil caused the least diaper rash problems for my kids....

I have to say that tubes were a godsend for my son! he was less than a year they finally decided to do it. Our story was just like yours. Ear infection after another. The antibiotics caused horrible rashes, and he was always sick. The surgery was scary, but it was so fast, less than an hour, and he didn't have to stay the night or anything. He had less ear infections afterwards, but still had quite a few. in the end, before his second birthday he had his tonsils removed. It was the best thing possible! Since then, he is hardly ever sick. This is just my experience, so whatever you choose, good luck!
A. :)

What you may consider is what may happen if you don't get tubes. I had several ear infections. By the time the doctor considered that as an option, I also had to have my tonsils and adenoids out and that is a much more serious surgery than the tubes. I also had a great deal of ear drum damage. He may still a get a couple of ear infections after but they will eventually stop. The other additional avenue of help you may try is to find a Naturopath who treats children and can boost your son's immune system at the same time as getting the tubes. Tendency towards ear infections can simply be the mechanics of your son's head and not anything you're doing wrong. Even breastfeeding, which I am an ardent fan, can't change the structure in your son's ear so please don't blame yourself.
When my daughter had her day surgery, it's tough to wake up from the anesthetic but there will be very little blood and children bounce back quick.
Good luck, M.

Hi Lisa...yes ear infections can be a little scary. When my son was 8 months old he got ear infections in both ears. We chose not to use antibiotics and used ear drops containing lots of potent herbs from our naturopath. The doctor also gave us a yummy tincture with immune supporting herbs. It took a couple of weeks, but his ears healed up completely and he has not had another infection since (he is about 12 months now). I've heard more and more about recent research that shows that antibiotics don't really work well for ear infections but doctors continue to prescribe them anyway. Antibiotics can actually suppress the body's immune system and can contribute to recurring infections. Before deciding on surgery, you may want to consider trying an alternative approach that could help to support your son's own immune defenses. Your situation could be a little more complex than that, but seeing a naturopath could be a start. Good luck! (I just read some of the responses...yes, Dr. Gibbons and Dr. Archdeacon are both great...)and for chiropractic and craniosacral therapy, Dr. Amy Watson is wonderful...she works with mamas and children. I've heard that craniosacral can be very helpful for kids with recurring ear infections and it is incredibly gentle and calming.

My son also experienced multiple ear infections with minimal success in treating them. The only thing that worked to actually get rid of the infection was garlic oil...I know it sounds kinda off but it really works, research it! We did eventually have to get tubes but that was because his ears weren't draining. I am for tubes! My son is so much happier now, the difference is extreme. The surgery itself was scary for me but ultimately only took around 20-30 minutes and then I was with him in the recovery room. I hope you find the answer you are looking for. Hang in there :)

Try a natural supplement called Xylitol. It cleared up my son's ear infections when antibiotics wouldn't work. I found it in a product called Ear-a-saurus. I'm having trouble finding that product, but a natural food store has Xylitol as a sweetener.

My son had tubes put in at the age of 14months. He had 12 or so ear problems in within a year. Surgery was a breez it took a weeks to prepare for about a 10min ordeal. He is now 7 and I cant tell you the lastime he has had a problem with his ears. I say go for it! Good luck

My 2 1/2 year old had tubes in her ears about a year ago. It was the greatest thing we could do for her. She also had constant diaper rash from medicines and wasn't sleeping. The change was amazing. Of course it is scary to send your child in for surgery, but I can honestly say it was a quick and easy procedure. We were able to go back and be with her within 15 to 20 minutes of her being wheeled back in a wagon. She was back to running around the house a couple of hours after going home. She has not had another ear infection since!

Lisa~
Sorry to hear about the issues with ear infections and here is what I say after 3 boys, 2 with tubes. I wish my first had gotten them also. I know surgery is scary but antibiotics for the next 3 or more years should be also. Your body build an immunity to them and they can't work any more. I have been at the hospital for tubes, tonsils and asthma attack so I understand your fears. Please listen to your mom instincts. Also, if you decide to do tubes don't expect the infects to stop they really just help with the drainage and that is gross but if it helps them hear better, which helps with speech then that maybe the answer. One side note. Please do this procedure in the hospital. We know kids that remember the procedure being done in the doctors office and it hurt days later, both of my kids were over it in 2 days and the worst was my 1 year old at the time would scream because he could hear the thunder and lighting storms. He is now 9 and doesn't remember it at all. Goodluck.

We did it and he hasn't had one since. The surgery was scary but went sooo smooth. Dr. Sobba-Higley did my son's. She is out of the Wenatchee Valley Clinic. Good luck in your decision.

My son had multiple ear infections as a baby. At 10 mos. we went ahead and opted for tubes and it was great. The surgery was scary - but not bad. They do so many of them and the doctors are so good. He's now almost 2 and a half and not an ear infection since. Its a tough thing to weigh, but for us, tubes was the right choice. Good luck on your decision.

Tubes. The tubes were a saver.
My little guy had so many ear infections his first few months...which led to antibiotics, which led to yeast infections, thrush and horrible biaper rash. he got tubes at 11 moonths and hasn't had one since. He will be seven soon.

The hospital part was a little scary, just because he looked so little. The down part was while in the hospital he caught RSV...and that was very scary. However, that isn't the norm. Just be vigikent about his exposure to other kids and adults in the hospital.

Minus the RSV, which was quick..the relief at not having to rock the little screaming miserable guy with that feeling of frustration at not being able to help him.

My experience with tubes was that it really made a difference for him. He was a happier healthier guy after that.

Good Luck!

I haven't had this experience personally but I work in a chiropractic office and in 13 years I have seen many childrens' ear infections go away or lessen with chiropractic care. Another thing I've heard is to take the child off dairy products, since those build up mucus. I'm sure you're willing to try anything short of surgery, those are my suggestions from what I've seen work! Let me know if you need a recommendation for a chiropractor in your area. Good luck!

Tubes were a blessing for us. The thing is, your little guy's hearing is affected by the ear infections. With an ear infection (fluid in the ear), it was described to me, that you hear as if under water. Our little guy's speech was delayed because of all his ear issues. And we definitely had our share of diarea and diaper rash as well. Anyway, we went in to the hospital and left two hours later - piece of cake. They do wake up very thirsty though.
He had one infection with the tubes, but clear ever since. He is about to turn three! :)
Good luck.

I had both multiple ear infections and tubes in my ears till I was oh about 7. I've broken both of my ear drums multiple times. As an adult, I've learned how to catch them before they got too bad with hot packs, vitamins, and advil. But still had to fight them away often. I can say from my own experience and from the research I have done as an adult, that tubes in your ears and antibiotics do very little. I found an awesome naturopathic doctor and discovered that I am milk intolerant. Once I cut that out of my diet, I haven't had a serious cold/ear infection for years! So you may want to check to see if he has a food allergy before opting for either waiting them out or surgery.

Hello Lisa - Your family sounds just like mine!!! I have 2 boys, ages almost 3 and 9. My younger son had tons of ear infrctions, sleep apnea and snoring. He had his ear tube surgery, along with his tonsils and adnoids out in November. It was scary, emotional but the best decision ever!!!! Our Dr is great. I'll give you his contact info if you are interested. The 2 weeks after the surgery were miserable - don't plan on leaving the house - but this was for all 3 surgeries. Now, Brady is wonderful, happy, sleeping and very healthy. Hope this helps - hope to hear from you. - S.

When my son was one he had frequent ear infections also. Then we tried putting him on Zyrtec and that helped keep everything opened up. He has not had an ear infection since and he is 4 1/2 now. It was amazing that something so simple, worked so well. We also found out recently he has Asthma which cause excess mucas...which in turn can be related to the sinus/ear infections. We didn't want to believe it, but has been so healthy since getting him on the right treatment plan. Good luck to you.

My oldest had tubes put in at 11 mos, and I feel it was still too late. With all of the antibiotics, his lower intestine was robbed of it's wonderful flora which resulted in being allergic to wheat/gluten. He lost weight, had diahrea everytime he ate and was vomiting and lethargic. At one point I took him to the ER and they performed a spinal tap because he was so ill. (He eventually quit eating, and would only nurse.)
After a few bowel movement samples, my Dr. came to the conclusion he had Celiac Sprue de to all the antibiotics. We did a wheat-free diet for about 4 years, and his intestines were able to replenish the flora.
I am sure it doesn't happen often.
Get some Acidophilus capules and mix them in with his food or drink. I think it's called Pro-biotics now. Your local health food store can help steer you in the right direction.
Good luck, and I hope your lil one feels better soon!

The tubes placed in the ear make a hole and then when it heals, that part of the ear drum will be thicker and over time reduce the flexibility of the ear drum, and the possibility of creating hearing loss.

As for the the Antibiotics, you should always give you child a dose of probiotics (at a minimum of 5 different probiotics in each capsule) that way when you wipe out the bad you are replacing it with the good. This should also help with the diaper problems.

Hello Lisa,
I say go for the tubes I have 2 boys and one girl boys are 11 and 7 they have had ear problems since they were weeks old my oldest has had 4 sets my youngest 2 sets dont have the baby suffering did you know that with every ear infection the babys hearing is being affected and not only that he/she will soon grow immune to anitbiotics. I wish you luck I know I have paid my over night stays in the ER with my kids in tremendous pain. And guess what the wierdest thing is my daughter is 4 going on 5 and she has only had 2 at the most ear infections.
E.

Don't know if you're still breast feeding or not, but have you considered that it might be a food allergy? Also, my three kids all had ear infections EVERY TIME THEY CUT A TOOTH. This included rash, fever, and miserable earache and pain. I don't know if you've considered it or not, but I am a master herbalist living in Sandy, OR, who might have alternatives to the standard prescription approach for you to try. I kept my 3 children healthy and none of them had to have tubes either. If you're interested feel free to give me a call. (#'s ###-###-####) I'll be happy to meet with you and talk with you. My best times are on the weekends, as I too am crazy busy during the week. Best wishes whatever you decide. Meg Turner