Tubes in the Ears???? - Spring Hill,FL

My son had tubes put in his ears at 15 months. He was so sick all the time with ear infections before this. He is three now, still has his tubes and hasn't had a single ear infection since the tubes were put in. So I highly recommend them.

Both my boys had them. The oldest was 1 and the youngest was 4 months old when they got the tubes.. They have been great. No problems at all from either one. My oldest is 5 and youngest is 1 now..

I just went through this with my 18 month old last Wednesday. I was hesitant, but I'm very glad I went through with it now. She was in so much pain before, always waking up in the night with pain. ..and when we tried antibiotics the only ones that worked ripped apart her stomach.
10 days later....she has her old happy personality back (no more screaming!) she's learned at least 20 new words, and she's sleeping through the night.
I never believed all the good that could come until it happened to me.
My only advice, bring an extra shirt. Addie threw up quite a few times!!

I had tubes put in my daughter's ears about 10 months ago. For about 8 months I had no problems at all. She was happier because she didn't have any ear infections, she started to talk more, and I was really glad I had the tubes put in. Then, after about 8 months, I purchased new baby shampoo w/ conditioner in it. Big mistake! The new perfumy soap w/ conditioner went into her ears and caused pain, burning, and I ended up taking her to ER. The doctors told me that for kids that have tubes in the ears, you should never use anything in their hair that has conditioner, because this slippery water will most likely enter through the tubes. The doctors never told me this when they did the tubes. Then, I switched back to Johnson & Johnson Sensitive Body wash, and have not had a problem since. So, my advice is to go w/ the tubes, but be careful about what you use to wash the baby's hair. You want to avoid water from entering the ear canal.
Good luck,
R..

D.,
My son had the same problem and when he was one we took him to a EBT, Dr. Cressman. He suggested tubes in the ears. It is a same day procedure. My son hasn't had ear problems since.

My son had tubes put in his ears when he was very young - 1 1/2 or 2 (he is 11 now). I was nervous as well. After the tubes were put in, it was like a miracle! He never had anymore ear problems. The actual procedure to put the tubes in went well also. We had made no plans the day of the procedure, but once we got home, he was his normal self, playing etc...

We did have them taken out when he was about 5. We had moved, and out new doctor thought they should stay in - until they fall out, but the original dr said they should come out. So, we went to the original dr and had them taken out. I cant remember the controversy over leaving them in or out, but it is something you may want to ask about.

Hi D.,
I have had tubes put in my son and two daughter's ears and along with that my daughters had their tonsils removed. They also were constantly sick with ear infections and sore throats.
Its the best thing I did! After a while the tubes will pop out and their job will be done. If you are still uncomfortable
about the procedure please talk to your doctor. All those anti-biotics are not good for your baby and they become amuned to them. This is the better way to go! Prayers to you and Hannah....everything will be Ok!
V.

Hey D.,

My daughter Nicole (who is now 7-yikes) had tubes put in her ears when she was just under 2. Probably one of the best decisions was to do so. She too suffered through numerous ear infection after ear infection up to that point. She was even put on a low grade antibiotic for 30 days to try to keep the infections at bay. Alas, I had enough. After researching ENT's ( and I stress the importance of researching) I found a very reputable ENT whose child went through the same thing. For my daughter, it was miraculous. Almost immediately after the surgery her speach improved greatly as did her balance and coordination. What I never was told was that she had impaired hearing by almost 50% due to the chronic ear infections. I am happy to report that she is a happy healthy 7 year old with perfect hearing and NOT ONE EAR INFECTION SINCE!! YAY!!. Of course, this decision is a personal one and should not be considered lightly, but for us it was, without a doubt, a very good one. I hope this helps you at least feel more comfortable about the whole thing as it really was just a few hours at the hospital and by that same afternoon it was like nothing had ever happened. But please research your doctors before you decide. Good luck!!!

My daughter dealt with ear infections for 4 months early last year. She had her adnoids removed and tubes placed in both ears in July 06. I think it's the best thing we could have done. Her speech improved within 2 weeks and she was back to her normal self the night of the surgury, she started sleeping better too. She was 25 months old when she had the surgury.

I have. when I was little I was sick ALL the time and would get ear infections like people take there dogs for walks. Of course like I said I was little, but I remember them telling me that the tubes would fall out and I would never know. And I never did. It was painless (Alot less pain than an ear infection) and afterwards I was great. Don't be worried, it's simple and your daughter will feel much much better afterwards!

yes my youngest has tubes in shes also 7/12 . shes had them in off and on since birth . her name is autumn we last spring break had suergwery to put them in and get her tonsils and abnoids removed she seems to be doing alright
she was not hearing well before and having the tv on at full blast. shes doing well now she goes to see her ent all the time. so my advice is to please put them in it will do him wondeers or her.

It's often necessary and makes a big difference with ear infections. You may want to consult with an allergist. Often these kids are allergic to a food (usually dairy) and taking them off of that resolves the ear infections too.

Just a thought because I've been there.

My 22 month old son had the tubes put in in October. Although it is kind of scary for us, he had no problems with it and it was a simple morning procedure. We were home from the surgery center within a couple of hours. Before the tubes, he was not talking at all, just simple things like momma and dada. Now he is up to around 20 words and enjoying music and sounds so much more.

It has also alleviated the problems with the fluid in his ears, although the tubes have gotten blocked (ear drops work on that).

Hi D.:

I had this problem when I was little also. I used to get really intense earaches, and the doctor would also prescribe antibiotics. They would always come back. As a last-ditch effort before putting tubes in my ears, my doctor recommended having my tonsils and adenoids removed. It worked! I haven't had any problems with my ears since then. So if you haven't explored that option yet, please do so before having the tubes done.

Good luck!

Vicky K.
St. Simons Island, GA

My youngest daughter had the same problem. She had tubes put in her ears and her adnoids removed when she was nine months old. I was so nervous but I new that we had to do something because she was getting so many ear infections and we didn't want her to have any kind of permenent hearing damage. It was the best thing we could have done. The procedure was very quick and by that afternoon she was up playing. She hasn't had and ear infection since and she is two and a half now. Her speech is right on track and although she had little hearing when they did the procedure all the fluid drained out and she hears fine now. I know it is very scary I was a nervous wreck. I am very glad now though. There are a couple of things that they can't do while the tubes are in but it is worth it to me. She seemed so much happier after the surgery. I hope this helps and let me know if you have anymore questions I would be happy to help in any way I can.

Hi there, I'm new to this site and just reading through and saw your thing about tubes...

It saved our lives! OMG! My oldest daughter is 3 now. From the time she was 6 months to when we got the tubes, it was one ear infection after the other. constant antibiotics. a constant drain of energy for all of us. At 15 months we got referred to an ENT at the beach, Dr. Brink, and really liked him and his PA and staff. We went ahead with the surgery and dude, I'm not kidding, by the time she woke up from her afternoon nap the same day, she was a brand new child. Has been happy and healthy every since. She has even been less sick than the kids in her class once she started preschool. However, in the last couple months, she had her first ear infection again since the surgery and it seems that she's already outgrown one of the tubes. They're making me wait another six months before we replace it. Although I'm worried about her going through the surgery more again now that she's older because she'll be more aware of what's going on and probably get scared (she was so good the first time!!, younger the better because they don't really know to be scared) but, I dont' want her to be miserable wtih the ear infections again. It really effects her behavior when she's not feeling well. She's just not as happy:(.

Anyway, I hope this helps and eases your mind!
Stacy L.
32 yr old SAHM

i myself had tubes put in my ears when i was a child, i have always been pron to ear infections. they do help and they do them in office now and it doesnt hurt. they put them in then you just wait for them to fall out. i also seen where there is a shot that helps prevent ear infections. i have a 3 month old and i am just waiting for them to start. but they are a good thing, and good call going to an ent.

My little one had to have tubes 3 times before he turned 2. He is five now, they help drain the fluid so that she wont have problems with her ears later one. My little guy is 5 almost 6 now and hasnt had problems with his ears since the last set of tubes.. She will be in pain but wont remember at all..

I just went through it with my son just a week ago. He had tubes and adnoides removed. It only took a day and he was already a different child. We dealt with ear infections and upper respiratory infections since he was 8 weeks old. now he is 15 months and until last week he was not walking or talking. after the tubes were put in, the next day he started walking and he already says 5 or 6 words. I think is the best thing that could have happened to us (and him). the operation is really simple and it takes about 1/2 hour, so you dont even have time to think about it!!! hope this helps

Hi D.,
I am a single mom as well. I have three kids. My oldest son who is now 18 had tubes when he was 3. I wish that they had done them sooner, because now he has a lot of scar tissue from so many ear infections. I have a 4 year old with Down syndrome who also has had tubes. He has had them three times already, plus he has had his adnoids and tonisils out as well.
These ladies are correct there is nothing to worry about. It is a very simple procedure. They will give her something to calm her before she goes back to the ER. She will not remember anything. The ear infections and fluid does seem to clear up a lot after. The tubes will eventually work themselves out.
The hardest part about having tubes is you can not get water in your ear. Though like my son, I am sure there are other children that have, but you should not get them wet.
Cotton works good with some vasaline, and they make a wax as well that you can use.
Good luck, and I am sure everything will be fine.

When I was a child I had real problems with my ears. The doctors were real reluctant to do the tubal surgery and kept prescribing medicine to chase away the symptoms. By the time I was two I was going deaf. They finally relented and I eventually had six surgeries altogether from two years old to twelve years old. The good news is that I eventually grew out of it and now I have perfect hearing. If your doctor thinks it is the right thing to do for your daughter, than I would take his advice.

Well.. my daughter got tubes put in when she was 10 months old. She constantly had ear infections.. but the tubes haven't helped her. All the tubes did was allow the "liquid" to escape the ear canal.. they say that the ear infections won't hurt when they have the tubes but I beg to differ.. My daughter cries still when she has them and she gets them constantly. The procedure is very short and the tubes will stay in.. but if I had to do it all over again I wouldn't.

We just went through tubes with my son. He is 14 mos old and was miserable for about 3 mos. with a chronic ear infection. He was not himself. After the surgery he was a completely different child. No more fever, no more antibiotics, no more diarhea that comes with the antibiotics. I would recommend this procedure to anyone whose child has been suffering for longer than a month. His appetite is back, he is talking so much more and his balance has returned. We went with Dr. Wade Cressman and he was great.
The procedure was quick and simple( we were in and out in 30 min) He was not happy though. He wanted out of there as soon as possible. But he had no complications, no drainage and his ear infections have all but disappeared.
I hope that this has helped you Good Luck C. Forshag

i have a 4 year old who had alot of the same problems you are mentioning plus more . i too was nervous because the tubes seem so serious but once she got them all of the problems disapeared . i am very happy with the results . it has been over 2 years with no problems .

Hi. My daughter, who is now 10, had tubes in her ears when she was 10 months old. The tubes do not prevent the ear infections however alleviates the pain and pressure. Since my daughter never showed symptons of an ear infection, the tubes let me know when she had one with the drainage. Since they fell out(about 7 months later)she has not had any more ear infections. I would reccomend the tubes before any other major surgery.
Best Wishes

Tubes are wonderful. My son is going to be getting them soon as well, almost all of my cousins have had them and my nephews. They work wonders, my nephew could not hear at the age of two because of the fluid buildup. It's a simple, maybe hour and a half procedure. I would not be too nervous, I am also a single mother who lives at home because it's hard to live here. My son's father does not really support him, only when he feels drugs are not more important than him. So I understand how you feel. If you ever just need to talk please email me, I'll be happy to talk with you.

My son has had tubes in his ears and so did I when I was younger.

There is no real risk to the child of any future problems. I would say go for it. If you don't do something to try and releive the fluid pressure, you risk more ear infections and the possibility of your daughter's ear drums bursting which causes the tempanic membrane to rip and not heal properly.

This will cause hearing loss later in life - I know. I live with it in me. The tubes helped me for a time but was not a permanent solution for me personally.

My son, although having 3 sets of tubes, has had no real probelms since. David has a nuerological disorder that effects his health in general so what works for a normal child may not work for my son.

My neice has had tubes also. She has no more problems today.

My son sees Dr. Wade Cressman. He is an ENT with All Children's Hospital. He is one of the best in pediatrics in the area. You can always see him for a second opinion. His number is (800) 456-4543. Then ask for Dr. Cressman's office. He will be honest in his recommendations - and he puts the child first above all else.

It's probably way too late to offer suggestions but for future readers out there here is the flip side to not having tubes put in.

My husband had to have surgery on his ear because he had a cholesteatoma in his middle ear. It ate half of the bones in his middle ear and a thin piece of bone between his middle ear and his brain. The bone between his middle ear and his brain will grow back but the others won't. Half of his anvil is gone. Most doctors want to perform a radical mastoidectomy which removes all the bones and the ear drum. The patient has to go to the EN&T specialist for the rest of their life to have their ears cleaned out by a machine every three months. I said all that to say this. This condition was caused by a hole in his ear drum that caused continuous ear infections. EN&T specialists prevent this by putting tubes in kids ears. Tubes are a good thing to have put in a child's ears as this saves you and them a lot of difficulty when they are older. My husbands condition has caused mild hearing loss (only mild because the doctor he went to did a partial mastoidectomy only removing the growth). Hope this gives someone a new light on tubes in the ears. Scary now or lots of health problems in the future if not dealt with during childhood.

My daughter is 4 and has had tubes put in twice. The first time was at age 18 months, and the 2nd was about a year & a half ago. It's an outpatient procedure, and she'll be home the same day. The doctor might also suggest taking her adenoids out. That's what they did with my daughter. Swollen adenoids can cause fluid to not drain like it's supposed to, so antibiotics don't respond. That may or may not be the case with your little girl. She may not be a happy camper (my daughter screamed at me as soon as she came out of the OR) but she'll be fine. Just be prepared for a lot of mommy time, and feel free to write back if you have any other questions. Good luck!

My daughter had ear infections constantly so her Dr. referred us to an ENT at Wolfson's (Dr. Maddern). The surgery was fast. No sooner was I comfortable in my chair out in the waiting room after getting her prepped, Dr. Maddern came out saying the surgery was over and it went wonderful. It is like a 15 minute procedure. The only thing that scared me was when my daughter was coming out from the anethesia. She screamed and cried because they don't understand why they feel that way. My daughter was 11 months when she had it done. Generally if children keep having ear infections and fluid build-up, it could damage their hearing capabilities. She did have some dried blood in her ear but nothing too scary that I could not deal with it.

All in all the procedure was worth it in my eyes. Instead of having to keep giving antibiotics (which if taken enough, the body starts becoming immune to it), my daughter has had no ear infections since Nov. 4th, 2005. The tubes are still in her ear and if they don't fall out by like July, they have to remove them. Her Dr does not seem to worried about it because they are still working and serving a purpose.

I recommend going to Wolfson's with Dr. Maddern. He is one of the top children's ENT and his staff is very nice. Best of luck!!

~K.

Probably too late to chime in, but our daughter had the same problem. Our ENT recommended trying a nasal steroid first (I think Nasonex?) before we did the tubes. For her, that's all it took. The fluid was gone, and we have haven't had any problems since and its been over 3 1/2 years. I know plenty of kids who have the tubes and its worked for them, I'm just glad our daughters problem cleared up without the surgery.

When my son was young he always got sick and had bad ear infections, at 13 months the ENT put tubes in his ears. It was like night and day. He stopped getting sick and was a totally different child. He is now 25 months and no problems. As long as you feel comfortable with the ENT then I would suggest doing it. I believe our son saw DR. Mercer and we love that ENT.

I can sympathize with you. My daughter had the same problem for about a year and a half. I took her to the ENT who said she needed tubes and he put her on antibiotics for about 2-3 weeks. My insurance called it a "pre existing condition" and would not cover the surgery for another 8 months. So...I waited. She had one more ear infection after seeing the ENT and has not had one since. She is now 4 years old and has not had an ear infection in 2 years. Talk to your doctor of course, but sometimes it is just best to wait it out. Ask about putting her on a lengthy dose of antibiotics to clear the fluid and then just see what happens. Good Luck!

Hi D. S,
Our twin girls had tube surgery around 14 months. Since that time they had 5 total. Our girls were born with open soft clefts. They had surgery to close them at 11 months. We did not know at the time that the girls were hard of hearing. After the tube surgery, the doctor told us that they may begin to hear significantly and begin to make new sounds. That same evening, we stopped at a family resturant for dinner. The girls started banging on the tables with the silverware and making yoddling type sounds. We were amazed. I learned to keep tap water out of their ears during baths, as it seemed to help kick off infection. I limited whole milk and whole milk products because it seemed to increase the mucus fluid that they could not cough or spit up. Babies just manufacture mucus. I felt like the only reason it turned into an infection is because it couldn't drain without the tubes. They were better with each tube surgery. About 4th grade they got their last set of tubes. They now play musical instruments and even sing a little. I am so glad we had good ENT's. I would recommend helping the kid not suffer from the pain and fevers. Skipping school in early years due to ear infections is no fun for the child or you when it is catchup time with the home work. Besides, if you can get a handle on it now, possibily, the earlier they will not need them toward the end of elementary. It is the nature of childhood to suffer dis eases. It has nothing to do with your relationship. There is no blame. It is more lonely, not to have that father figure that takes turns soothing the ills and hurts. Let your parents enjoy not having the competition. Often married couples have to choose who gives the bedside care while the other works. Tip! Write letters as though your child is writing to the most wonderful father in the world. In the letters she describes her days and events and keeping him informed as though he was in the war and can't come home. As she grows up hearing you read aloud what she would write to her father, it will give her a sense of belonging to a father who loves. Right now she has that in her grandfather. By the time she grows up enough to understand what not living with her father really means, it will not have loss and rejection as the biggest room in the house. Take care and God bless!

My son was in the same boat and i finally took him to an Ent in Sarasota and they did put tubes in his ears and took his adnoids out. The procedure took only minutes and barely no recovery the next few days. It was like nothing even happened. Which Doctor are you taking her to??

I am a mother of three. 11 year old step-daughter, 3 year old son and 4 month old son. I am married and I work nights as a nurse...

Hi D.....
My name is R., my daughter now is 5, but whe she was 2 wnet trough the same situation becuase she got 6 otitis media in a year and they sent us to an ENT.
And let me tell you, of course we cried because we didnt know what gonna happen and when the nurse came in to take her to the opration room and she said bye bye to us... that was hard !! ( lol) but in 15 minutes yes 15 minutes she was back with us, and that's it.
After that she never had an infections again , and one day she went to her pediatrician for a follow up and I asked for the tubes, he told me they are gone...!!!
For sure nothing happened to her!!!!
If this help you a llittle bit... good luck but is the best for her.

R.

My daughter was 23 months old when she had tubes put into her ears. She had really bad ear infections all the time. The doctor also took out her adnoise & thonsills at the same time. She is now 6 years old & her ear infections have only been maybe 1 a year if that. She does have alot of drainage now but other than that she is doing fine.

Dear D.,
My son had tubes in his ears when he was about 17 mths old. I was very worried about it being an unnecessary procedure but I am very happy with it. My son was constantly sick and the fluid in his ears never went away. His hearing was poor and his language development was delayed a bit. Within one week of the tubes, his vocabulary exploded. The scariest thing is that the doctor put him under anesthesia and put IV's in. The tubes take minutes. (My son also had his adenoids taken out so he had a much longer recovery process.) My son used to touch his ears all the time after and the doctor said he could now hear and it was surprising for him. My son still gets sick but much less and has only had one ear infection and he is 24 mths. Email me if you has an specific questions. Good luck, K..

My son was 2 when he got tubes in his ears. His ENT did Tubes in the ears, tonsils, and adnoids at the same time. Is is a very simple procedure. His lasted about a year and then came out. The tube itself is about the size of a pen tip. They are very tiny. You will never even know they are there except when she goes to the doctor and the doc tells you they are still in there. It is a very short procedure. If done alone, it will be an out patient procedure. Done at the hospital, they put them under do it and then wake them up. All takes about 20 minutes. Soon you are on your way home. If they do tonsils and adnoids then it will be a night in the hospital just to make sure she will eat and drink. I would take the doctors advice and have it done. Not a big deal at all. 2 days after my son had it done it was like nothing ever happened. It will definitly help though. Good Luck.

Its not healthy for fluid to be built up in the ears so yes let them do it...she will be fine....