(Mods: I posted this here because there’s a very high nimber of people that can probably explain this to me in layman’s terms, but please feel free to move it to GQ if you want)
Earlier this week, we decided to have my daughter’s hearing tested. I used to think she was just being three and ignoring me until I spoke at very high volume, but this has been going on for a little too long now. Recently she’s started saying that she can’t hear the TV very well, and that was the kicker.
My husband took her to the doctor today, and the doctor never did actually test her hearing. She found an ear infection, one that apparently never went away from when she got her first one three or four months ago. There’s apparently a lot of fluid in her right ear, which makes it very difficult for her to hear in that ear.
The first ear infection she had, she told us right away that her ear hurt. We got her to the doctor the next day, and she gave us some ear drops. We used them all, and my daughter hasn’t complained about her ears hurting since. I feel terrible about it, but how was I to know? Anyway, the doctor prescribed more ear drops, and said to bring her back in a few weeks so she can check again.
The doctor also said that if these drops don’t work, my daughter may have to have surgery involving putting a tube in her ear. I know these are common, but I really don’t know what they do. Can you guys give me some info, or point me towards a good site where I can get info?
Well I had tubes in my ears several times as a child. And following in my tradition is my nephew who just got his a month ago.
Basically the tubes give an outlet to built up fluid in the ear. Not only does it cut down on ear infections, it also improves conductive hearing problems which rendered me and my nephew with 20% hearing.
The down side of it is that after the placement of the tubes, you cannot get the ear wet for several weeks. It is very hard to bathe your child with those restrictions.
Overall though, it makes your child less cranky, sleep better, and improves their speech.
Have you asked your doctor about a “maintenance dose” of antibiotics? Both of my children were notorious for ear infections, but when the process of placing tubes in my younger son’s ears was explained, I asked for other options. The maintenance dose worked.
Frannie: The doctor gave us more drops to try again, and if these don’t work, she said my daughter might have to get the tubes. I don’t know anything about maintainance dosing with ear drops, but I will certainly bring it up next time! The thought of my spazzy three-year-old having to undergo this isn’t pleasing me.
Many doctor’s are reluctant to give them for recurring ear infections, but I would think that a MD would exhaust all options before resorting to putting tubes in.
My husband either misunderstood the doctor, or I misunderstood my husband.
He just brought home the prescription, and it’s an oral, Sulfatrim. It looks & smells like the amoxicillin suspension liquid. This is good. My daughter has taken amoxicillin before, and likes it, mostly because it’s pink.
I, too, had tubes in my ears when I was a kid. I was five going on six at the time, and I remember being terrified about the anaesthesia. But, I was a good boy and my mom bought me a Star Wars toy as a present afterwards.
Anyway, it really did help my hearing, and I remember the icky clay-like stuff I had to wear in my ears when I bathed.
The tubes are supposed to come out naturally. One did when I was in school. I remember it was a tiny miniscule spool, as if a mouse was using it for sewing thread. The other one was rather stubborn and had to be manually extracted by my doctor. He used the old tilt the head to the side and pluck it with tweezers method, no pain at all.
Anyway, this was twenty-one years ago, so things might’ve changed. But, it was a good procedure, and I’m glad I had them. Good luck with your daughter, Persephone.
Right… ORAL antibiotics. I assumed that was understood. My son was on a maintenance dose for quite a few months, and never had to have the tubes put in place.
The ear drops are only used for inflammation of the ear canal itself (called “otitis externa”), not the eardrums. Inflammation of the eardrums is called “otitis media” and is treated with oral antibiotics. What your daughter had several months ago was probably the ear canal inflammation (you may know it better by the laymen’s term, “swimmer’s ear”). What she has now is the infection of the eardrums, which is why she was given the oral medication. My oldest child had chronic ear infections when he was younger and we had him on the maintenance dosing, which is only one dose a day of oral antibiotics. It really did seem to help, although he still would occasionally get “breakthrough” ear infections.
But you are right about this one thing (but just this one ). Ear drops won’t reach the middle ear to clear up an eardrum infection, which is why they give oral antibiotics. Ear drops work great on ear canal infections though.
Our daughter also had tubes, and its been pretty good. She was on antibiotics so often that she developed a sensitivity (not quite an allergy, but we aren’t pushing it) to penicillin. I would be more concerned about maintenance antibiotics than surgery, since now we can’t use the penicillin family to treat anything she gets. But each person needs to weigh the risks of every treatment for themselves.
Tubes aren’t bad. The surgery takes fifteen minutes. The hardest parts are putting them under and when they wake up. They are fine within twenty four hours.
Some doctors don’t make you keep the ears from getting wet. We had an old fashioned ENT who has that restriction on her until the tubes fall out - as well as she can’t drink lying down.
They almost always fall out on their own, six months to a year after surgery.
My daughter had eight ear infections in the first eleven months of her life, beginning at five months. Then tubes. She has had two more infections since, tubes were five months ago. They probably won’t put tubes in unless its chronic.
Also, allergies have been known to cause recurring ear infections.
I had tubes put in my ear where I was 4, and they stayed in until I was 11.
I was allergic to dairy products, and eating them caused the tubes leading from my nose to my ears (I don’t think they ever told me the name, since I was so young) to swell up and excess fluid built up in my ears.
I had the same symptoms you described - couldn’t hear the television, etc. The downfall was I had to swim and bathe with ear plugs (wax ones) my entire childhood, and could never eat cheese and had to drink nasty powdered milk.
When I was 11, I was at the doctor’s and they just fell out. After a few years I was able to eat and drink dairy whenever I wanted to.
My son had tubes put in four timeswhich is unusual. Usually one set is all that is necessary.
He got infections that we could not get rid of, even changing antibiotics every 10 days for months on end. The tubes worked like a charm and he never got infected as long as they were in place. The surgery,if you can even call it that, took mere minutes and he never had any trouble. All they do is cut a tiny (less than 1/8th inch) slit in the eardrum and stick the tube in. The tubes have flanges on each side to keep them in place. I strongly urge you not to worry about it, I was more worried about the constant antibiotics. He NEVER took any while the tubes were in.
Feel free to email me and I’ll give you my phone, if you want. I can explain it easier in person.
Both of my sons had tubes in their ears, and both weren’t allowed to get any water in them while they were in.
If it comes down to getting tubes ask the doctor to put in colored ones so you can see them when they come out. I didn’t know that they could do that until after the fact.
Your doctor can also fit your daughter for special ear plugs. A bit more than the wax stuff you buy at the store, but much better. I think around $15 or so.
The doctor we had doesn’t like anti-biotics because of the long term effects they can sometimes have that have already been mentioned.
My youngest son had bad ear infections all the time, and my oldest son has a non-functioning left ear drum. Neither has had problems since, but it didn’t help my oldest left ear drum. But, they were only hoping it would work and couldn’t promise it would.
I was so against the whole thing in the begining because I had heard horror stories, but now I believe it was a good idea.
I was lucky and we only had to go through it once per child.
And you feel like shit when they wake up from surgery. I hated myself for a while because the few days after were hell. But after that it was all good.
Keep us posted and good luck. I hope she feels better soon. And hey, at least you can get your hubby to take the kids to the doctor. Mine freezes up when I ask him. He’s terrified that he will forget something.
Sorry, I fell asleep after I put up that last post, then had the Michigan Winter Dopefest tonight.
Thanks for all the great info, my friends! I really do appreciate it. I understand a lot more now.
If she does have to get a tube, I’ll probably ask for a colored one. Not just because I’ll see it better, but because my daughter will probably think it’s cool. Right now, she doesn’t really understand what the problem is (she’s only three)–she just knows that her ear is “broken” (that’s what she’s saying now, anyway).
). Ear drops won’t reach the middle ear to clear up an eardrum infection, which is why they give oral antibiotics. Ear drops work great on ear canal infections though.