18 Month Old Gets Ear Infections with Every Cold

My daugther use to get ear infection as well, she did get tubes put ____@____.com she is now 5 and has not had an infection since then.

My daughter used to get them like that. Then we took her off dairy and sugar. She never did have those tubes installed.

My daughter had tubes put in at age 12 years. This stopped the ear infections but she has suffered some hearing loss due to scaring from repeated ear infections. I recommend getting the tubes asap to prevent hearing loss.

2 things you can do:
The 1 and most important thing Ive done and its kept my son mostly cold free is the Nasopure nasal flush bottle. You can get it on line- no need to buy the solution you can make it yourself. 1/8 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt to 1/2 cup warm pure water. During winter we flush every night in the tub and during a cold a few times a day. This clears all of the mucous out that will often cause the ear infections. They dont like it at first but if you make it a game during tub time- they get used to it. It IS a life saver and actually your whole family can do it during cold season to flush all germs out of the mucous membranes where cold begin.
Next use Garlic and Mullein Ear oil as a preventative or when they have a cold. Just 2 drops in each ear. You can get it at health food stores. Research is showing that antibiotics arent working so well for ear infections and they wreck their digestion anyway. Good luck!!
Yes for sure- cut dairy

Hi S.,

Is your dr. quick to put your son on antibiotics with every ear infection? If so, his resistance might be low & thus the frequent re-occurances. We had a fantastic pediatrician a while back that was pretty holistically oriented & he recommended garlic & mullein ear drops when our oldest had her first ear infection. We followed his advice, in addition to doing probiotics, & it was her last ear infection as well!

Just last night our 4yr old woke up crying saying her face was hurting. She's had a cold, very mucousy, so I expect it's an ear infection. I picked up "Wally's Ear Oil" from the natural foods co-op & it's already working wonders. It might sound hokey, but I swear by this stuff & it doesnt hurt to try while you're exploring resolve/options.

Good luck!
Christie

Hi S.,
My son who is now 7 years old, also got ear infections with every cold he got, I knew when he got a cold he was going to get a ear infection. When he was 12 months old we did get him tubes for his ears, They told us after the first year they will fall out on there own. I have to admit after the tubes where in place he never got a ear infection after that. It was wonderful and his language grew! After the first year the tubes did fall out After the tubes fell out my son started getting ear infections again, ,at one point I took my son to the doctor and they kept telling me he had a virus his ears where clean, I kept being persistent with them, telling them he has a ear infection, I went to my ENT myself and he cleaned out all the wax and whamo there was the ear infection by this time the ear infection ate his whole ear drum, so now he has no right ear drum and we have to have surgery for them to reconstruct a new ear drum when he is older because for months he can't be on the move because the ear drum has to set. We are hoping when he is 10 we can attempt this, yes we did have to go through hearing test and even a brain stem hearing test where they put him to sleep and check his hearing. He has moderte hearing loss now due to the ear infection that ate his ear drum. Yes he has speech issues , My opinion is get the tubes because when my son had them he was free from ear infections and there where no worries it's a simple surgery that takes 20 minutes and whamo they are done. Your little guy doens't have to go through the pain of having a ear infection and a chance of loosing a ear drum due to a infection or one that may effect his hearing and speech. You can wait for him to grow out of them, but it could be years in my opinion why take the risk and let your little one suffer the pain of the infections. Remember to trust your instincts and make sure they always clean his hears out to get the wax out don't ever let a doctor tell you his ears are claen and you know in your gut he has a ear infection. The end results could be damaging.

My son started getting ear infections when he was 18 mos old. He was pretty much having it almost every month and getting antibiotics for it that he has allergies to 2 medications at such a young age! We procrastinated having eartubes put in till last year when he was 2 1/2 yrs old. He had a hearing test done and he had some partial hearing loss because of the constant fluid in his ear. I noticed that he would not know that his Dad was home till he was right in front of him, when prior to that he could hear the key turn when my husband gets home, and he was having some speech problems. It's been about 7 months since the tubes were placed and no infections yet! He's talking up a storm that I have to ask for quiet time 'coz he is just jabbering non-stop! His last hearing test was normal! The procedure is very short, my husband barely opened his laptop to do some work when they told us they were finished. He was back to normal within a couple of hours! I say, go for it before it's too late. He could start having some hearing problems and you don't want it to be permanent. I hope this helps you. Good luck!

Hi S.,
My 4 children never had ear infections so I can't speak to that, but I do believe that the source of these ear infections are the colds that children get. You need to have your children on Supplements daily to give them the best possible immune system. I have my 8 year old on a powder that I mix with milk (or soy milk) and it taste great and she loves it, she has not had a single cold for quite some time now. I'm not trying to promote any products but this one happens to be by Reliv. Also, an excellent alternative to antibiotics is Neem Oil. I have personally seen some amazing results with this product. I buy my neem oil from Dr. ____@____.com. I can't stress enough the benefits of this product and you can just put the drops right into his ears. Anyway, just educate yourself and then make the best decision for you and your family.
Kim

Tubes are a pretty standard operation. My eldest daughter had tubes and it was not a big deal. Also, you should keep in mind that the reason why tubes are being recommended is that the fluid in the eardrum is not draining properly, and having ears full of fluid causes hearing issues and commonly, speech delay.

He will outgrow it, but in the meantime, will suffer from painful ear infections. I think you should reconsider or consult with another doctor that you trust.

Hello!
As a mom and registered nurse I am totally in favor of ear tubes. I worked at a surgery center where we did these all the time and it's a quick and very easy procedure, the kids wake up in no pain and tolerate it really well. All facilities differ, but the ones I work in, the child doesn't even need an IV. They just use a little gas, slide the tubes in, sometime give them a Tylenol suppository while they're asleep and that's it. They're in the OR for only about 10 minutes. Also, my niece had chronic ear infections with every cold for the first 2 years of her life. When she was 2, the ENT said it was time for tubes. She did great and has survived several colds since then with no ear infection. Let me know if I can be of any help! Take care!
A.
PS Which ENT are you taking her to?

My older sister used to get ear infections a lot when she was a child. She actually did get ear tubes to clear the infected fluid behind her ears. If she didn't get the procedure done, she would of become deaf. Now she is going great. Thanks for the tubes.

I recommend that you do research about the ear tubes. Some infections can cause your child to have trouble hearing, if it's not corrected. It all depends on how serious the condition is. You can always get a second opinion too.

To prevent ear infections in the future, you should not let your child put his head under water in the bath tub. Water gets in his ears and if the cold air hits his ears with the water still in his ears, he is bound to get another ear infection.

He should wear hats that covers his ears whenever he goes outside.

Have you tried the chiropractor? They can do gentle adjustments to help the inner ears drain.

Hi, My girls are 7 and 11 now but I had the same problem. I would hold off on the tubes and try homeopathy for immunity and ear infections first. It worked well for mine. Kids do very well with homeopathy and seem to respond quickly. Signed, T.

Take all milk products out of your child's diet once the cold comes on- you will see a huge difference in congestion and ear ache.

My son is 22 months old and on his second set of ear tubes. He also got an ear infection with every cold, which was a minimum of once per month, sometimes twice. We felt strongly that the antibiotics were not the best solution and as hard as it was to put him through the procedure it has been worth it. The first set was done when he was just a year old and they did not work out well. He got several more ear infections and they eventually fell out. We had the second set put in last Oct, at the Ear Institute of CA in San Ramon and there have been no ear infections since then, that's 4 months!! This is the longest he has gone without an infection. It was not an easy decision since they have to use general anesthesia, but everyone I talked to said that it was the best thing to do. I now agree. The procedure is literally 5 minutes long and the recovery was fast and painless. Talk to as many people as you can. I could not find one person who would tell me they regretted their decision to have this done for their child. I wish you the best! Take Care ~P. (working mother of a 22 month old son)

My son got ear infections from 2 weeks old. He was in such pain and I was against too many antibiotics, also I was concerned about his hearing so he had the tubes put in at 9 months. They worked beautifully. Also like my son your son may be allergic to wheat or cows milk which increased my sons infection. See if taking those out of his diet helps. Good luck.

S.,
I hear what your saying about Tubes. My son is 2 years old and had 4 ear infectins in 2 years and I thought it was a lot. I recently brought him to an ENT dr as well and he said "oh 4 is nothing", but each time I tell anyone I know that my son has an ear infection I hear the stories about My child had tubes and that was the best thing, but I hear it's common.
I just feel for the little ones and I also feel for them when they have ear infections especially when they can't tell you it hurts.
Are they really bad bad ear infections? So what did his Dr say? If your concerned about the tubes (as I would be too) get a 2nd opinion. Where do you live. I went to a good ENT in Los Gatos......
Good luck......

I can completely relate. My son had ear infections from the time that he was about a year up until about 4. We probably saw the doctor 5 times a year for these infections. My husband and I were also against using the tubes and we're glad we didn't! By the time he was 4, they miraculously went away and haven't had issues since - he is now 6. Unless your doctor thinks that these infections are causing hearing problems or some other major problems, I would resist the use of the tubes.

Note: my husband and I also had ear infections as children and we both outgrew them at an early age.

Sounds like food allergies. Does he have any other physical symptoms like chicken skin or eczema, rosy cheeks, crusty scalp? Try an elimination diet for two months. Remove milk first. He can get his calcium from a baby supplement. Give him soymilk or, if it persists, make your own rice milk by boiling rice down (2 c. rice, 6 c. water) and sifting the milk through cheesecloth. Store in the fridge and heat up when you need it. You can add a little maple syrup or vanilla for flavor.

Hi I'm a mother of 5 wonderful children ages 23, 19, 15, 11, and 20 months. I do believe that if your child is getting an ear infection with every cold and the ENT recommends getting the tubes you and your husband should consider. He might begin to loose his hearing because of so many ear infections and that would be a problem when he begins to learn to talk. Then comes the speech delay. The procedure is a very simple one and is a very common. If he were my son I would have him get the tubes in his ears.

Hi,
My niece was ALWAYS getting ear infections. She recently got tubes put in her ears (she's 2 y/o.) The procedure went really well and after she woke up, you would have never known she just had the procedure done.

My sister did it because my niece was miserable every time she got them and she didn't want to keep putting her on antibiotics. Every time she was put on antibiotics she would get a nasty diaper rash.

I've also heard it's a very common procedure. If it were me, I'd do the procedure. Good luck with whatever you decide.

When my son was young he got ear infections all the time! They never put tubes in his ears and he out grew that. However I have a daughter who is now 12 and she did have tubes in her ear, but not the infections like my son. She did not have any problem with the tubes, it was more like a pain to make sure she had her plugs when she got in the water and they eventually fell out. I do not regret having the tubes put in. If you are not sure about the diagnosis, I would get a second opinion. Then see where that takes you. It might be really helpful.

I do not have an opinion for/against tubes, but some related experience that you might find helpful. I have twins that are almost 3, and one kept getting ear infections (12-24 months) and then sinus infections (30-32 months) with every cold but the other did not. My day care provider suggested that I take him off dairy - the theory being that his body is using resources to digest dairy that he needs to fight off the colds - so we have had him on chocolate rice milk for 3 months. He has not had a cold since or the cold/cough that his twin and older sisters got. I have not done the research to know if/why this works and cannot even be sure that the lack of dairy is working, but I figured it was worth a try. It was preferable to me than tubes or more and more potent and varied antibiotics and has worked out for us. Best of luck!

You should get the tubes if offered. My family has a hereditary problem that causes frequent ear infections. I've been begging Kaiser to put them in our son because he gets an ear infection in both ears with every cold or stuffy nose.
My father didn't get tubes and is deaf in 1 ear and 50% deaf in the other because of scar tissue built up that blocks his ear drums. My 2 nieces, nephew & brother got tubes & are all enjoying fewer ear infections. 1 niece was doing poorly in kindergarten & got tubes and her hearing improved and she caught up with her class in 2 weeks and is now reading 2 years ahead of he age.
Tubes sound creepy & painful but if your Pedi thinks they will help you should do it.
Ear infections are really painful and can throw off your balance and cause extra bumps & falls for little kids.
Good Luck!

My son had 13 ear infections his first 15 months! He's now 8 1/2 and just fine. He got fewer and fewer as he grew and hasn't had one since he was about 2 1/2.

Hi. You may want to check out a book called CHILDHOOD EAR INFECTIONS What every parent ad physician should know about prevention, home care and alternative treatment by Dr. Michael A. Schmidt. It came highly recommended by some of my friends, and everyone I've recommended it to or lent it to has had good things to say as well.
Good luck!

I normally don't respond to poeple but ear infections are something I know a little about. While the tubes do seem really invasive, the relief both your family and child will have once they are in, I bet, would be worth it. It is shown that children who begin to suffer ear infections in the first few months of life are more prone to continue to get them. But the good news is they do tend to outgrow them, with the maturity of their ear canal. This happens around 5 years old and i don't know if you want to continue to get multiple ear infections for the next 3 1/2 years. ( info you probably already know, but: Unfortunately infants and toddlers have a very flat laying eustachian tube. What this means to them is that it is easier for fluid and bacteria filled nasal drainage to float back behind the ear drum which is a warm dark lovely place for bacteria to continue to thrive and multiply. This excess fluid and "pus" applies pressure to the ear drum causing the pain. But as the child grows older the eustachian tube begins to develop at an upward angle and making this process more difficult.) Another thing to think about is drug resistance. you may find that drugs that once worked on his ear infections no longer work and the ones that do may take multiple and longer dosing periods. And this is only going to potentially get worse. Good luck with any decision you make. I hope all works out.

Dear S., My 4th baby also went through the same thing. He has had at least 5-6 ruptured ear drums, ear infection one after another, bouts and bouts of antibiotics (which my husband and I were against). Finally we decided to put the tubes in and his infections were cut in half. He was 18 mos. when he had it done, now he's 3yrs and doing much better. He still gets them on occassion but not as much as he had in the past. We also cut out sugar and dairy when he's sick and give him baby acidopholus. It seems to help. So I guess to answer your question about the tubes, I am for them. My son was one of the unfortunate ones who never outgrew the ear infections. Some children are just like that.

I am not a doctor, however I have kids 13, 9 and 5. My 9 year got a lot of ear infections between 1-4. They wanted to put tubes in and we said no. We waited it out. And she was fine. We also dealt with the infections homeopathically (sp) so she wasn't getting too many antibiotics.
Good luck

On the 'for' side for a couple reasons.

My niece had tubes put in a about 6 months ago. She was 20 months or so at the time. It's made a WORLD of difference. She gets colds constantly and ALWAYS an ear infection to go along with it. Our family has a close relationship but is geographically spread out. We all do a lot of traveling and at least 3 big family vacations a year. It seemed she got an ear infection every time she traveled too, and if she got a cold right before a trip, it was a gimmie that they were going to cancel.
We don't have the problems anymore and she's a happy kid.
My sister in law was nervous about the procedure, as expected. But my niece did great with it, and sailed through it WAY easier than she does one of her infections.

I got an ear infection as an adult last year. (I had never had one before) Wow, I'll be honest, it was the most painful and drawn-out thing I've ever experienced other than child birth. Now, when a kid has an ear infection my heart really goes out to them. For the few my kids have had, I have turned to the antibiotic route more than I otherwise would have because that pain was so cruel to me.

I'd do ANYTHING for my kid to stop ear infections if it was a problem.

The other thing is that sometimes you just can't avoid the antibiotics. The more and more antibiotics they need to take, the more their body is resistant to them. They get yuckier for the kids to take and it's probably not good for anyone, let alone young kids, to build up a resistance to them. In that respect, I tend to think that tubes are less intervention in the long run than antibiotics.

I hope those thoughts help a bit.
Luv,
B

My daughter, now 7 years old, had tubes in her ears last year and they were the best thing I could do for her. She would wake up at night screaming because her ears hurt so bad. She had a file at the doctors for regular check ups and a seperate file for just her ears. I would recommend tubes to anyone whos child has severe ear infections.

My now 9 yr old daughter had numerous ear infections as a toddler. She had 10 between her first birthday and second birthday. She had her first set of tubes put in right before her second birthday. She ended up having them 2 more times by time she was 6yrs old. The main problem with ear infections in toddler is that it effects their hearing and speech. Numerous ear infection can leave scar tissue on the ear drum causing kids to have hearing loss. Also because they are unable to hear well with an ear infection and is harder for them to learn how to speak clearly and correctly. Imagine if everything you heard was muffled how hard it would be to hear what people are saying to you and to clearly understand how the words should sound. It is like tring to hear and learn to talk under water. You can imagine how hard that is for a toddler that is learning new words everyday. My daughter spoke at a very young age
(9 months, she could say complete sentences by her first birthday), but when she has an infection she would start mubbling her words and no one could undertand her. having the tubes helped my daughter a lot. She got got way fewer ear infections and she eventually outgrew the problems by time she was 6yrs old. I hope that this helps.
A lot of people seem to think the only cause for this is a milk allergy. My daughter's ENT tried everything, including allergy testing before trying the tubes. My daughter has no allergies, but she does have very narrow tubes that do not drain properly. To me the damage done is way worse than the very simple quick procedure. Which since we have done it a number of times I can tell you that the kids are fine. What happens is that they give them some mediciene while with you to make them sleepy. So the only thing the remember is taking the silly medicience(thats what they told my daughter it was called at Children's Hosipital). Now at 9 she doesn't remember any of the procedures at all.

My son (now 12) use to get ear infections constantly. We referred to the antibiotics as the "pink stuff". I was getting acupuncture at the time for my back and decided to try it on my son. It had amazing results. We took him off the antibiotics and used garlic drops (found at health food stores)for his sore ears. He was happier and infection free right away. I think a good mix of western and eastern medicine is the key.

Have you tried a Chiropractor yet. My children haven't had a problem yet but I would try this before surgery. I've heard of others that tried this and it worked wonders. When looking for a Chiro make sure they specialize in children first.

S., my 19 month old son had the same problem. He had one ear infection after the other starting at 10 months. He was on antibiotice for five months - as soon as one round of antibiotics was done, he would get another infection. Each antibiotic was stronger than the last- nothing seemed to work. During this five month period he did not sleep well either - his mattress was elevated but he still woke up from the pain every night. The ENT that we saw evaluated him for a month before he suggested the tubes. The procedure took 15 minutes - he was grogge and disoriented for about a half hour to 45 minutes after, but then he was fine. The procedure was done at 7:00 a.m. and we were home by 8:30. By 10:00 a.m. he was playing like it was any other day. We have not had a problem since.

I have three boys ages 17, 4, and 19 months. My 17 year old did not have problems with ear infections, and my 4 year has had a few. Some kids are more prone to infections due to the structure of the eustachian tube. I would suggest talking to your pediatrition and the ENT and get all the pros and cons. I also did many hours worth of research online. Long term antibiotic use can make the body build immunities to those antibiotics.

We have had wonderful results with ear drops from Wishgarden. Yes your child will smell like salad dressing, but I think it's a small price to pay for clear ears. I would personally try a few holistic ideas before going for surgery. My son , as an infant also had multiple infections so I know how you feel.
Blessings for you and your family,
Shauna R.

If either of you smoke, NEVER smoke in his presence!
It can cause ear infections in children.

Gramma N.

Start him on Probiotics, Cod Liver Oil (suggest: Carlson's brand - it is free of mercury and tastes good), IMMUNOSTART from Mannatech or any good brand of Colostrum, And if possible also add AMBROTOSE also from Mannatech... GOOD STUFF, I was in the same position with my son, after that no more... I haven't seen the pediatrician in 2 years, only for yearly checkups!!! Love, G.. :0)
P.S. we were at the pedi's office every 2 weeks with ear and throat infections!!! Not anymore though!!!And you just add this to the bottles or juice in Zippy cups!!! TRUST ME... IT WORKS!!! EVEN FOR US THE PARENTS!!! Oh and I also recomend AIRBORNE for the whole family!!!

I had the same problem as a child and I had tubes put in my ear. They helped immensely and I have not had a single ear infection since. The only thing I would advise if you do decide to do this is that the tubes are supposed to fall out naturally after a certain amount of time. if they do not, there is a posibilty that your child could be left with a small hole in the eardrum (so please discuss this possiblility and how to prevent it with your doctor). i would still recommend it.

As a child I had ear infections constantly also. I went through three sets of tubes and almost had a fourth... He will not remember it.. I hardly remember one but thats it and I was older at that time. I think tubes are wonderful they helped me out of ALOT of pain... And now as an adult I havent had one in a very very long time. I think its worth the small and short surgery to help out the child and the parent.
Good Luck and God Bless!

Get the tubes! Why some children get so many ear infections and others don't still remains unknown, but in our family, facial structure seems to be part of the problem (and that is all genetics). All 3 of my children have had some combination of ear tubes and/or adenoids removed. At this stage, chronic ear infections will impact your son's ability to hear clearly and may lead to later speech therapy. Because of his facial structure, my older son had standing (uninfected) fluid in his ears. We didn't discover this until he was referred for speech therapy. Once the fluid was gone, his speech cleared up and all was fine. You have many, many years to outgrow this (like 4 or more) and since it is at the critical speech development time, I would highly recommend you have the tubes put in. Not to mention, all those rounds of anti-biotics to manage the infections are not good either.

My son (now 2) has only had one ear infection, so I can't speak as a parent who has dealt with multiple infections. I will say that we treated it with mullein garlic ear drops, and it cleared up within 24 hours without antibiotics (which his pediatrician had said he needed). I also will mention that after his first birthday, when we introduced dairy into his diet, he began suffering from cold after cold after cold for months and developed a persistent eczema rash on his face. We got him off the dairy, and the rash and constant illnesses stopped. I have heard other stories of dairy elimination preventing persistent colds and subsequent ear infections, so it might be worth a try.

On the other side of the spectrum, I have a good friend whose son had recurrent ear infections. They got the tubes, and they seem to work great.

If I were faced with this, I would try the least invasive techniques first, but if they did not seem to improve the situation, I would certainly consider the tubes.

Good luck!

I have a son who is now 10 years old and he would always get ear infections as a baby when ever he got a cold. When he was about two I went ahead with the advice of the ENT and had surgery for tubes to be put into his ears, but when the surgeon got in there he saw that my son had very large adnoids and he removed them. After he removed his adnoids the doctor didn't see a need for tubes, as the adnoids were pressing on the ear canal and not letting it drain properly. After the surgery he has never gotten an ear infection and he even gets sick a LOT LESS than he did before the surgery. It was a very quick surgery and speedy recovery, I didn't even need to use the perscription pain medication. He was back to normal within a few hours. I definately recommend the surgery if ear infections are a problem for your son, they can lead to hearing loss if they continue, not to mention are extremely uncomfortable and painful! These days surgery is very safe.....safer than you driving to the surgery center!
Good luck and best wishes, A.

mY OLDEST DAUGHTER (NOW 10) had the SAME problem...I was REALLY against putting her under for surgery...not the tubes them self...I swollowed my fear and went with the recommendation (after thoroughly checking out the Dr. and his anesthesiologist)and it was THE BEST CHOICE I EVER MADE!!! I woul ddo it again for my 2 young children now with out question...night and day difference with my daughter!

I would recommend getting the tubes. I myself had tubes and 2 of my 3 children needed them. My son's eustachian tube would not drain the fluid behind the eardrum, so he could not hear properly. His speech developement was delayed because he heard only vowel sounds and not the constanants. This affected him into his school years. Now he talks and hear very well! Also, he never got another ear infection once they were put in!

My friend went through this about a year and a half ago. She was looking for another way besides tubes. She took her son off milk and put him on Soy milk. And he hasn't had an ear infection since. Dont know if it was the milk but its worth a shot.
Good luck!

this happened to my daughter for awhile also. I did a combo of conventional and complementary treatments to prevent and/or treat an ear infection. I found that using the children's nose drops (very gentle nasal decongestant - 1 drop in each nostril) before she went to sleep was the most helpful in preventing an ear infection. This prevented her stuffy nose from draining into her earways when she slept. I also would put a blend of lavendar and tea tree essential oils in a little bit of olive oil and massage it behind her ears whenever she had a congestive cold. I used 4 drops of each essential oil in a couple of teaspoons of olive oil (any vegetable or nut oil will do) and just had it in a little container. Every time I thought about it, I would rub it behind her ears. You have to make sure they don't get their little fingers it it though because if they put their fingers then into eyes it can sting a lot. The lavendar and tea tree have antibacterial and antiflammatory properties. If you don't think behind the ears will work, even putting it on their feet and then socks over it will work because the oils penetrate through the skin into the general system to support immunity. One other idea if there is already an infection and a lot of pain is to make a little hot water bottle or heating pad to lay their ear on. It really soothes the pain.

My daughter had the same problem until she was 3 yrs old. As soon as one ear infection went away, another would follow. Our pediatrition and the ENT suggested ear tubes as well and also suggested a daily antibiotic. My husband and I were against both ideas and choose not to do it. As a result, when we spoke to her she was hearing our voices as though we were speaking to her under water. At this age it is very important for your son to be hearing sounds. Our daughter was a late talker and was diagnost with an articulation disorder. As a result of our dicission to not do ear tubes, we have had to hire speech therapists and a tutor. They say that the tubes are not painful and just fall out when the ears are done developing. You can google ear tubes and read more about it on line. If I could do it again, I would have done the ear tubes.

I reccommend you get the tubes. My second son had ear infections badly, and it affected how he hears. It took him longer to talk because everything was always muffled to him. He's had tubes twice because when the first ones fell out (they are supposed to after a certain time period), his infections started again. So I did the tubes again. He's now 7 and doing great. Your son may outgrow them, but he may be behind developmentally since he's not properly hearing the words and the pronunciation.
Good luck.
I'm a stay at home mom with 3 boys, 1 girl and one on the way.

This was about the age our daughter was recommended. We held off but then went through it when she stared losing hearing.( 2yrs) It is a process, but it was well worth it. The tubes fell out on their own when her ears grew into the proper position and she gained back normal hearing AND ahe is no longer getting as many ear infection. A bonus: she can take amoxicilin again which she had growm immune too. Good luck, In Brentwood we found a wonderful Dr. He is so gently and informed. Dr. Said is the named. Good luck and it is so wise of you to get more opinions:) ps we did Chiropratic Too.

I have a 10 year old son ( who is never sick) a 7 year old daughter and a one year old daughter. The two girls seem to pick up every cold and virus imaginable and since we can no longer purchase infant cold medicine....I have found myself shopping in the herbal section of Olivers Market. They have a great selection of herbs specifically for children, even down to stuff for ear infections (some kind of drops). I give my girls the echinatia daily and the cold and flu blend when they do get a cold. Let me tell you though, these have really prevented the colds lately and seem to clear the up fast when they do come. Try it, I would definately say it has helped my family. NO sinus pressure = no ear infections.

My baby's pediatrician says the child can sit up on a car seat while sleeping or on an angle in the bed, with the head up. Hopefully this will work for you. Work and communicate with your child's ENT doctor for your child's health. I'm sure the doctor wants your child to have no ear infections.

hi. I am a mom of three, a speech pathologist, and I have had several sets of tubes put in my ears (even as an adult). I know that it can be very frustrating to see your child gets ear infections time and time again. And it is even more difficult to think of your child having surgery. Your son probably will outgrow his ear infections when his eustacian tubes mature. Meanwhile, his ear infections can have major effect on his speech and language development. When he has an ear infection or fluid in his ears he hears things muffled, muted, and distorted. When is ears are healthy he hears things the way they sound to the rest of us. This inconsistant input really affects their development. For this reason alone I would recommend ear tubes for any child that is experiencing frequent and recurrent ear infections. it also saves your child (and you) alot of pain, agony, and sleepless nights! Good luck in your decision making process...

I have a 17 month old daughter that also had reoccuring ear infections with every cold. I myself had them all the time when I was a child as well, but my mother also declined the tubes. Instead I was on antibiotics for six months straight. Now, we would never due that due to the resistance of antibiotics. When I told my mom about possible ear tubes for my daughter, she was against it, but I had to do something. My daughter had the 4 minute surgery to put in ear tubes 3 months ago and hasn't had an ear infection yet, even though she has had multiple colds. She is so much happier and so am I. I talked to other mothers with the same problem before I had the tubes placed. Some moms used accupuncture, and avoided milk products and noticed relief. I hope that helps.

Hi, we were in the same situation last winter. After doing some research I decided to try a chiropractor. My son hasn't had an infection since. It has to do with the physiology of how the ear canal is shaped at birth. Good Luck!

Hi sorry your baby is having so much trouble. Try garlic oil. It is wonderful and will not hurt your babies ears. If you still have a question ask your doctor if it is ok to try. We have had great success. JJJ

S., my son was 2 years old when he got his tubes. Because of the ongoing ear infection during the time of language development he had delayed speach and lang. He than had to have special education until he was in the 5th grade. He is no 13 years old and is not in special education, but he will frequently run into old habit of running all his words together and muffle them especially when he is trying to speak quickly. I wonder if he would of had as much difficulty with language if had his tubes put in earlier and hadn't heard language as if under water for the first two years of his life.

The procedure itself took about 5 minutes. I was very anxious about the procedure, but really did not have time to work myself up on the day of the procedure. They used gas anethesia (sp?) and right after the procedure he was a happy playful little boy. He has never has another ear infection, although I do know that children can get ear infections again especially if the tube falls out too soon. Most of the tubes fall out within 12-18 months so the ear drum will heal over without residual scar formation. Hope this helps in your quest for info. prior to making a decision.

I am a mom and a speech therapist-- having tubes helps young developing babies with speech and language skills. Audiologists say having an ear infection really affects how much the child is hearing. Waiting too long can cause residual problems with reading later when they are in school. Waiting too long also can cause complications and sometimes the child will need major ear surgery or can lose their hearing. I have never heard of negatives for having tubes put in. There should be all kinds information on the internet....

Hi S.,

I highly reccomend having tubes put in their ears. Ear infections are very painful (I know...I had them as a youngster). Both my children....now 16 & 18 years had tubes. My son just had one set and it helped tremendously. My daughter had to have 4 sets of tubes by the time she was in 1st grade. After her 3rd set, we thought all was fine until I found that she seemed to be having a hearing problem, took her into the ENT and she was completely deaf in one ear and almost completely in the other. We put the 4th set in and she hasn't had problems ever since. Luckily, her hearing came back. They are so much happier when they don't have to go through all the pain, but also in order not to have permanant damage to the ears, it's best to do the tubes. I didn't have tubes in my ears until I was 5 years old and had my tonsels out, but due to all the ear infections I had, I have permanant damage in my right year which I can not hear as well out of.

Good luck!!

Is your son breastfeed? If so continue. I have also heard that actually putting breast milk into the ear works as well.

I suffer from cronic ear/sinus infections. A neti pot works wonders. It is basically a saline wash up through the nostrils in to the ear canal and back out the other nostril. I don't believe that you will be able to get your little one to sit for that. However you can buy nostril saline at any drug store. I suggest having hime lie down and give a couple of drops in each nostril. Move his head from side to side to be sure it reaches the ear canal. He will probable end up swallowing it. I suggest doing this on a regular basis, like daily. Good luck!

GET THE TUBES!
I am a mother of one, and extremely against over-medication and unnecessary treatment, but if your child is having recurrent ear infections, I would seriously consider it, especially if a good ENT that you trust is recommending it. I would also recommend having your ENT obtain and xray to rule out hypertrophic adenoids. Our daughter suffered chronic ear infections longer than necessary because a really bad Dr's office kept telling us there was nothing wrong, and then after the infections were finally diagnosed and continued recurring, and we inquired about tubes, the Dr's told us that tubes weren't used anymore and that ear infections could be prevented with over the counter decongestants. (We later learned that this "remedy" was completely and clinically shown to be balderdash back in 2003.) Under our new pediatrician and ENT, we learned that our daughter had "glue ear" and severely hypertrophic adenoids and tonsils, and that the adenoids were causing her breathing and sleeping problems and that the associated congestion was likely largely responsible for the ear infections. Since her two minor procedures to insert tubes and remove adenoids and tonsils, she is progressing and feeling so much better. She can sleep through the night, has had no further infections, and is finally up to speed with her speech and motor skills. (Recurrent middle ear infections cause vertigo, issues with equilibrium, and distorted hearing, and even hearing loss, which can effect receptive and expressive speech and motor skill development.) Good luck! It's not a fun thing to have to deal with, but if it's happening a lot then there is an underlying reason and the tubes might make a big difference for your little one.

Just FYI, I read an article last night linking dairy allergies with ear infections and sinus congestion.

Hi...I have had two children that had continual ear infections and therefore on antibiotics nearly nonstop...they wouldn't put tubes in my oldest son's ears until he was five and it was such a blessing (finally). My daughter is younger than my son, and we had tubes put in her ears much earlier. They truly helped in many ways, especially keeping them off antibiotics and especially being so miserable as ear infections are no fun! I also believe the tubes saved their ears (in the long run) from losing hearing, etc. I'm not sure why you are against having tubes put in his ears, but they are relatively non- invasive and not a "permanent" thing. I know many parents who have had this procedure done for their children and have had no negative issues. I hope this is helpful.....oh -not to mention, YOU and your husband will probably gets a lot more rest once your son is with out those terrible ear problems....

Their is nothing wrong with tubes being placed in the ears, here is my experience, I had tube in my ears from the time i was 8 to 10yrs old, reason, i was getting ear infections about once every 2 weeks, after months of this the dr decided to put tubes in my ears, not only was i getting ear infections so often, it was affecting my hearing abilities. the longer i went w/out the tubes the worse my hearing got.( was held back in 1st grade cause i couldnt hear so my grades were down) After i had the tubes put in, it made a huge difference, i no longer was getting ear infections and i was able to hear normally once again. Your son will NOT outgrow getting ear infections, it's not like outgrowing tantrums. I would really consider getting the tubes if that is what the dr is saying needs to be done and considering how often your son is getting them, it sounds like he DOES need the small, non-invasive procedure done. Just remember is he does get them, he cant get his ears wet so when you bath him or if he goes swimming, he will need to wear ear plugs, otherwise the water will get behind the tubes, casuing more ear infection and the procedure being repeated. Please listen to the dr, trust me, I have been through it myself, if the dr says he needs to have it done, please dont be against it, just know this is what is best for him, and if he has any possible hearing probelms it will help curve it. I wish my mom hadnt taken so long to take me to an ENT dr, otherwise i wouldnt have been held back do to hearing loss cause of the ear infections. Just know that tubes are not a permanent thing, only temp. most cases, children only need them for a few months,I had mine in for so long do to the severity of my hearing loss and ear infections.

My daughter just had her tonsils and adnoids out, and if they suggest this vs tubes I would do it. Hers were huge and she got sick all the time. Just a thought.

I had a LOT of ear infections as a child and I am very careful to avoid them w/ my son. I really reccomend steam! I use it the minute my son gets the sniffles. It makes him "runny" but that is what I think the body needs to clean the system. And plenty of water and some juice and my son loves fruit - berries in particular. (Not sure if this helps somehow). He has not had an ear infection yet despite the typical amount of bugs and sniffles. Fingers crossed. (And I AM NOT one of those "natural" moms. If this didn't work I would totally get the tubes because it was VERY painful for me to get so many ear infections as a child. At one point the pressure tore a hole in my ear drum! All just MHO and experience and with respect to the fact that every child is different.

My husband & I agreed to have our 5 year old daughter have the procedure of having tubes put in her ears. We noticed a great improvement immediately! She had the procedure done as an outpatient & got to come home the same day as her surgery. The tubes fell out almost exactly one (1) year after surgery. Her hearing improved, ear infections were almost non existant and her snoring came to a complete halt! We definitely do not regret to this day to listening & following her pediatrician's advise. Our daughter is 21 years old now.

Hi, Our oldest son had both ears done when he was 3, now 20 It worked. but he still had a some over the years until about 9. As he got older they stopped. Our youngest never had them put in, but he has scar tissue on the ear drums from the infections he's had until 12 now 15 hearing works fine. Our middle son had about 8 ear infection until about 9 now 18. My husband at the ripe age of over the hill will every once in awhile get one. I had them every year until I was 11. I hear just fine. The ear canel either grows or stays small. My husband had exercises from the ear guy to help expand the canel. Hold the nose and blow out the ears, do those funny face exercised that old ladies do to keep from getting a baggy chin. Message from the ear down the neck,breaks up the stuff. My husband stopped using q-tips to clean out the inside of his ears. just used a towel on the outside this made a big difference for him. And remember they still only hear you when they want tooo. Keep laughing M.

It's not uncommon to get ear infections with a cold. It is seen more and more these days. Many people use tubes and have no adverse effects. I'm not sure what your hesitation is with tubes but consider this, that continual ear infections can damage your child's hearing. It is best to deal with the infections in the best possible way. Also consider that by "waiting it out" your child is in pain each time they get an ear infection.

E.

Medicine keeps changing so much - it's hard to know what is the right thing to do. I would suggest seeing a chiropractor - it is amazing what can heal by putting the nervous system back in alignment. Also, check out getting an Atlas adjustment, when you are born this gets knocked out of line, this is why most people have one leg longer than another, etc. The power of positive thinking along with the law of attraction devoted to the solution of perfect health with absolute faith will heal him even quicker. Watch, read or listen to "The Secret" if you haven't done so already. So formally - I am against tubes, my chiropractor has helped many children overcome this same ailment without man made medicine. Good luck!

From the first tooth my son cut, started with an ear infection. I'm not talking once or twice, every tooth for six months. Finally beyound tired from no sleep and a crying baby, I realize something was wrong. I sat behind him and clapped my hand, he didn't move, he couldn't hear. Thank god for tubes, his hearing was restored and not one more ear infection until he was about 10 years old. For his sake get the tubes. L. R

I have a son now 8, and a daughter 17, that had very bad ear infections constantly. When my son was 3 1/2 we took him off of all milk products, he is diagnosed autistic - so it was for that reason for trying the milk free diet. His ear infections stopped cold in thier tracks - he ad between 9-11 a year before that. He also started sleeping through the night as well. To this day, if he gets milk he has ear infection symptoms, that we OTC treat and are gone in 7-10 days. About 3 years ago we did an IgG allergy test. He is severely allergic to ALL milk products (you have to watch whey, dried milk, caesinate etc.) He was having an immune system response to the milk protiens. My daughter who is typically developing also is allergic to milk protiens. She has fairly much grown out of the ear infections, except during colds and flus (we did not do this test until she was 15, she is not almost 18) What she does have are achy, flu like feelings when she eats cheese or dairy products.

My sugestion would be to have and IgG allergy test done, and remove the offending foods, then monitor the ear infections. If they continue, then seek invasive surgery because hearing deficts at this age, can realy affect development of speach and early learning skills. But if you find other offending foods, that will increase the overall health long term.

God bless,
D.

My oldest daughter (who is now 5 1/2) used to get ear infections all the time. She would even get them without fevers, so with one infection, I didn't even know she had it, poor thing!

It was right around the age your son is - and she did outgrow it. She hasn't had one since she was about two.

I would wait it out a few more months before making any decisions about tubes. And, I would try the advice about the milk. I never took my daughter off milk, but I truly believe foods do make a difference. It's worth a shot.
-K.

I raised two children (now ages 22 and 25) They both had ear tubes inserted three times each! I wish I knew then to try taking them off milk products. I now wish I would have had them tested for allergies. Animals in the house and diet may have a lot to do with sinus problems which many times turn into infections. After my son had his tonsils and adnoids removed, he also did better. Once ear tubes are in, keep water out of the ears. Our ENT told us to use Silly Putty in a small amount to make our own ear plugs. It worked great in a pinch. We also had the professional ear plugs made. Good luck, I've been there, and they do grow out of it.
K. E.

i would DEFINITELY get him off of cow's milk. biggest cause of ear infections in kids. a lot of people don't want to believe that something so simple could work, but it does. just try it out, it could save you & your son from going through an unnecessary procedure. good luck!

Don't be afraid of the tubes. My grandsons have all had them and they no longer had to suffer the debilitating earaches. (Ever had an earache??? They are terrible.) After time, one of the boys even had a second one inserted. Still no problems. Just keep water out of the ears.

Choiropratic care realy worked for my daughter. It was an
act of faith for me to try anything. She has never had them
again, she is now 5yrs old. I live in Bakersfield and went
to Tatsuno on Truxton extention.

My 6 year-old actually didn't get that many ear infections, but he started complaining of "stuffy" ears a little over a year ago, and had trouble with pressure changes when we drove up and down the hill from Paradise to Chico and back....it turned out that he had chronic otitis media that stubbornly refused to clear on its own. We put it off and put it off, hoping to avoid extreme measures, but finally went with the ear tubes this fall.....thank GOD! It has made a huge difference, not only in his health and comfort (and HEARING), but in his behavior too!! It is expensive and not something to be taken lightly, but the surgery is quick and recovery is too, especially for the younger ones.

You might also consider allergy testing?! We finally did, in hopes that it would help with his ears, and discovered that he had allergies to dairy, eggs, and a few other very common foods. Unfortunately in his case, eliminating those things did not clear up the otitis media, but it is always good to be aware of how certain foods can affect your child.

Best of luck to you!

My daughter was having the same problem. I removed wheat and dairy frm her diet and they went away. It was hard at first to find all the right foods to fill her diet, but it was well worth it. Hope things improve.
S.

I would have the tubes done. I like you tried to wait it out but then my son was about 11 and his body was changing and every day he had these major ear issues and then it started to spread to his tonsils and adnoids. Any way he was in so much pain all the time we finally had the tubes put in when he was 12 and had his tonsils out and he has NOT EVEN HAD ONE COMPLAINT SINCE!! His tubes feel out this year like they are suppose to and still no trouble at all. My advice, Do the tubes now save your self a whole lot of grief later and save your boy from a ton of pain later.
But that is just my opinion.
Amanda M

I find using antioxidants to ward off colds are very helpful. There is a natural sugar called Xylitol that can ward off infections. Do a google search for it and you will find a bunch of sites. You can find sprays for the nose, gum with it in it. I like personally using Mannatech products. They have a gummy bear that has not only that saccharide but others found to be important to good cell communication and a key to better health. I know my daughter has used the products and finds her 2 year old rarely gets sick if she keeps up, on giving her the vitamins.
When your child first gets sick, another thing to ward off ear infections is to use antihistamine to keep the sinus' dry so it does not progress into the ears. But the best defense is nutrition for prevention.
I am a mother of 6 and grandmother of 5. If you want to know more about Mannatech products let me know. Thanks Elaine

My son also had an ear infection with every cold. They recommended tubes when he was about 14 months old. We were willing to try whatever it took to take the pain from the ear infections away. We did the tubes, and it was awesome! The infections decreased, and when he did get one it would just drain instead of building the pressure. My daughter also had to have tubes, but it was for a different reason. She had hardened fluid in her right ear, which they thought was causing hearing loss in her right ear. It ended up that wasn't the case. She is just 100% deaf in that ear, probably since birth. Now my 3 year old has been getting chronic ear infections, and I actually asked if they would do tubes. About a month ago they had to give her an antiobiotic shot in her leg. They are very painful shots, and she couldn't walk on her leg that day and the next. Plus she had been on like 3 different antiobiotics, which I hate giving them so much medicine afraid they will build up immunity to it. The surgery itself is very short, and kids are so resiliant. They bounce back so quickly. Just to give you a little background, nobody in my family smokes, and my kids never went to bed with cups or bottles. The dr.'s just think it must be hereditery or the way their ears are made. Hope this helps, and good luck to you.

Hi S.,

I was in the exact same situation. My 15 month old had repeated ear infections and at 18 months we opted to have tubes placed in both ears. (As a side note, I had tubes when I was 6 years old.) Anyway, it was the BEST thing that we could have done. We noticed an immediate improvement - no more ear infections and my son's hearing and speech improved and advanced dramatically. His tubes stayed in for over a year, and when they finally fell out his ears had matured enough to ward off infections naturally. Before we decided to go through with the procedure, I too went back and forth with uncertainty, so I know what you are going through. Looking back, I realize that we made the right choice and would do it all exactly the same if we had to do it over again.

Good luck with your choice...

S. W

Please get the ear tubes. You are risking your son's language development and potential of long-term hearing loss. My six year old daughter was the same as your son, constant ear infections. She is now on her third set of ear tubes (they fall out on their own about 12 months after they go in). She has had 3 ear drum ruptures due to infection, which have healed (all of which took place in the months between when the tubes dislodged and when we knew they were actually out).

Not sure what your objection is, but please be aggressive with this and follow your doctor's advice. There is much more potential damage to be done from constant antibiotics than there is from ear tubes. The surgery is virtually painless and my daughter was up playing the same day.

I had tubes in my ears when I was barely 2 (I'm not 34). I still have ear problems, but I don't get sick like I used to. That pretty much stopped after I got tubes, because I was constantly sick the first year of my life.

But like I said, I do have ear problems still. My baby sister got tubes in her ears later, when she was 5, I think. She should have gotten them sooner...because it delayed her speaking and walking, because she was "off kilter" a lot, and wasn't hearing properly.

Getting tubes may not fix everything, but they can certainly help.

I too was dead-set against tubes for my son, but after 5 months of having him on antibiotics more than he was off of them, we finally decided to go ahead. The tubes have made all the difference in the world. He still gets the sniffles from time to time, but it doesn't develop into an ear infection and he doesn't miss any preschool because of it. As much as I didn't like putting my son through the surgery, I believe it is much healthier for him to be off antibiotics. One thing I would ask about in your case is how common it is for children your son's age to have the surgery. My son was 3 at the time of his surgery.

my son had the same problem and I had the tubes put in ,let me mention also this was 25 years ago,he did great after they were put in,but because I waited until he was over 2 yr.....he did suffer some hearing loss..I am sure the technology has advanced over the years and is probably even better.....he had no pain after the surgery and around 5yr old they just fell out of his ears.....good luck...G.

Dear S.,

I am a 53 year old grandmother who raised three children. I learned a home remedy that saved my last two children from ever having to do anti-biotics for an ear infection or from having repeat infections inbetween bouts of anti-biotics like my first daughter went through.

1. Fry garlic quickly and hotly in olive oil.
2. Strain the garlic from the oil and while warm, (not too hot), drip one or two drops only into the ear.
3. Cover the ear with a hot compress as hot as child can tolerate. Keep reheating the compress as needed to cook the oil in the ear for 10 minutes.

This has NEVER failed me. My first daughter went round and round with ear infections for two years, 2 to 4. My last two children had one or two infections their entire childhood and never used anti-biotics for them and did not have repeat infections. The few they had were very far apart in occurrance and went away following one or two treatments with the garlic oil.

I learned the home remedy from a homeopath who actually supported patients in being able to avoid her office and any other doctor's office as much as possible.

Immune system stays intact with this remedy.

Grandma Paula

I do medical transcription for an ENT physician. They are NOT anxious to do tubes unless they feel it is necessary (for the most part!).

One of my 4 daughters had horrible ear infections and it was affecting her speech. She had 3 sets of tubes, having the last set remoevd in 1st grade. She has been fine ever since. It was well worth it and we are glad we went through with it, though we weren't crazy about surger either.

Well, there are a lot of responses here so by the time you read mine, you might already have your answer. Our 7 yr old son had tubes put in at 3 yrs & they stayed in for a year. It worked out great. The fluid at the back of his ears went away & no more worries. It's a short-literally 20 mintues start to finish- & painless surgery. Sometimes they fall out at a year or they need to be removed which was the case w/our son. Again very painless & quick. I highly suggest you get him the tubes. All the fluids in his ears could cause speech delays & possible hearing loss. If you're worried it's an allergy to milk, take him to an allergist for testing before getting the tubes. But, since he's had frequent ear infections, I'm guessing you & the dr's have already ruled out dairy allergies. Good luck & hope this helps!

Hello S.,

I am the mother of 5 and my oldest daughter had the same problem. She also had problems with her tonsils.
Basically, most of the ear pain is caused by fluid build up in the ear canal. You could try some of the ear drops for drying the ear canal and easing the pain, I would guess you have already been down that path.
My daughter ended up having tubes put in her ears and it was a tremendous help and very successful. She still occassionally had some ear pain, but the fluid would drain and without antibiotics or repetitive doses of tylenol, the pain would leave. They are tiny, clear plastic tubes, imagine a little tube half the size of a macaroni from your typical mac and cheese. They do not cause them any pain, but they sure aleviate pain. They fall out on their own usually within 2 years, but the longer they stay in, the better. My daughter lost one after about 2 yrs, and her really bad ear, that tube stayed in, on it's own, for about 4 years. My husband and I both had bad ears when we were kids and went through rounds of penicillin and pain.
By the time my daughter had lost both tubes, she was about 8 yrs old. My daughter is now 18 yr and has NEVER had another ear infection or ear pain of any kind since she was 8 years old. Pretty good outcome I'd say.
Good luck with whatever you decide...

~J.

As a child I too also had many many many ear infections. Please let your child have the tubes. It is a fairly simple operation with low risks - talk to your ENT. I have moderate hearing loss in one ear and no hearing in the other. Insurance refused to pay for most of my surgeries (I needed about 13 when I was a kid) because back then it was considered cosmetic and not quality of life. Your son could loss his hearing, not to mention the infections hurt a lot. Even now everytime I have an infection it feels like an ice pick to the ear down the side of my neck. Please reconsider for your son's needs. Evaluate why you don't want the surgery and then determine if your son's quality of life is worth it. Good luck in your decision. Also, don't put any kind of liquid in his ears without your doctor's approval because the infections may have ruptured his ear drum. The liquid will cause the infection to get worse and even start to disinigrate the small bones inside the middle ear that transmit the sound waves to the brain.

double-up up on his vitamin c and zinc... try to keep and maintain a strong immune system with your shildren and the whole household. ear infections are also a sign of allergies and fluid retention in the upper respiratory track. the fluid helps protect the lining from germs entering the body but if the liquid keeps forming and the pressure builds inflammation occurs and then your reached another level of health issues.
if your child uses the bottle or sippy cup minimize their use and feed more solids to help keep your child satisfied. during cold season minimized your bottle feeding or liquid fedding close to bed time. if your child is currently sick, prevent the "pain" when your child has the ear infection, the head must always be above the lungs, especially when they sleep. pressure builds in the ear and makes them very pain full.
here's an excerpt i looked up from WED MD (hope this helps)
************************************Ear Infections - Prevention
You may be able to prevent your child from getting middle ear infections by:

Not smoking. Ear infections are more common in children who are around cigarette smoke in the home. Even fumes from tobacco smoke on your hair and clothes can affect the child.
Breast-feeding your baby. There is some evidence that breast-feeding helps reduce the risk of ear infections, especially if ear infections run in your family. If you bottle-feed your baby, don't let your baby drink a bottle while he or she is lying down.
Washing your hands often. Hand-washing stops infection from spreading by killing germs.
Having your child immunized. Current immunizations don't specifically prevent ear infections. However, they can prevent illnesses, such as Haemophilus influenzae (Hib) and flu (influenza) that may lead to ear infections. Have your child immunized at the ages suggested by national guidelines. For more information, see the topic Immunizations.
Having your child immunized with the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV)(What is a PDF document?) may help reduce the risk of ear infection.10
Taking your child to a smaller child care center. Fewer children means less contact with bacteria and viruses. Children in child care settings can easily spread germs to each other. Try to limit the use of any group child care. For more information, see the topic Choosing Child Care.
Not giving your baby a pacifier. Try to wean your child from his or her pacifier before about 6 months of age. Babies who use pacifiers after 12 months of age are more likely to develop ear infections.

Are you good about keeping him on decongestants as soon has he gets a cold? I find that they really help my kids prevent ear infections( even though I don't like the side effect). Also try the Simply Saline nose spray. You may need your husband to hold him down: spray a bunch up his nose and them use the bulb syringe to get the mucus out.

Also, maybe try a second opinion from a different type of provider such as a Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctor/Acupuncturist or a Homeopathic Doctor :o)

Take Care,

C.

Hi S.,
I'm curious to know why you're against the ear tubes if the ENT thinks this well help alleviate your sons ear infections? I don't know anything about ear tubes, can you fill me in?
-S. B.

Hi S.! I gues you have had a lot of responses so here is my two sense. My youngest daughter had chronic ear infections from the time she was about six months old. We tried everything from Chiropractic to watching her diet and of course the regime of antibiotics. She finally started getting so sick that I had to take her completely off of the antibiotics. We finally got her well enough to get tubes in her ears. My advice is to find an ENT that you feel comfortable with, ask your pediatrician, they should be able to recommend someone for you.

After she got the tubes her ear infections have never come back. I recommend getting the tubes because being on antibiotics are not healthy for a long term treatment.

Good luck!

My first response is that it saddens me that so many are begging for you to get the ear tubes, but then...I haven't been in this situation so who am I to judge? Anyway, the Xylitol, cutting cow's milk (go to goat's milk if you can), and other natural suggestions are all great ones. I didn't read all the suggestions, but laying baby down for naps and bedtime in an elevated position (if you can) can also help. Also, get rid of the pacifier. The sucking can pull the infection into the ears also, particularly when the babe is reclined at naps and bedtime. My last suggestion would be probiotics. They are harmless, can't be overdosed, and there are kinds for infants (Jarrow-dophilus has a good one in the refrigerated section of health-food-type stores). They are great immune support - and should also ALWAYS be taken when babe is given antibiotics to replenish the natural balance of the gut and avoid yeast overgrowth.

My son had the same problem as yours. With every minor cold, he would get severe ear infections. We got the tubes put in his ears in the summer of 2007 and he hasn't had an ear infection since. He was about the same age as your son is and he is such a happy and different child now that he had them done. It was a very simple procedure that was only about 10 min. long. They do have to go under for the surgery only because of the wiggle factor. Waking from anesthesia was the only difficult part for him and by that afternoon, you wouldn't have known he was in surgery that morning. I can't say enough about the procedure. It has changed our lives and my sons for the better.
After check ups, it was found that a tube is already coming out and he'll probably have to undergo another procedure to get bigger tubes put in, which is also common. But because it was such a positive thing for us, we are not hesitant to do it again.
It's a very common procedure and has a high effectivness rate. I recommend it. Besides, it's not so good for the bodies natural defense system if the child is always on anti-biotics. It doesn't help him fight off colds on his own.

Hope this helps. Good luck

My son had severe ear infections and the doctor refused to send him to ENT by the time he did go he had one ear that had been infected constantly for 4 months almost. My son is now 4 and has major speach problems. I fully belive that had he been treated sooner and recieved tubes he would not have the problems he has today. My nephew went through 3 sets or tubes and has been perfectly fine now at 11 he never had to have speach theropy as my son now needs. SO Early treatment is best when it comes to your hearing and speach development.

My son, who is turning 2 this month, also gets ear infections with every cold. He has had chronic ear infections since he was 8 months old, to a point where he has become immune to most antibiotics. We also have had a few consultations with different ENTs, and tubes were not our first choice of action. Upon quite a bit of consideration, we had to weigh out what was in his best interest health-wise, and finally decided to have the tubes put in to avoid the over-use of antibiotics. We took him to Dr. Rosen, at the Children's Hospital in Oakland on January 28th to have the procedure done...and it was the best decision we could have made! First of all, the Children's Hospital is so wonderful. They are very good about making it a positive experience for both the child, as well as the parents. The procedure literlly took minutes, it's amazing. He was up running around by 12pm that same day! He has been ear-infection-free now for 3 wks, which is amazing. There are no special care or consideration worries with the tubes, it's as if they aren't even there. I know it's a tough decision, I hope this helps. Good luck!

My pediatrician who uses chinese medicines, homeopathy and regular medicine (when needed) thinks that most ear infections can be treated naturally. Her name is Dr. Elisa Song and she's in Belmont at Whole Child Wellness. May be good to talk with her before going any further. Since I've been using her, my kids haven't gotten an ear infection. Not sure if it's her or them, but she's probably worth a talk to.

K. S.

This is a difficult situation for everyone. My second son had the same problem many years ago. As a nurse, I always try for non invasive procedures first. I also use alternative forms of medicine.

My son was thriving although he always had a runny nose and these frequent ear infections. I took him to a Chinese acupuncturist who looked at the baby and said "take him off milk!" We did. Everything cleared up including the ear infections. Mike was allergic to milk. He tolerates it now, as an adult, but I have known several children who were allergic to cows milk. My older son, like me, has been lactose intolerant from birth.

So, get the milk out of his diet first, for a few weeks, then see if you need to take further measures. He might have other allergies that can cause symptoms--wheat is one.

But milk is the most common culprit. Since we are in culture that pushes milk (not good for people past infancy and cows milk is really best for calves) most medical people don't think about being suspicious of it.

Also, do some research on tubes in ears. I think I read about a study that said they were marginally effective. It's worth researching, but check reliable sources--medical journals. Often that news trickles into the mainstream media.

First off my little girl had two in one month when she was a year old. I know how horrible an experience they are to go through.

My brother used to have ear infections a lot when he was younger. My parents did not put tubes in his ears. Really tubes cause more problems. What was done for my brother was he had his adenoids taken out (they left his tonsils in, they are usually taken with this surgery). And after this procedure I don't remember his having any more ear infections.

His little boy has had problems with ear infections too and my brother rather him have the surgery that tubes.

All in all this is your decision and you have to make it but thought I thought I would tell you what my family experience has been.

My second born son had recurring ear infections (he is now 19 years old). He was on antibiotics constantly (literally, they thought they could prevent them with the antibiotics) then he had four sets of tubes. Finally ended with his middle hearing bone and mastoid bone having to be removed because it was so necrotic from constant infections(along with cholesteotomas) and a new ear drum was made for one of his ears (7 hour operation that traumatized him). He now only has 20+ % hearing in that one ear. I therefore feel that the tubes did very little for him. I wish I had tried more natural means first. However, I must say that his first set (received at 18 months) made such a difference in his comfort and hearing. I wish you and your child every success with this matter and send blessings!

I'm sorry to hear you are going through this. My girlfriends daughter experienced this when she was very young and all seemed to go well with the tubes.

However, have they talked at all about tonsils? I know when I was very, very young (FOREVER AGO) - actually about 3 years old, I had to have my tonsils removed, as my ear infections were so often and harsh that this was the only option at that time. I have NEVER had a problem since. I also haven't missed my tonsils either. Just a thought.

L. W.

My son had ear infections as a toddler, was on low-grade antibiotics for ~8 months and then grew out of the problem. He's an adult now and his hearing is fine; but looking back like others I would recommend first restricting milk (our family has a history of lactose intolerence, and we used soy formula+). I use probiotics now for colds, and I think this could be effective for children.

You have to balance your son's condition/hearing and ear tube risks, but surgery is always risky and can have complications. Hang in there.

When my oldest daughter was ten months old (she is now 19!), she too was on antibiotics every two weeks with ear infections. Our ENT recommended tubes and it helped so much. The procedure itself is considered outpatient (or at least it was in 1989) and she did great! Hope this helps!

We had the same experience with our first. But our doctor never recommended tubes. (Sometimes I wished she had.) Mine eventually outgrew the problem (the eustachian tubes are short in a baby and horizontal - some more than others - and thus infection travels easily from cold to ears). From what I've heard, unless your doctor fears there can be irreperable damage you should be able to avoid tubes. But be prepared to have a lot of miserable nights, give a lot of antibiotics and miss out on a lot of social events over the next couple of years. I think our child was ~4-ish when the ear infections finally stopped. Another thing to look into is the homeopathic cures commonly available over the counter at most pharmacies. I believe they helped relieve some discomfort. Our doctor also gave us a prescription of antibiotic to keep on hand for those middle of the night sudden onset of horrible pain that was undoubtedly an ear infection (once the child can clearly tell you where it hurts). We also gave a probiotic to help the good bacteria in the gut survive multiple courses of antibiotics several times per cold season. Good luck. P.

We have been seeing a chiropractor in Los Altos named Dr. Doran. The name of the office is Woodside Chiropractic. He has cleared up many ear infections that were not responding to antibiotics and prevented the necessity of tubes in the ear.

I hope that this helps.

J.