Ear Tubes, Any Thoughts?

My first son had multiple ear infections also, would actually develop one in the opposite ear while on antibiotics for the other one in the other ear.
He never slept through the night till he was like 3.
I also went to the ENT specialist for consideration of tubes.
He also had early intervention for speech delay and speech possibly from the infections.
Anyways, they said give it one more season and as he got closer to 3, he did outgrow it.
I just got him off the bottle, no drinking lying down at night, I always bundled him up, with hats covering ears, and never let him get his head wet in the tub.
Good luck, oh yeah, they were alwasy worse in the winter.
thanks..

I have a friend that has a little girl who suffered tremndously from ear infections. She also never slept thru the night. They decided to go ahead with the tubes (she was just over a year old at that point). She said the difference was night and day. It still took some time for her to learn to sleep thru the night since she had never done it, but ultimately it was the best thing for everyone. If they need them then do it. It will make life easier for the whole family.

My son went thru alot of that... each time he finished an antibiotic, within a week he had another ear infection. He had the tubes put in March 2006 (he was almost two) - since then NO ear infections! It's been night and day. We go every three months to the ENT to check the tubes, he still has them in. He will outgrow them and they will just fall out. The are tiny and we prob won't know they came out until his next appt. I was nervous about the anesthesia, but it literally took 15 min to have it done. I hope you have as much success as we did if you have it done :)

Tubes are ok and they work .. i was little and i had blown drum in one ear and i get a few ear infections but not to many .. it worked for me and i can hear and if i was u i would get it done now then wait bc i also had to have 5 doc. hold me down so that they could get the tube out of my ear .. my little brother also had tubes in Both ears 2 times.... he is 18 now and he is good and we both just got a ear infection together last week. they hurt but what can u do..

As sumone that nos what a ear ack feels like and what that pain is i would get teh tubes in my daughters ears just to help her no matter what . they do specil things for the younger kids now not like when we were all little...

Hope everything go's OK
Good Luck
J. Marie

K.,
My son had the same thing with fluid behind his ear and no mobility in his left ear but his was since birth. It was the hardest thing to have him go under but we looked for a ENT that we felt good about. At 7 months we decided to have the tubes put in. He was great he didn't even cry at all. The surgery was only about 20 minutes. It has been a month and we haven't had any problems.

i have a 2 yr old and have the same problem. we had his 2 yr check up and his speach is behind alot so the doc recomended to have a hearing test done and we found out that he couldnt hear well thats why the speach was delayed and he hit and pushed in frustration because he couldnt understand us. (what he hears is like wearing ear plugs all the time very muffled noise)we have a apt with the ENT in january but until then we have found other ways to comunicate with him. Yes the ENT will probally recomend tubes for my son its a scary thing to put a child through but the pain from ear infections and lots of fluid in ears should subside and will give my son the oppertunity to hear the normal sounds that surround us. i also had tubes as a child and i still occasionally get ear infection but not as bad as i had them as a child. Good luck to you hope all goes well. Have a merry christmas and a happy new year! God Bless

My 2 yr old daughter has only had a few ear infection, but my chiropractor (Scituate Harbor Chiropractic) told me that adjustments help with ear infections. Since I've been bringing my daughter with me for adjustments, she hasn't had one ear infection. Might be worth checking out - especially since it's covered by insurance. Hang in there and go with your gut!

Hi K.! I don't know if anyone has responded to you or not since I am just now joining here! I have a son that is now 19! When he was an infant he had chronic ear infections as well! At age 3, he had tubes put in and had tonsils and adnoids out! He has done much better after that! And like I said, he is now 19! :o) The surgeons know how much anesthesia to administer so it won't be too bad at all!! Just have faith, pray and it will all work out in the end hun! Be better than him going totally deaf! Hope this helps! I am a 38 year old stay at mom full time! Let me know ok???

K.-
I am a Physical Therapist that does CranioSacral Therapy (a very light touch therapy) which is VERY effective for ear infections. The ear infections may be due to a decrease in mobility of the temporal bone in her baby's head (very common in kids with repeated ear infections). What you can try is an 'ear pull' - basically hold the cartilage of the ear (not the ear lobe) and GENTLY - with only an ounce of pressure, traction (or pull gently) straight away from the head. This helped my sister's baby avoid his repeated ear infections and helped with fevers. You might also contact a person that does CranioSacral Therapy (CST) by going to www.upledger.com and go to the 'find a practitioner' in your area. Your baby probably could benefit from a session or two.
Good Luck!

Hi K.,

It is definitely a tough decision to put an infant through an operation but your son's history of ear infections, the results of his hearing tests and the doctor's recommendation indicate that it's necessary. My son had ear tubes and prior to that had not slept through the night with any regularity. Also his speech was very difficult to understand which was what really alarmed me. I have since become a special education teacher and there is a definite relationship between hearing difficulties caused by fluid and not hearing sounds in words which cause difficulty learning to read. If you trust your ENT and he recommends ear tubes, I would go with his advice. Take care and best wishes with making your decision. I hope your son is feeling better soon.
D.

I have a now 6yr old son, when he was a baby he had 7 ear infections from 3-9 months, At that point we had ear tubes put it. I think the whole process was harder on me then it was him. I really think you should have it done. The surgery is only 15 minutes long tops and if it going to help him not be in pain anymore and help with speach and hearing i would do it. I know after my son had his done we saw a huge change in him, he was happier and slept better. Hope this helps

Hi K.,

I have been a member of this site for quite some time now and this is the first time I have written in. I strongly recommend that you take him to a doctor of chiropractic for an evaluation. I say that, not just because I am one, but because we treat so many very young children with chronic and recurrent ear infections. Most of the time, the parents are frustrated with traditional medicine's answer and are referred by other parents. Birth is a pretty traumatic event for both mother and baby...there is a very good chance that there is a misalignment in him at the level of the base of the skull and the first and second bones in his neck causing enough pressure to irritate the surrounding nervous system and the eustatian tubes. I am always highly suspicious of any issue that is recurrent. I worked on both my little boys within a day of birth and they never had an ear infection, and fortunately, rarely ever have a cold. Of course I have not seen your little guy, but there is certainly no harm in investigating this arena. I bet if you ask, you will find other moms who have gone that route. Your D.C. would obviously be able to take a look and explain everything very thoroughly, and if you choose not to, that is ok as well. It is always a personal choice.

Best of luck!
K.

My son had tubes when he was two years old and I was very pleased with the results. He did not ever have an ear infection while the tubes were in though he did have to have them removed because they never fell out. As far as the anesthesia goes, I was an OR nurse and the whole procedure takes about 2 minutes and is a lot more difficult on the parents then it is on the kids.

My 6 year old son had tubes at 18 months. It was the best thing I ever did, he had an ear infection every 2 weeks prior to the surgery. The only ear infection he has had since was my fault for getting water into his ears. He started talking alot better and really started developing faster than prior to the tubes. My advice is do it, the surgery only took 10 minutes. The longest part was him recovering from the anthestia. If you have any more questions feel free to contact me. ____@____.com

Sam
Mother of 3 - 6, Devin, 4, Donovan, 2 Mya

Hi K.,

My now 6 year old son had tubes put in his ears at 9 months old and it was the best thing for him. He had suffered severe ear infections up until that point and he has not suffered any hearing loss. I also had tubes as a baby but have up to 30% hearing loss in each of my ears. The tubes fell out when he was around 3.5 and now he gets one to two ear infections a year but nothing like before. Putting a child under anesthesia at such a young age can be scary but sometimes it is well worth it. As I said my oldest went under at 9 months and my now 4 year old son has been under twice once at 2 and just last month for adnoids and then tonsils. I hope this helps. Good luck.

I went through this same thing with my daughter. It seemed like once a month we were back at the doc's with another ear infection. She was about 14 months old when I finally asked our doctor to refer me to an ENT doctor. My doctor was hesitant because he claims that tubes don't really work, but I had them as a child and they worked for me. So I went to see the ENT and they decided to put tubes in her ears. It has been 8 1/2 months and she hasn't had one ear infection! I think it is a really good idea. It was very hard putting her under anesthesia (i was in tears) but she woke up fine ( a little groggy and wanting mommy). All in all I think it was well worth it. Good luck!

Hi there. I share your pain about tubes. Our son is 2 1/2 and has had ear infections on and off his whole life. He often never gets fevers or anything. I can generally tell just by levels of crankiness. He is at the point where the only thing that works is zithromax, which is potent for someone so small ( he is tiny.....23 pounds and will be 3 in March). The doctors did a hearing test on him and it was hard to tell. But, in everyday life, he seems to be able to hear just fine. We went to ENTs and I actually had one doctor tell us that it seems as if his ear canal is slightly deformed in shape. His ear doesn't drain properly, and the giant wax buildup is what gives him the ear infection. Niney percent of his ear infections come without cold symptoms. She actually told us that tubes would do nothing. In some cases, they do help, in others, they don't. My nephew is 7. He has had 3 sets of tubes put in because his kept falling out. He now has extremely sensitive ears and often screams in loud crowds. His is an extreme case, but I highly suggest that you seek a lot of opinions before making the decision. I highly suggest finding someone at Childrens Hospital. On a different note, I was told by a head orthopedic surgeon at UMass that my daughter had hip dysplasia and would never walk. She is almost 5, never had a brace, and is very healthy, thanks to our one trip to Childrens for a different opinion. I hope this helps and that my rambling wasn't too unbearable. I have two small kids and as you can see, my brain is fried.....hahaha....good luck!

I am PRO ear tubes!! My son (now 2) Had CHRINIC ear infections before he was one. He had them straight from October until the day he had the tubes put in. THe ENT said he had never seen so much fluid before. Not to mention I was pregnant with my second as well. Sleeping through the night is key for children to develop and grow, and good for moms too!! The anesthesia is so minut. THey are not COMPLETELY under, (no tube down the throat). My son was in and out in a matter of 10-15 minutes. I would speak to your doctor about the risks of anethesia and the BENEFITS of the ear tubes. My son has slept through the night since. Not to mention, he isn't in any pain anymore!!

K., I was in the same position and we decided to do the tubes BEST thing we ever did. the surgery was only about 20 minutes. By the time we walked from our son in the operating room to the waiting room we sat down and they came to get us to tell us it was done. He was crying when He woke up but he calmed down and was fine. I stayed home with him form work that day but honestly he could have gone to daycare he was fine. He was running around playing within an hour. He is 26 months now and hasn't had another ear infection and his speech sky rocketed. Good luck with whatever you choose

My daughter has tubes and I would suggest it to someone else. Even though the procedure is scary, it is over very quickly. I will caution you though- when my daughter woke up- she was about 12 months old- she cried inconsolably for about 10 min from the anesthesia. She has no hearing loss. Does your child get a lot of colds?

Hi there, I share your pain and concerns but I have to say do get more than one opinion. But I have to say about my personal experience. Im 31 now. When I was younger I went through so many ear infections to toncilitis to strep. I failed every hearing test that i ever had. The doctors at that time would not do anything they didnt believe in removing my toncils or even tubes. Finally at 17 years old they noticed I had so much fluid and my toncils were enlarged so they finally took them out and put tubes in my ears. By that time penicillin and amoxicillin didnt work anymore. At 17 it was more painful because of all the scar tissue and infections do to my age. After that I had less ear infections. But when I was 28 I flew in airplane with an ear infection and the pressure from it put a whole in my eardrum. Honestly it never healed on its own. Just two weeks ago I just had my ear operated on to fix the whole and now im still recuperating from it. So to make along story short I know your scared and concerned about tubes or any surgery in that matter but my personal opinion when there younger it is better because they wont have the scar tissue from more infections and they wont have all fluid backed up for two many years. Personally i wish that they did something when I was younger. Most kids bounce back quicker than adults. Hopefully when i get my bandages off I will have some of my hearing left in my right ear. I have two children 6 and 4 and if it was mine I would look into everything possible and make sure it is safe because i would not want them to go through what i went through and going through now.
well sorry so long but good luck in everything. Have a nice Holiday

We went through similar trials with my now 2 1/2 year old. Basically 8 months straight of ear infections that were rarely responsive to antibiotic treatment. Long story short I had his adenoids removed and tubes placed just after her turned 1. Generally they will not do this type of surgery until a child is at least 2, but I pushed for it. He has not had an ear infection since and his language skills are coming along. For us it was the right thing to do. I did not love having him put under anesthesia, but I did my research & trusted the team who did the procedure. It was definitely worth it- he is active and happy and ear infection free! The place where we had his hearing test done was set up for pediatric patients (they had noise making dolls in each corner & the tester used stuffed animals) If your center did not have this it might be worth seeking one out b/c you might have more success. Good luck!

K.,

I am not sure if you have considered chiropractic treatment. My son who is 21 months old suffered from ear infections. We started going to the chiropractor last year when he was 10 months old and he has actually had many colds since but no severe EI's. We stopped going in June 07 and then by Sept 07 he had a severe EI again. Once again by Sept 07 we started chiropractioc treatment and my son is doing pretty good so far. In my opinion, these treatments have been wonderful and though somewhat expensive can eventually help avoid fluid buildup and EI's (not to mention the trauma of having Ear tube surgery). I mentioned this to my pediatricain and she said about 90-95% of kids have had success with chiropractic treatment. If you need the names of chiropractors in the Metroweest area, let me know.

Good luck and hope your son gets better!

Boy can I relate - on two levels. I also had tubes in my ears when I was 4 years old, but I was completely deaf by the time it was caught. My 2nd child is now 4 years old and ended up having the tubes. Last spring (at 3 years of age) I really started to notice that she was not talking as well as her sister did at that age and I chalked it up to being different kids. I asked her pre-school teacher and she said, nope, do not notice anything different about her speech or learning or listening. I then decided to take her to to a specialist, because what was the worst I could have happen - get good news that she was fine. Well - that didn't happen. Her hearing was at 50 decibals (or whatever that word would be), when it should be at about 20. So we decided to do the tubes, even though she really didn't have much for ear infections, we did not want it to effect her speech anymore than it already had. We did the tubes on a Friday morning, and let me tell you by the time we got home, she was up and running and you couldn't tell that she'd even been thru a thing. That was on 6-15 of this year, and let me tell you - her speech and listening is dramatically different. I wish now that I would have noticed it earlier because I think it has held her back - a little - but still it did. Now she is one of the best learners and her speech has just improved immensly - everyone notices it. So long story - but true. If I were you and you have a specialist that is saying there is a problem, absolutely get it done, the last thing you want to do is have your child learning the wrong way to say their words just because what they hear is mumbled. Ya know what I mean? If you do get it done and can afford the ear plugs the doctor can make, do it. We did not get them, because simply couldn't afford them, but it took a few different purchases until we found plugs that worked well and fit her - which we found at Walmart (they are pink and in a blue box) - stock up! Good luck to you and your family.

My son had first set of ear tubes placed in at about 18 months and did really well. He had what we think was one ear infection beginning at around 7 months that never cleared up, and after the 6th antibiotic we decided on the surgery. The ENT that did the surgery told us afterward that is was the right decision and had to do a lot of drainage as part of the surgery. My son's appetite, sleep, mood and speech improved markedly afterwards. At about 2 1/2 years old, both tubes fell out and within 2 weeks, ear infections began again. After about 1 month of antibiotics, put tubes back in and removed adenoids. Again immediate improvement. Its hard to decide to put a little one in for surgery, but for us it was harder to imagine a chronic pain issues and belief that he was frustrated due to pain and inability to hear clearly. Hope this helps.

While I have not had direct experience with kids with ear infections, I can let you know that both of my sister's children suffered from numerous ear infections. Their first had a horrible first year- did not sleep well and was constantly suffering from what they now believe were ear infections. As soon as they caught on that it was ear infections that were bothering her they began a series of non-invasive treatments for them (antibiotics, ect). Finally they decided on tubes (around the age of 2) and all of their lives have changed for the better. She suddenly began sleeping better, getting sick less and having a better time at day care. She actually remarked at how much louder things were after the tubes were inserted. Poor thing had been living with clogged ears for her whole life. When their second daughter started down the same road (with the ear infections- at least 6 in the first year) they and their ENT decided on tubes. She got them earlier, at 18 months, and had some speech delay that began resolving after the tubes went in.
I know that none of us want to put our kids at risk by giving unnecessary surgeries, but at least in my sisters case, the tubes have made everyones quality of life much better and were worth the risk. The surgeries were no problem for either of the kids.

Hope this helps and good luck.

My oldest had tubes put in at 2. It was the best thing I ever did for her. She was always sick, every 6 to 8 weeks another ear infection, and she hasnt had one since. She had no prob with the anesthesia (the whole surgery is like 8 minutes) and they typically fall out after a year or so. Hers didnt, she had them taken out (The tubes were trying to budge on their own but were really healed over and caused bleeding, not painful, and it was the same easy procedure) over the summer and hasnt had an ear infection since (shes 5 1/2) The only thing is you CANNOT get bath water (or anything other than chlorine water) in their ears while they have tubes in. It results in a non-painfull gooey gross pus infection within the tube (easily treated with drops, but gross!). The specialist should offer to make you custom ear plugs, before or after the surgery (they may be covered by insurance, ours were $40!!!), cotton smeared in vaseline will do the trick if you dont have them available for a time. Me, my hubby, my mum and my sister all had bad ear infections growing up, my sis had tubes 2 X's and worked great for her. My mom, of course didnt (it was the 60's) and has scarring so bad in her ears from always being sick that her doctors are always surprised she can hear AT ALL. Do it, it will be the best thing for him to not be in pain anymore and not always on antibiotics. Good luck!

hi K., I went through a similar, but not as severe experience with my son. He beagn at about 8 months one ear infection after another staring nov through april. Theyw ere talking tubes but I did some research and refused untilt hey tested for allergies. Reportedly, if there is only fluid and an infection with no fever and clear running noses.... (which my son always had and he never ran a fever w/ his ear infections!) tubes will no help w/ the fluid it could still occur! have im tested for allergies. My son was put on Zyrtec at about 18-months2 years old and we have been ear infection free since! he actually had a real infection 1 time last winter and he ran a fevr with it. Good luck. If you are ok with alternative medicine lookinto pediatric chiropracters who use acccupressure. There is one on the EAst Side of Providence her name is SARA i forgot the last name. I have aslo taken my son for chiropratic care and accupressure they help! Just do not let tham manipulate only massage and pressure! good luck

K.,
My daughter was in speech therapy through our local Early Intervention program when we noticed that her speech was not improving.
My daughter had PE Tubes surgically placed into her ears back when she was about 2 yrs old. After the numerous ear infections (due to the fluid not draining), the hearing test (in the sound-proof room) and ultrasounds, I was completely confident that my daughter would come out of the surgery with flying colors. And she did. Granted, the screaming-mimi thing from her coming off the anesthesia was painful (for me), the tubes did eventually fall out on their own much later on. She still hears just fine is very distinct in her speech - she's 11 yrs old now.

I have a couple of friends who have had similar problems with their children and had the tubes put in. One of the moms really tortured herself over the decision and when she finally had it done she said it ended up being no big deal and it really helped the situation. I haven't heard and negative stories about about the procedure. Good Luck either way you decide!

Congrats on your pregnancy! I have a 20 month and and am 5 months too :)

Hi I thought I'd just tell you about my oldest who went through the same thing- he had multiple ear infections and after 2 he still wasn't speaking- we had his hearing tested and though it was difficult he failed. We put the tubes in (it was a very quick and easy procedure, though scary because of the anesthesia) and the change in him was immediate. He had no more infections for almost a year and a half, his speech developed, and when he finally did get another ear infection, it didn't hurt him. We just had the tubes replaced and he did great. If the ENT says its a good idea based on how his ears look, I'd say go for it, it will help his speech develop easier and understand more and sleep better. Good luck.

I actually just had this conversation with my mother last night. My 16 month old has had a few ear infections, so we're not where you are at yet. My mother is of the opinion that tubes are a good thing. When I was a baby I had a lot of ear infections and the ped didn't want to do tubes so mom didn't do them. I have horrible hearing now (at 30) and she blames the fact that I didn't have tubes. When my brother had the same issues, she went above the ped and had tubes put in anyway. I have no idea if the lack of tubes contributed to my poor hearing now, but its possible.
I think the heart of the matter lies in your son's language development. If he can't hear clearly right now, his language is suffering and will effect him as he starts school.

About ear coning: Its a fraud. It really doesn't work at all. My family thought it was a fun thing to do and one evening they were doing it with some friends. One of them took an ear cone and burned it without putting it up to an ear. The "ear wax" that appears from coning is really just burned candle wax from the ear cone. I doubt is harmful, but it doesn't actually do anything.
Good luck!

Hi there,

Poor thing...heck out ear coning. I know NOTHING at all about this technique, but over the last couple of weeks I've heard 3 different people talk about this and how it helps with a variety of ear problems.

Hi Kate!
My son is almost three! He had tubes put in his hears last November. It was such a relief for me and my husband. He was always cranky and didnt want anything. He was rarly ever sick, but when we put him into daycare everything turned. He had a double ear infection for 6 months straight, no medication would cure him. So finally we decided to get the tubes placed in his ear. When we got the tubes put in he woke up a little groggy after the surgery, but by that afternoon he was up playing with his cousion, it was like nothing ever happened to him that morning! It was a huge relief for me and my husband when we decided to get the tubes in his ears. Now over a year later, he hasnt been sick yet! Good luck!
Sabrina!

I would absolutely, 100% have no hesitation about putting either of my children through tubes. I understand your concern and I had the same concerns, but after 6 ear infections in 5 months, we were tired of having my daughter suffer and have her on what seemed like constant antibiotics, so we went ahead and got the tubes last February when she was 13 months. She was like a completely different child!! She had had such constant fluid and when she could actually hear clearly, she was amazed (and in the beginning, easily startled). Her speaking started to flourish and I am happy to say she has not had one ear issue since. When these tubes fall out, if she has not outgrown the ear infections, I will not hesitate to do the procedure again. It is relatively simple and surprisingly quick. And once she took a nap, she was her old self - within hours she was playing (and I was wondering why I had taken the whole day off work). The hardest part is not allowing them to eat or drink - you will deal with a cranky child because they don't understand. Hope this helps!!

My son had the same problem he has 17 ear infections between October and December. So I decided to have tubs put in at 13 months old. Ever since the ear tubes he has had no problems with his ears. Of course he has to wear molds in his ears when he has a bath and goes in the pool and so on but it is much better then him having ear infections.
So I would say go for it, it is a simple procedure and it is quick.
Good Luck
M. Sloan