My 18 month old is finally getting tubes in his ears in about two and a half weeks. He doesn't currently have an ear infection but has completely flat tymps, so his ears are just full of fluid. Lately he's been holding and batting at his ears more, and is really clingy and not sleeping as well. I'm expecting these tubes to be miracles, as well as to help his speech, but what can I do in the meantime until the surgery to make him more comfortable?
I had 5 children. Three of them had CHRONIC ear infections all the way to 2. Anf 2 of the 3 had to have tubes...
THEN for the last 2 I took them in for an adjustment by a Chiropractor after birth.
(It is not too late) AND NO INFECTIONS IN EARS ON THESE 2 YEA!!!
Something about going through the birth canal can move the little bones that help ears top drain...Hopes this helps :)
J.
Have you stopped all of his consumption of milk and milk products? I'd remove milk (casein) and possibly gluten, for starters.
A chiropractor is also an excellent suggestion.
Have you tried a couple of pillows to keep his head elevated while he is sleeping? Or elevate the mattress at the head of the bed.
Have you tried any food based vitamins/supplements to strengthen his immune system? Probiotics (good bacteria aka flora) would really help him. This would help him heal quicker after the surgery.
I would ask your doctor what to do, but I would recommend just giving her a little Tylenol ... maybe not the full dosage, but a partial dosage. My brother had tubes put in his ears and it did wonders for him. Good luck.
Have you seen a chiropractor? My chiropractor told me not too long ago how he helped a child with ear drainage problems. It's worth a try.
First I love the name Charlie - I wanted to name my son that but hubby would not go for it. ;)
Chiropractic (I am not anti chiropractic) care did not work for my son and his 7 ear infections in a row. Tubes did. He did just fine after and I hope Charlie has the success my son.
had
Just keep giving him tylenol and propping his mattress up at night. That was all I could do.
Good luck - by the way the surgery is so quick you will not believe it.
I have heard that you can make your own drops to dry up some of the fluid in your ears. I think it is a vinegar and rubbing alcohol mixture. Definately do more research on this though, because I am not exactly sure and have never used it. I have a friend who does this regularly. And her ent dr. ok'd this for her. Good luck
I would see a chiropractor. They have great success with ear problems especially in young children. You can find a great one and lots of info at www.ICPA4kids.com
I don't think there is anything you can do until you get the tubes in, A.. My oldest had them. And I don't think much has changed since then. Just hang in there. And we went through the speech therapy too afterwards. There wasn't a lot of need for it, but just in case.
If you're open to chiropractic care, you might consider that route. My son is 2 1/2 and has NEVER had an ear infection... ever... and he's had chiro care since he was a week old.
A. I have a son who had cronic ear infections and even with the tubes in and after the tubes he had infections at 12 he just finished a surgery to cover a whole in his ear that his body had made to release the fluid build up as he was growing. A couple things that worked for us...1) a heating pad on the back of his ear or on the back of his neck that would help take the pain away 2) no swimming and be very careful in the bath no water in them at all a natural covering for the ear is vaseline on a cotton ball over the ear it will keep water from getting in there. This may help from getting an infection started in there too. 3) Help him blow his nose as much as possible to help get that fluid out the nose and ears and throat are all connected 4) keeping him upright also helps so prop him up when he sleeps and when he is resting. I am not sure the tubes will be a miracle but definately a step in the right direction and may minimize the number of infections. FYI we have had some loss of hearing but it has not affected our ability to learn or to speak. Good luck - it is a very routine surgery.
Poor kiddo! Even when kids "just have fluid" it can be irritating and uncomfortable. We see a lot of kids who are more irritated by fluid than an ear infection (I'm an audiologist=) Tylenol will definatly not hurt until the surgery. We used it on my daughter for a few weeks when she had ear infections and/or fluid (I hate doing antibiotics...)
When he does get the tubes, don't be suprised if a few things happen, 1) I'm praying for this outcome...everything is great, he's hearing and more comfortable and the ear infections subside or 2) the tubes can clog up with goop (wax, debris, fluid again) They are NOT the miracle, but so many people do have great success. Good luck!!!
I also want to encourage you to see a chiropractor. You may see such dramatic results that you will put off the surgery.
My son had continuous ear infections from November through march. Antibiotics were not enough, and the infection would just keep coming back. We tried the cleaning, but that just cleaned the outer canal. So we took him to a chiropractor, and he was able to tell just by feeling, that there was something out of alignment. He didn't even need xrays. He had an adjustment done that first visit, and then we had to go back twice just to make sure that it hadn't slipped back, and he had the muscle massaged, becuase there was so much tension.
We have totally been ear infection free ever since. It was amazing, and so simple, yet it was also quite natural. And no more antibiotics, and no worries about the tubes in the ears any more. Becasue now his ears can drain properly, and there is no fluid sitting around waiting to be infected.
I like this option much better, especially after I heard that many kids still get infections, even with tubes.
It is totally worth trying, even if you are convinced about the tubes, it won't hurt to try a chiropractor. It only took like 15 minutes total.
Hi A.,
I agree with removing all milk and milk products. Not even cookies with whey in them. No milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, and nothing with milk or milk products in them. My son is 23 years old and when he was about your sons age, with ear infection after ear infection (and I was breastfeeding him still), we ended up at an ENT's to evaluated for tubes; and 20 years ago that was a big deal - he suggested removing milk and milk products from my breastfeeding diet and also my son's diet (and we prayed!!) - and you know what when we went back in a month, the ears were clear and remained that way. Even as my son grew into school age, he continued to put apple juice on his milk. There were times when the mom in me just really believed that as he grew, he should drink milk so I would insist and one day as he held his nose to drink his milk, I realized that his body couldn't take it and he knew it!! So, I never pressed again. He eventually can handle small doses of milk and milk products. Sometimes when someone is allergic to something, they can handle a little bit, but when they go above what that limit is, they have an adverse reaction.
I am not suggesting to forgo tubes! I just think maybe if you take away milk and milk products in the interim, it might make your little guy a bit more comfortable. I was pretty amazed!!
