Ear Infections
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Ear Infections
April 2008
Can anyone recommend an alternative or complimentary therapy and
/or complimentary therapy doctor to treat or prevent children's
ear infections?
My 17 month old has had so many ear incfetcions that I've lost
count. He seems to be perpetually on antibiotics. Every time he
gets a cold, he gets an ear infection. My pediatrician keeps
perscribing antibiotics and none of them work. We end up going on
2 to 3 rounds of different antibiotics each time. Honestly, I
think his body heals itself and the antibiotics don't do
anything. His teeth are becoming discolored from so much
antibiotic use and his dentist says that it may affect his
permanant teeth. Not to mention that we're breeding super
bacteria that are becomming resistant to a lot of antibiotics.
With each ear infection, his eating significantly decreases and
he loses weight. His weight has been a medical concern in the
past but now he is in the 5th percentile so he's ok but there has
got to be another way to treat his ear infections. Any
suggestions would be very appreciated.
THANK YOU!!
Tammie
My daughter had the same problem when she was about 2 years old.
I decided to try the homeopathic approach; I also followed her doctor adivice to have
no stuffed animals in her bed at night and to limit milk intake. For calcium I gave
her fortified orange juice and offered her cheese more often. She rarely catched colds
afterwards and only had one ear infection episode - she is now almost 18 and healty.
gh
My 10 month old has had multiple ear infections from December until recently. She had
periferated her right ear drum every time, and received antibiotics which did work,
but we were very concerned about the amount and frequency she took the antibiotics. I
was horrified of getting ''tubes''. The more I discussed it with other parents the
better it sounded. Children only had minor,infrequent, if any ear infections after the
tubes.
We went to Dr. Wesman (ENT) to discus all the options. When I saw the ''tubes'' I was
releived. They look like tiny beads. My baby went through with the operation. She had
an ear infection at the time, everything went smoothly. He performs approximately 500
a year. She has had 2 cold since the operation and no ear infection for the first
time. We are very happy with no regrets!!
The first months/years of life are very important for acquiring speech sounds and
language. I would not wait. The other most affective treatment I was told was staying
at home with your child.
Pamela
1) Please get a new doctor. My son has had a few ear infections and our physician has
never prescribed an antibiotic -- only an ear drop to numb the pain. The ear
infections have always cleared up quickly. And, if your child does have recurring
serious ear infections, then your doctor should be considering ear toobs.
2) We have always used the homeopathic ear ache remedies -- available at Whole Foods
and probably elsewhere. They seem to lessen the pain and length of the earache.
Antibiotic Free Child
I know you will probably hate this advice, but I am going to give it anyway. You have
probably been advised by the pediatrician to see an ear, nose, and throat specialist
(ENT) regarding your child's recurrent ear infections. You probably suspect this
person will recommend surgery to install ear tubes. Although your request was for
alternative therapies, I strongly recommend that you at least consider ear tubes.
The thing is, some kids just have very small or slightly odd-shaped ear canals, that
do not allow the junk that accumulates during colds to drain out. This junk is a
perfect breeding ground for bacteria -- hence the ear infections. The tubes drain it
out. My child went from a 10-days-on, 10- days-off antibiotic pattern, to no more ear
infections at all, ever, as a result of one 5 minute surgery. In addition, the junk
that accumulates in the ear canals can cause hearing difficulties and language delays
that can last for years. So allowing it to drain has many advantages.
Seeing someone like Dr. Wesman at Children's Hospital Oakland would really be a good
idea. He's quite conservative, explains the options, and allows you to make your own
decisions about things like surgery.
Karen
Osteopathic medicine claims to be able to effectively treat recurrent ear infections
in children. I have no personal experience with osteopathy, but have a friend who
highly recommends Dr. Theresa Hong DO (415) 673-2771 and Dr. Hennie Sholars DO (415)
401-1630. Both of these doctors are parents but I don't know if their practice
includes children.
Good Luck
I had twins who were having a lot of ear fluid problems and the ENT really was pushing
for ear tubes. I was opposed to this and very much regretted having given them
antibiotics over and over. They have never had normal bowel movements since that
period of time (over three years ago). Their regular doctors have no answers and I
have spent tons of money looking for alternative cures for them. (That is my own
personal warning against antibiotic use/overuse). As for the ears, I have done a
couple of things with success. First, run- don't walk to an osteopath who can do
cranial-sacral manipulation on children.
I'll let you look into the explainations behind the treatment if it interests you, but
they can help to free up any restrictions in the movement of their cranial-sacral
fluid that could be leading to blockages in the ears. One of my twins had thick black
blood just sitting behind his eardrum for a while and it was gone within a few days
after his first treatment. I can't promise everyone such a miracle but it kept me
coming back. I've also been helped many times by an osteopath. I highly recommend it.
We also took them to a naturopath who recommended hot/cold compresses instead of
antibiotics. It's 2 minutes each of hot-cold-hot-cold-hot. The hot brings the immunity
boosting white blood cells to the area (the ear and right below) and then the cold
helps to whoosh it and the infection away. That and different alternative immunity
boosting supplements safe for children plus avoiding possible alergy triggers (for us
it's dairy and soy) have gotten us through that problem. Now, if one of them is sick
and starts to complain of ear problems I do the compresses right away and that is
usually all it takes- no more complaints after that.
Try letting your child watch tv with a snack while you do it to keep him/her still. I
try to avaoid antibiotics now unless it's life or death because we have had such bad
experiences with them. Once I started doing my own research I found that there are so
many other less harmfull solutions to the problems that our regular doctors sometimes
throw a quick fix at with such negative side effects to our health. I am much more
careful now.
CB
Hi!
We went through the very same problems with my 2 year-old daughter, she would have one
ear infection/month. The fact that she was born with a cleft and had asthma attacks
made everyhting worse... Anyway, I can highly recommend Cathleen Henderson, an
osteopath on Ensenada, off Solano Ave. in Berkeley. She is usually not covered by
insurance, but her gentle treatments really work. We started out with weekly visits,
then transitioned into biweekly etc. After two months of treatments, my daughter
started getting better. She has had some fluid on her ear a couple of times, but I
treated it with a homeopathic oil plus Cathleen's massages and the ear infections
never returned. Our last infection was last September!!! Good luck!
Anon
My son went through the exact same thing. You don't say what your
health insurance situation is, but eventually, our primary care
pediatrician gave up and referred us to Dr. Wesman, the head of ENT over
at Children's Hospital in Oakland. We got tubes, which then fell out,
then got a second set of tubes and removed the adenoids. Our son was
such an unusual case (sounds like yours) that he continued to get ear
infections even with the tubes, but I still think they are a good idea.
For one, you know immediately when he gets an ear infection, because you
can see drainage coming out of the ear. There is no buildup of fluid in
the ear. And you can treat with lower doses of antibiotics dropped
straight into the ear. It is a long road, and I feel your frustration,
but they eventually do outgrow it.
Whether or not you decide to get tubes (not without controversy, I
guess), you should demand a referral to a specialist. Dr.
Wesman is supposedly the best in the business.
The Ears Have It
April 2008
My 9 month old baby has gone through 6 rounds of antibiotics
for ear infections that just don't seem to want to go away.
They get somewhat better during the course of antibiotics, but
then return full force, causing him lots of pain. They are not
the kind of infections that die out on their own, and one time
his eardrum perforated as a result. I've gotten a lot of advice
about alternative treatments, all of which I appreciate, but I
don't know where to start. I'd like to find someone who has had
success in a similar situation with their child.. what did you
do? And, if anyone knows of an alternative (or not) health care
practitioner who has helped multiple babies with this condition,
I would deeply appreciate a referral. I'm feeling concerned for
his immune system, being on all these antibiotics all the time,
and for his hearing, with all the ear problems.
When my kid had repeated ear infections and her hearing was
suffering in one ear and she began to get yeast infections, we
opted to get off the antibiotic merry-go-round, protect her
hearing and get tubes put in her ears. It was a bit scary but a
great solution. no more ear infections. Dr. Wiesman (sp?) at
children's did it.
Hope you find a road that works for you and your child.
anonymous
I'd check into ear tubes. After going 6 months with at least
one ear infection per month and allergies to several
antibiotics, our ped recommended ear tubes for our daughter
(then 13 mo.)She did have one more infection after that, but
none since. Four years later, she hasn't had to have
antibiotics for anything! Surgery seemed scary, but I think it
was a far kinder option in the long run. Recurrent ear
infections can also cause hearing issues. Our daughter does
have significant scarring on her ear drum from the infections,
but thankfully, no hearing loss.
hengel
My friend reduced the frequency of her child's ear infections by
eliminating casein (dairy) from her diet. Another friend's
mother treated his ear infections with warm oil in his ears; he
now has significant hearing loss, so I wouldn't recomend that.
I'm very sorry to hear about your child's ear drum being
perforated during an untreated ear infection. Maybe you could
pre-order a round of antibiotics so that if the next home
treatment doesn't work, your baby doesn't have to suffer any
longer than necessary.
I had my first ear infection at the age of 30, and I was at the
doctor after just one hour of pain, so I really feel for your
baby.
Concerned
A good friend just got ear tubes for her 18-month old. She had
them when she was a kid too. She hated the part about the baby
going in for surgery, but the good news is that the baby was well
enough to go back to day care in the afternoon, and as soon as
she came out of the anesthesia, she was talking up a storm, much
more than she had been--as if suddenly she could hear and talk!
Ear tubes are often overlooked. (the only down side being that I
think you have to protect them from water, and wear ear plugs for
swimming). I have another friend whose kid had constant ear and
other infections, some behavioral problems, speech problems and
development issues, and it turns out that he is probably gluten
intolerant. A couple months w/o gluten and he grew a couple
inches, is a nicer kid and has made it through this winter w/o
antibiotics!
April 2008
Does anyone have experience with acupuncture as a treatment for chronic ear
infections in small children? My 15-mo. old son has already had four ear infections,
and he may be getting a fifth. My pediatrician has raised the possibility of tubes,
which
I'd like to avoid if at all possible. I've heard that acupuncture can be an
effective
treatment but I can't find much information about the efficacy or safety of it for
this
medical issue - and in such a small child. I'd appreciate any information/thoughts
you
can share. Many thanks.
Laura
We didn't try acupuncture, but when our daughter was an infant/toddler
and getting
numerous ear infections, we started taking her to our chiropractor. He
explained that
the infections are caused by fluids not being able to drain, and getting
infected. The
adjustments facilitated fluid drainage. We started taking her in
whenever she was a
little bit sniffly or seemed like she was coming down with a cold, and
she didn't get any
more ear infections - except the one time we neglected to bring her in
early. We still
bring her in when she gets colds; although she no longer gets ear
infections (she's 10
now) she is prone to sinus infections. The adjustments seem to ward
those off, too.
Lisa
I also have a 15mo who has had a few ear infections in her short
lifetime. Some things that I would recommend before acupuncture
are: craniosacral massage, chiropractic, removing all dairy
products from your child's diet (and yours, too, if you are
breastfeeding), giving your child a probiotic daily, and treating
colds with echinacea, vitamin c, and homeopathy so that there is
less of a chance they will turn into ear infections. I made these
changes and we've been ear infection free for three months!
ear infection savvy
We've had very good experiences with osteopathy for ear
infections. Carmen Herring (526-5256, on santa fe in berkeley)
has been great. I found this easier than acupuncture for the
little ones.
Rachel
As you have asked for any advice, I venture that while I like
acupuncture for other things, I would highly recommend homeopathy
for ear infections. Particularly Christine Ciavarella, at the
Hahnemann Clinic. She is wonderful and also will tell you if she
thinks homeopathy is not so good for one condition or another.
She will also spend a lot of time with you consulting. The first
visit is very pricey, but subsequent visits are not and she has a
sliding scale overall. The medicine is incredibly cheap. I have
had great results with my own ear infections with homeopathy and
heard countless stories of success with children. I have used it
for my son as well with success.
She is in El Cerrito in the plaza. Her number is: 524-3117
Susan-Jane
Hi, I don't know much about acupuncture, but I do know this.
Dairy can be the culprit for ear infections for small children.
Try getting your child off of milk (except your own!)
Sylvie
I have not used acupuncture for this, but our son had recurring
ear infections until about 18 months, when we went (for the first
time) to a homeopath and he never had one again. I have also
heard that osteopaths have good success with childhood ear
infections.
Melissa
There is no evidence that acupuncture works in babies. More
important, a baby with a painful ear infection is not going to
enjoy having needles poked into him for no reason. Even worse,
an untreated ear infection can cause permanent damage to your
baby's hearing.
Does your baby use a pacifier? Excess pacifier use has been
shown to triple the incidence of ear infections in children.
Is your baby drinking enough liquids? Plenty of liquids are
needed to help keep the mucous thin and easy to drain, especially
if your baby has a cold or allergies.
Did your pediatrician recommend a decongestant to help keep the
eustacian tubes open to improve drainage?
Otherwise, I would think that sticking with the amoxicillin would
be preferable to surgery.
Cautious
Our daughter developed drug-resistant ear infections. She would get one
infection,
take antibiotics, and within a week or so of finishing the antibiotics
her ears would
be flaming with another infection. Taking dairy away was NOT an option
for this kid
- she LOVES milk and cheese. We should have Strauss Family Creamery in
our back
yard. We couldn't really consider tubes an option, as our daughter swims
like a fish.
So....Catherine Henderson to the rescue! We did a series of Oseopathic
treatments
with her and the ears cleared right up. Catherine even called which ear
got infected
first. It was pretty amazing. She is a gifted osteopath.
Good luck!
Julia
Feb 2007
My 13 month old just came down with an acute ear infection. His health has been
remarkably good-in fact, I don't think he was sick once in his first 10 months of life.
A miracle given that he goes to daycare everyday and has an older sister in
preschool. However, in the past two months he has been sick nonstop- intestinal
flu, horrible diarrhea, many colds (one after another it seems) and now the recent
ear infection.
My question involves what might be causing the ear infection.
My daughter also exhibited a pattern similar to his, except she was actually sick a
few times in her first year as well. She got 3 ear infections almost back to back at
this same time of year and same age (their birthdays are just 4 days apart so it is
easy to track/compare what happened with one at a given time of year etc). With
her, it seemed to coincide with the introduction of cow's milk. I read something 3
years ago about the association between dairy and ear infections so I decided to pull
her off of it. She drank soy milk, but still ate yogurt, cottage cheese etc. She
never
got another ear infection and she is 4 now. The only downside (or up, dependingon
what your stance is) is that she doesn't like to drink cow milk so we make sure she
eats yogurt, cheese and drinks some soy milk. I have started to limit her soy milk
consumption with the latest reports on soy milk.
My question is: Has anyone ever experienced something similar with cow milk or
heard of this? Can it just be coincidental, possibly that it had more to do with the
fact that it was winter, the baby had recently stopped nursing etc.??
Oh, and seemingly neither of my children have allergies (although I guess they could
pop up at any time-neither my husband nor I have any allergies to food or
otherwise)
Oh, and he is 100% better 24 hours later with amoxicillin. My ped said that with
acute infections that look like his he recommends antibiotics.
So..my concern is figuring out how to avoid this in the future.
Thanks!!
tired mommy with crabby baby
You didn't mention if you child is drinking from bottles....This may be
of no use, but I've heard that drinking lying down can cause ear
infections.
anon
Cow's milk is linked to allergies and ear infections.
In his book Pregnancy, Children, and the Vegan Diet, Michael Klaper,
M.D., explains how the proteins found in cow's milk create a health
hazard. He writes, ''... a common reaction to such an assault by a
foreign [bovine] protein in our immune systems is an outpouring of mucus
from the nasal and throat membranes. ... The resulting mucus flow can
create chronic runny nose, persistent sore throats, hoarseness,
bronchitis, and the recurrent ear infections that plague so many
children.''
anon
We have been able to avoid ear infections and ear pain by responding
with garlic/mullein oil at the first sign of pain or symptoms. It has
worked well with our kids at all ages, and we have been able to avoid
antibiotics every time, except one time after a plane flight when we
didn't have the oil with us. At Whole Foods or another health food
store you can buy garlic/mullein oil. One company that makes this is
Herbpharm.
Put one or two drops in each ear, having child lie on side so the oil
goes down into ear.
mirsun
If your child recently weaned, I would definitely attribute it to that.
Of course, breastfeeding is not a fail-proof method of preventing
illness but it does go an awfully long way toward keeping babies and
toddlers healthy, as well as minimizing the effects of whatever bugs
they do pick up. This is scientific fact, not just anecdotal -- though
my personal experience bears it out. There's also a genetic component
to susceptibility to ear infections -- it has to do with the length and
shape of the ear canal, as I understand it -- so there isn't much you
can do about that. But for general health, of course, you just pay
attention to hygiene (lots of hand washing) and nutrition and make sure
your child is getting enough sleep. Some people swear by particular
vitamin supplements, but that's not an area I know anything about. (My
son had his first, and only, ear infection at age 5 -- a year and a half
after he weaned. My 2yo daughter's still nursing and hasn't had
anything more serious than a runny nose.) Loves Nursing Toddlers!
I think when kids blow their noses it can cause the bacteria in their
noses and throats to back up into their eustacian (sp?) tubes which lead
to the middle ear.
wipe their snot but discourage them from blowing their nose when they
have a cold.
anon
Here is my experience, for what it is worth. I had frequent ear
infections as a child as well. When I was about 6, my mom had me tested
for food allergies and found that I was allergic to dairy and wheat.
Immediately after I stopped eating those foods, I stopped getting ear
infections. She gradually re- introduced those foods about 2 or 3 years
later. Since then, I have only gotten serious ear infections twice in
the last 20 years. On the other hand, my daughter got four ear
infections in one winter a few years ago (when she was 2). The
pediatrician recommended tubes, but I decided to wait one year to see
what happened - and the next winter she was fine. There is research
showing that many children ''grow out of'' ear infections, and that
experiences like I had with the food allegies are purely coincedental,
so I am not sure what I believe.
my two cents
Oct 2006
Hi,
My 18 month old has had 5 ear infections and around 7 or more
rounds of antibiotics to treat them. They started 6 months ago
when we traveled to New Zealand and she got a terrible cold and
then double ear infections that took 2 rounds of antibiotics to
cure. Since then her infections have not started with a cold,
they just appear. I am looking for a recommendation for a great
ENT. I am seeking chiropractic ( massage ) relief for her as
well. I am uncomfortable having her on any more rounds of
antibiotics and with winter coming up we think we should ask for
tubes to be placed in her ears. Her pediatrician seems really
laid back about the situation and today her ears are looking
perfect. So she has recommended that we wait and if Tiernan gets
another infection that we should see an ENT. I would welcome some
advice from anyone with similiar experience.
Thanks, Tia
Since your little guy has had a bunch of bouts with ear
infections, you may want to have his hearing tested by an
audiologist. I know pediatric offoices can test hearing, but
usually an audiologist is more skiled and has a far better set
up. I'm not sure if pediatric offices even test 18 month olds
anyway...but audiologist do. When my then 4 yr old had one ear
that wasn't seeming to hear well (even when it wasn't infected)
we took her to an ENT for a check in. The ENT was a great one
at Childrens (Dr. Wesman?). His in-house audiologist was a
lovely woman to work with. She did a very throgough exam of my
child's hearing. I know they have ways of checking the hearing
of younger children too. So - if I were you, I'd express my
concern to my pediatrician about the state of my child's
hearing. (can they hear you if one of their ''good'' ear is on
their pillow? Can they hear you whisper in one ear in a loud
room?). My child's hearing was temporarily impacted even when
he was not in pain. I have heard of other children whose
hearing is more permanently impacted to a slight degeree dus to
extended ear infections or fluid in the ear. So push your ped.
if you need to to get that referal to the ENT. Get the ENT to
look at your kids ears, and have their associated audiologist do
so, too. The main thing you want to preserve, regarding their
ears, is their hearing. So focus on that. Wesman did not push
toe tubes, and we came in for check ups for a while, with
associated hearing tests. In our case, we got tubes in our kids
ears at 4 yrs old cuz I wanted him to have his full range of
hearing, and i wnated him to not be on so many rounds of
antibiotics. It is a little bit stressful even for this
surgery, as a parent. But the end benfits were great both for
our kids hearing, and for getting their little body off of
antibiotics. Even with all that, my now preteen still doesn't
respond when I call his name....but that probably isn't a
hearing issue
Grateful Mom
I know that you wanted an ENT in the WC area, but there are 2 fantastic ENTs at
Children's (they might have some satellite clinics out your way, try their office). I would
recommend Dr. Bill Lewis and Dr. Wesman. I have worked with both of them. As you
mentioned now is the time for action, before winter comes
East Bay Pediatrician
It sounds like tubes could be a good idea, since the infections
are not following on colds, so it's likely there is fluid in
there between infections. The pediatrician can do a test
between infections to verify the presence of fluid, called a
tympanogram (quick and painless). My son had tubes placed at
Children's Hospital by Dr. Drury. We saw him in Berkeley, but he
may also practice out near you. Either way, if you do choose
tubes, I strongly recommend having it done at Children's. The
difference of having the entire hospital staff and equipment
focused on children really helps reduce stress on you and your
child. Good luck!
Ellen
Robert Wesman, M.D. at Children's Hospital Oakland is truly an
outstanding pediatric ear nose and throat surgeon. As he has
with thousands of children, Dr Wesman helped our 1 1/2 yo son
overcome recurring ear infections. Wish he had visited him
earlier: our son's pain disappeared, he could hear clearly and
began talking right away.
Jan 2006
My dd had her third ear infection for the past week. She
started her preschool (she is now three years old) this
september so we are kind of prepared for the frequent
cold/fever etc, but not ear infection. Now it seems to me that
every time she has a more than a minor cold, she will ends with
ear infection and antibiotics. This time when we catched it,
her pediatrician said the ear infection is still minor and
suggested we delay the antibiotics and see (she just finished
her last round of antibiostics two weeks ago beucase of strep).
But it did not improve after three days. So here the
antibiotics goes again.
It looks to me that some kids are just more prone to ear
infection than others. My dd also had eczema. I mentioned it,
not knowing whether these two can somehow related, like
sensitive to environments. But her allergy test showed all
negative (which we already know is not accurate at all).
I like to know how other parents handle this situation. Is
there any way to possibly ''prevent'' it from happening? HOw
about homeopathy or chinese herd medicine? Any experience?
Thanks and happy, healthy new year to all.
anon
I would absolutely see Christine Ciavarella, a wonderful homeopath, in
El Cerrito.
She cured my son's ear infection without antibiotics, and has daily
ear-check clinics so she can monitor your child's progress. She's also
a Physician's Assistant and really knows what she's doing!
My children have had frequent ear infections too. I take my kids to
Christine Ciavarelli at the Hahnemann Medical Clinic near the El Cerrito
shopping center (524 -3117). She is a physician's assistant and
homeopath. She is a wonderful, kind, caring and very perceptive woman.
She has a time in her practice for daily ear checks so you can come back
after an initial appointment to have your child's ear looked at. She
will only prescribe antibiotics if it is really necessary, but otherwise
will suggest many things you can do yourself and homeopathy. Also, she
referred us to Nancy Burke in Richmond for some cranial sacral therapy
to address some of the underlying issues (Nancy's number is 236-1007).
The treatment of both these wonderful healers has made a great
difference in my children's health and well- being and they have both
outgrown the infections. I hope this helps. Best wishes, Yvonne
Mansell
You might try osteopathy. It's worked for my toddler son, for the same
problem your daughter's having, and for me, for sinus infections (I'd
tried everything else--herbs, acupuncture, and even surgery). For me
and my son, and maybe your daughter, the problem was that congestion
wasn't draining from our sinuses; it'd just get trapped. That meant that
every cold or bout of allergies led to an infection and antibiotics. And
eventually the bugs get resistant to the antibiotics--it's not a good
cycle to be in. An osteopath releases tissues to allow the congestion to
drain. This means no more ear infections! Catherine Henderson on Solano
Ave (526-5256) worked for my son. Catherine's D.O. is from England, so
so she operates as a massage therapist here. Nancy Burke also gets very
good reviews.
Katy
If the ear infections have been that close together....it is probably a
bug that has been supressed by the amoxicillin but not cleared up.
Zithromax is not the best for ear infections.
Amoxicillin is the first line med, then if another ear infection crops
up within a month of the other, the child should have augmentin, because
most likely, the infection is the same as the initial one and is
reoccuring, not a new infection.
Same thing happened to my little one last year, didn't stop until
Augmentin was taken.
Good luck
been there
I am of the impression (and am not a medical professional) that some
people just inherit eustacian tubes that are more prone to infection or
other blockage (narrower perhaps?) like my husband, myself and my
daughter. When my then 4 yr. old girl had so many ear infections that
her hearing was being impacted on one side (even when she didn't have an
active infection), and when antibiotic treatments began to bring on
yeast infections, I opted for the physical solution and had tubes put in
her ears.
Her doctor (Weismann?) did not push this solution at all, but
did support it. The tubes were quite effective.
Mom
Yes, some kids are more prone to ear infections than others. And much
as you may not want to hear this, it usually has to do with the
physcial shape of their inner ear structure -- some just do not drain
the excess fluid associated with a cold as well as others. My son's is
like this, and he gets it from both my husband (who had ear tubes put in
as a child) AND from me (I get totally stuffed up ears every single time
I get a cold, and it takes weeks to improve).
The answer for my son has been ear tubes. Twice. Eliminated the ear
infections, improved his hearing. In my experience, the alternative med
route just isn't really consistently effective.
Karen
Sorry for your daughter's discomfort. The regular cycle of antibiotics
is hard on her body. Homeopathy is a great idea for these things that
western medicine doesn't really address, that is, her tendency to get
infected ears. Call Christine Ciavarella at the Hahnemann Medical Clinic
at 524-3117. She's great with kids and has solved a lot of kids' ear
problems. And teething problems, and sleep problems, and behavior
problems, and . . .
Bonnie
I've heard from several sources that recurrent use of antibiotics for ear infections can actually cause them to keep recurring. It seems like there is an imbalance of good bacteria in your child's immune system that is causing her to keep getting infections - and antibiotics are only going to exacerbate that. I had recurrent ear infections as a baby and took tons of antibiotics because my mom didn't know better and she was not given any other option. As a result, my internal balance of good and bad bacteria and candida have forever been affected (I'm 34).
I can really empathize! My 3 y.o. girl had 3 separate ear infections in December along with chronic nasal congestion. It is the nasal congestion that leads to the tendency to ear infections in susceptible kids because the eustachian tube, the tube that connects the back of the nose to the middle ear, allows mucus from a post- nasal drip to enter behind the ear drum. If the tube is narrow or at a relatively flat angle between the eardrum and the nose (which it is in a lot of little kids), then mucus does not drain easily, leading to a nice media where bacteria and viruses can grow. (I'm a pediatrician but knowing these things doesn't always help you when your own kid is sick all the time!) Chronic nasal congestion can be caused by a series of colds all in a row, allergies (unlikely this time of the year), or a low-grade sinus infection with inflammation and swelling of the nasal passages (pretty likely at
this time of year, especially if your kid has been sick a lot). What finally worked,
(after first trying to wait it out without antibiotics, then 3 courses of antibiotics, several 1/2 hour long tantrums over a 3 week period, and a distraught mom after one super-duper tantrum in the car where my 3 year old almost pulled my hair
out--literally) was a 2 week course of an inhaled steroid, flonase. Flonase is an antiinflammatory and decreases sinus swelling and swelling around the eustachian tube allowing better mucus drainage. My daughter had been slightly ''snorty'' and snored slightly at night for literally months--good old mom just ignored it figuring it was ''just a little allergy,'' and not worth dealing with since she could sleep at night. (Ironically, if one of my patients had come to me with this history, I would have actually treated it). After 2 weeks of flonase (I stopped it 2 weeks ago), her nose cleared, her ears cleared, and she no longer snores. Interestingly, today we got guidelines for treating pediatric sinus infections from the Ear, Nose and Throat dept. (I work for Kaiser), and they said the first line treatment for a mild sinus infection is to try an antiinflammatory medication even before antibiotics. If your
child is chronically congested, I would give that a try. Good luck!
Madelyn
Nov 2005
I have a ten month old who has her second 'severe' ear infection.
The first one, a few weeks ago, went undiagnosed after six days
of high fever. When put on amoxicillan, she got diarrhea and her
temp dropped too low (we almost had to take her to the ER). Then
she broke out in a rash over her entire body six days into the
antibiotic treatment, and the doctor said it was a reaction to
the amoxicillan. Now we (hesitatingly) put her on another
antibiotic, a cousin to amoxycillan, and two days into it she,
again, has a lot of diarrhea. I'm so frustrated and concerned
that I stopped this antibiotic.
It seems that for every piece of info about ear infections, there
is a counter argument. I asked the doctor about possible food
allergy as a factor, i.e. dairy. She said that she never heard of
that correlation before. This is a progressive Berkeley
pediatrician. Others I speak to are sure that food is one cause.
Has anyone had success with any kind of alternative treatment for
ear infection besides antibiotics? We've endured many sleepless
nights already, and I don't feel right giving endless antibiotics
every time she gets sick.
Thanks
You might wish to check out Janet Zand's $20 paperback book called SMART
MEDICINE FOR A HEALTHIER CHILD. Ear infections are serious when not
treated.
But why your baby is so vulnerable to infection so often is the
underlying question.
When one know that most of the immune system is in and around the gut,
the connection to foods becomes clear. Early introduction to solids,
particularly grains, can be tough on a baby's gut. A great place to get
some dietary guidance (besides from a nutrition professional
specializing in children) is from The Weston A. Price Foundation
(www.westonaprice.org). Their last quarterly WISE TRADITIONS had a
entire section on feeding babies. If you subscribe ($40, tax
deductible) you can get that edition now.
Nori
I am absolutely sure that my daughter's recurring ear infections were
caused by dairy. Dairy was also causing her to have terrible diaper
rashes. Both problems went away COMPLETELY when we removed dairy from
her diet. I think it's worth a try in your case. Good Luck.
joan
My nephew had several ear infections the first year of his life. The
first at 2 weeks old. Everytime he went on antibiotics he would have
horrible diarrhea and tummy upset, which is very typical with any
antibiotic... even happens to adults. Just so you know that is to be
expected.
What my brother claims finally worked for my nephew was seeing a
chiropractor... now I don't agree with taking an infant to see a
chiropractor, but my brother swears it worked and my nephew often fell
asleep on the table. I've laso heard that some children just have short
eustation (sp?) tubes and are prone to ear infections until the get
older and you should avoid feeeding them laying down and what not. Hope
your daughter feels better soon anon
I had excellent results with accupuncture for ear infections when my
daughter was little. (She outgrew them.) I went to Brian Barlay at
330-41st St., Oakland, 94609, 510-654-7040. He has been incredible with
both of my kids. (My son got treated for asthma, which he has also
outgrown.) Sarah
We went through this when my son was 11 mos. He had something like 8 ear
infections during the next 7 mos and had a raction to amoxycillin as
well.
We tried a different antibiotic every time.
It turned out he had a severe sinus infection which would abate during
the treatment for the ear infection and then reappear as an ear
infection 2 weeks later. So I would talk about this possibility with
your physician. Once my son was properly treated, he never had an ear
infection again.
Good Luck!
Ears to you and yours
We had tremedous success with my toddler son's ear infection with
Christine Ciaverella in Albany (behind the El Cerrito plaza). She is a
PA and a homeopath, so --while she treats the infection
homeopathically--she will do ear checks every few days to see how the
infection is doing to see if it cleared, and she knows what she's
looking at. She has free ''ear check'' clinics every day for her child
patients for this purpose. And if she thinks it's severe enough to
cause damage, she'll suggest antibiotics (she did this with my husband).
Our son got through a bad infection with just homeopathic remedies and
ibuprofin with her, and has had none since. I highly recommend her!
Abby
Infant ear infections are common due to the size and angle of the ear
tubes. As your child get older, the tubes are able to drain better and
ear infections are less common. Our child had a couple of double ear
infections early on, but hasn't had another for a while.
You could try Mullein-Garlic ear drops. That sort of worked for us.
For the diarrhea, you can alter her diet slightly to help combat that.
I forget what exactly the foods were, but there are some that help. And
lots of fluids of course.
Both of my kids have had numerous ear infections and I have had success
with homeopothy. I usually have gotten a remedy from a homopath.
Christine Ciavarella 510-524-3117 does ear checks and is a fabulous
resouce- she treats tons of ear infections and because she has a medical
background, will suggest when it may be time to see the physician and
try antibotics. We had the same trouble with antibotics leading to
diarrhea and rash and it is a vicious cycle. I now only use antibotics
in the rare case where the homeopothy doesn't work. I also highly
recommend the book ''Healing Childhood Ear Infections.'' YOu can get it
at the health food store and is is an invaluable resouce that is not
anti-medication, but talks about the whole issue in a very balanced,
accessible way.
hope this helps
I'm sure you'll get many responses to your posting, but I wanted to
offer my perspective as a holistic doctor who has seen many children
with ear infections. It is true that there is not ''one'' cause for ear
infections in infants, but I have used a variety of natural approaches
(diet changes, herbs, craniosacral therapy, etc) for recurrent ear
infections with excellent results. Though antibiotics are sometimes
needed, it is much more the exception rather than the rule, in my
experience. Dairy sensitivity, as you mentioned, is commonly associated
with recurrent ear infections.
I am very surprised that your pediatrician did not support this, as I
have found most pediatricians in this area open to looking at dietary
intolerances. Also skeletal
misalignment, other food allergies, or environmental sensitivities can
be involved.
At this point it sounds like your daughter could use some immune system
support and a bit of detective work to determine the underlying cause
for her recurrent infections. There is every reason to think that you'd
have good success with this type of approach. There are many different
types of alternative practitioners in the area who work with children,
and you'll probably get lots of recommendations on this list. Different
modalities work for different people, so it is important to find someone
who you feel comfortable with and go from there. Good luck to you!
Tara
I'm surprised that a pediatrician you consider progressive would not put
the food/ear infection connection together. I'm sure any naturopath
would look there first- dairy is the big one especially since it
thickens mucus. It also could be related to your birth experience. We
went to an osteopath for cranial sacral therapy for my twins who were
having ear problems. This was the recommendation I came across mutliple
times in my own research. I highly recommend it. I know there is
someone in the area who is supposed to be the best- a woman, but I don't
know her name. It is archived so look up ear infections, or osteopath
and you should find it. My kids have had a terrible time with
antibiotics and have never gotten back on track after using them. They
still have loose stools after
3 years and I have tried everything I can think of. I only consider
antibiotics now as the last resort.
Our naturopath also suggested hot and cold compresses. You do
2 minutes each of hot-cold-hot-cold-hot. It is supposed to bring the
white blood cells to the area (hot) and then flush the infection away
(cold).
Hope this helps and don't forget to give lots of probiotics (the good
stuff in yogurt) to replenish the good intestinal bacteria wiped out by
the medicine. Hopefully that should help with the diarrhea. Stay away
from refined sugars as well as this would feed any overgrowth of yeast
the the antibiotics may have caused.
Best of luck
been there, done that
Aug 2004
I am seeking advice from parents of children who have had a
*severe* problem with chronic ear infections - a problem that
was not alleviated by ear tubes. My 15 month old son has had
ear infections almost constantly from the age of six months. We
had tubes put in 3 months ago, but he has continued to get one
ear infection after another, even when on preventative doses of
antibiotics. One tube has already been pushed out by the
infections, and the other is almost out. We are contemplating
new tubes and a possible adenoidectomy. The infections seem to
be brought on by colds, so I don't think an allergy is to
blame. Here are some of my questions - What ultimately caused
your child's ear infections to stop? Did he outgrow them? Did
you eliminate something from his diet? Did you have success
with homeopathy or some other alternative medicine? (I'm pretty
skeptical about alternative medicine in general, but I'm getting
to the point where I might consider it.) Did your child have an
adenoidectomy? And for any parents who have put tubes in more
than once, were they more effective the second time?
Anon
Our son had chronic ear infections, also brought on by colds,
from about 3 months until about 11 months. We were on the brink
of tubes when a pediatrician in the practice we go to (very
mainstream--East Bay Pediatrics) suggested homeopathy. Her take
was this: It won't hurt, and a lot of parents have had success
with it for ear infections, so why not give it a try.
Because the next step was tubes, we decided to give it a go. The
doc referred us to Sally Savitz in Oakland, and we set up an
appointment despite our extreme skepticism. We met with Sally for
about an hour, and she asked us all kinds of questions about my
pregnancy and our son, focusing on his personality, his likes and
dislikes, how he behaves when he's sick, and other somewhat
surprising questions. (E.g., ''Does he like balloons?'') She was
very warm and kind, and quite no-nonsense. We liked her right
away. Afterward, she prescribed us an herb and we gave it to him
three times a week.
Long story short: He's never gotten another ear infection despite
having gotten about six colds since then. It's quite possible
that he happened to outgrow the ear infections at the same time,
but we'll never know. I also know another mother who went though
the same thing, went to Sally, and her son stayed infection-free
thereafter.
Caveats: Your insurance won't pay for it, so you'll spend a
couple hundred dollars up front. But in my mind, both for the
regained nights of sleep and the freedom from antibiotics, well
worth it. Like I said, I'm not a ''believer,'' but I really think
it's worth keeping your mind open to alternative
solutions--especially when they can only help, not hurt.
Lindsey
I brought my daughter to Brian Barlay for accupuncture with a
lot of ear infections. When I suspected she had an ear
infection, I would take her to the pediatrician first. If she
recommended antibiotics, that is what I would do. But often,
she would diagnose the ear infection, and give me a prescription
to take if it got worse. Either way, I would bring her to Brian
for a treatment once I got the diagnosis. Most of the time, she
got instant relief, which I deduced from the fact that she
always, always slept beautifully after the treatment. It was
usually bad sleep that brought me into the pediatrician in the
first place. (Once the symptoms were gone, I didn't bring her
back to the pediatrician to verify the efficacy of the
treatment. I only brought he! r back if the symptoms continued or
got worse.) We had enough experience with her, that I am
convinced that Brian’s treatments were a significant factor in
clearing up her ear infections and avoiding antibiotics. My
family really suffered from ear infections; I had nieces and
nephews with shunts, and on prophylactic antibiotics for ear
infections. I feel that perhaps one reasons we got off easy was
because of Brian. Brian Barlay is at the Temescal Acupuncture
Center, 330 41st Street, Oakland, 510-654-7040
Sarah
Hi there,
I'm so sorry that you're all having to go through that. I know
how hard it is. I suffered from chronic ear infections too when
I was a child.
Does your child drink a lot of milk or eat dairy products? If
so, try taking them off. It may help.
Sylvie
Hi, I remember how awful that is! My son had frequent ear infections
especially with colds. Eventually he developed an infection that
lasted for six months straight, fading with different courses of
antibiotics but always flaring up again immediately. In desperation,
we were about to have ear tubes put in, when my chiropractor gave me a
book called (I think) ''Healing Childhood Ear Infections''. I did not
expect any results but was willing to try anything; this book
recommended a combination of ear drops, homeopathy, a massage method
called ''lymphatic flush'', and removal of all dairy from the diet for
at least five days from onset of symptoms. My skepticism was overset
the very first time we tried i! t, when he slept through the night for
the first time in his life. Whenever he first developed symptoms
after that we immediately began this treatment, and had no further
problems. I should say that I don't think my son has an allergy to
dairy, other than that dairy seems to exacerbate problems brought on
by a cold. I can't encourage you enough to try this combination of
methods. I never knew whether all four treatments were necessary, but
didn't care enough to experiment!
Michelle
July 2004
My 16 month old son has had fluid in his ears for the past six months,
and I am at a loss for how to help him. His first ear infection was at 10
month; he ran a fever for about five days and was in so much pain that
I couldn't put him down, even at night. On the fifth day I realized he
was not getting better, and put him on antibiotics. I had read how
antibiotics don't work for ear infections, and the problems that arise
with overuse, but within hours the pain lessened and the fever broke.
About 3 weeks later he was sick again with an ear infection. This time I
ran to the doctor as soon as I could, hoping that if he took antibiotics
right away we could avoid a week of misery. Just the opposite! They
didn't seem to help at all, and he continued to get worse for days
before he got better. When his ears became infected again three
weeks later, I decided to try something else rather that get caught in
that cycle of recurring infections and drugs. We took him to an
osteopath, gave him herbs and massaged behind his ears, and this
time he did not have a fever, and after a week seemed better.
However, fluid has remained in his ears. Even when I thought he was
better, upon inspection both ears still have fluid and the eardrum
appears slightly red. It has been this way for months now, even though
he is otherwise very healthy; no runny nose, no colds for the past few
months. His ears seem to bother him most when there is a change of
weather, or a change of altitude (we live on a mountain, and he
always holds his ear when we drive down into town), when he's
teething, and when we meet strangers and he's uncomfortable and shy,
he always holds his ear. The rest of the time he's as happy as can be.
He comprehends most of what I say to him, and talks back, but says
very few distinct words (although I swear I've heard complete
sentences such as ''I want that'' and I want to go downstairs''). I don't
think his hearing is affected, but I can't really know for sure. I visited
the osteopath several times, and then she felt since he wasn't improving
we should try something else. I went to an MD/ homeopath and tried a
number of remedies, none of which has had any effect. I've eliminated
wheat and dairy from our diets, which has helped him in other ways,
but still the fluid in his ears. I've tried Chinese herbs prescribed by my
acupuncturist; no change. Last week we saw his pediatrician, who
strongly recommends that we give him antibiotics. He said it's likely
that my son has suffered hearing loss and speech developmental
problems, and that if antibiotics don't work we may have to put tubes in
his ears. The other MD/ homeopath strongly cautions against
antibiotics, saying that he doesn't think there's an infection as my son
doesn't have a fever and is healthy in every other way. He says giving
antibiotics will only make my son more susceptible to bacteria, and can
cause the fluid to thicken and become much harder for the body to
absorb. I don't know what to think anymore. Has anybody experienced
this? Has anyone's child lived with fluid in their ear for extended
periods of time with no consequences, or was there hearing loss? Is it
possible that he might have an infection even with no other signs? What
might help? I would really appreciate some advice....
anon
From your post, I sense a reluctance to use Western medicine, but I
really think you ought to take your child to an ENT specialist. My son
had a similar history of ear infections and fluid on the ear. His
language
development was better than normal, but when I took him to an
audiologist, he had significant hearing loss. The ENT specialist
recommended tubes in his ears, which we had done. The morning after
the surgery, he was sitting at the breakfast table when the
refrigerator
motor came on. My son's head whipped around and he said ''Mommy,
what's that noise?'' He had never heard it before.
He is now 3, and I have never for one minute regretted the surgery for
the tubes. It was the right thing to do.
Karen
Our ! son had a year (or more) of uninfected fluid in his ears
starting when he was almost 5 yrs old. He never had any
other symptoms than a very green snotty nose. The ear fluid
was never considered an ''ear infection'' however.We tried
endless rounds of antibiotics and even 6 (more?) weeks of
gum chewing. We couldn't get an accurate hearing test
becuase of the fluid (his hearing is normal) The best and
only solution we found was tubes. Dr. Wesman at CHO did
a great job and he's literaly never had fluid since (3 yrs later)
and barely even a headcold. He also had his adenoids
taken out at the same time. P.S. He had also been tested
extensively for allergies but it was all negative. P.S.S. ''tubes''
are about teh size of a grain of rice.
broccoli
Our 4.5 yo twins have had similar problems. We got caught up
in the ove! ruse of antibiotics and I wish I had known better.
It all started for us when they started preschool mainly and
they started getting a lot of colds. They ended up on lots of
antibiotics and then had terrible yeast problems as a result.
They had chronic fluid in their ears even though it didn't seem
to bother them. They always say their ears don't hurt and
don't seem to have any noticeable hearing problems. Our
pediatrician refered us to a ENT who tried to put them on a 30
day! cycle of amoxicillan which I made her reduce to 7 days.
She also stared talking about ear tubes. By then we were pretty
fed up w/ alopathic doctors and, like you, saw a osteopath and
are currently seeing a homeopathic doctor. There is also a
book I read by an alopathic (conventional) doctor who totally
refutes antibiotic use for ear infections as well as tubes and
many other common practices today. It is called '! 'How to Raise
a Healthy Child...In Spite of Your Doctor'' by Robert S.
Mendelsohn, MD. That book helped me calm down about the whole
issue and not get worried ESPECIALLY since they seemed fine
otherwise. He mentions that it is common for some children to
have fluid in their ears for an entire winter season and then
it clears during the warmer months when kids don't get as many
colds. For some reason ears has become the hot topic with
doctors these days and it's all about antibiotics and hearing
loss and tubes- and causing panic in parents. These things
didn't exist not too long ago and there isn't a whole
generation of deaf people so obviously our bodies can deal with
the issue okay on it's own. There was one treatment that our
homeopath recommended that seemed to help the few times that my
kids actually did have fevers and pain. You take a bowl of
cold water and a bowl of hot water.&nbs! p; Apply a hot compress to
each ear and the surrounding area for 2 minutes, then cold,
then hot, then cold, and finish with hot. This is supposed to
help flush the infection from the area. It is a lot easier to
do on my 4 year olds than it would be on my 19 mo though so I
don't know if your child would sit through this for you.
It sound like you have tried all possible avenues. Don't let
your pediatrician put you in a panic unnecessarily. As long as
your son seems happy go with your instinct. On our last
pediatrician visit our doctor said that one of my son's ears
looked great and the other (who was really sick with a cold)
did have one red ear, but the other one looked great. A major
imrpovement for us so don't give up hope.
Courtney
We had the same issue to some extent with our son! . He
had repeated fluid in his ears and ear infections since he
was four months old unti recently. He will soon be two. We
changed his diet drastically and so far so good. He has
many food alergies, none of which show up on traditional
allergy tests. When you eliminated dairy did you elimnage
all dairy and casein? IF that doesn't work try eggs. See if
that helps. If not there is probably a food you don't know
about that he is reacting to. Read Ellen Cutler's book, The
Food Allergy Cure. Abbie
Abbie
My son had chronic fluid in his ears with only one ear infection,
which was treated successfully with antibiotics. He had tubes put
in and the doctor said he'd never seen such thick goop in a
middle ear before. I'm pretty sure his hearing was somewhat
affected by the fluid, and that it was pretty uncomfortable. I'm
really glad he had the tubes put in. Feel free to email me if you
want any more information about our experience.
Jessica
You don't mention whether you would consider tubes, but it
sounds like you have done your best to exhaust all other more
natural, less invasive options. We were very reluctant to
resort to tubes, but after homeopathy failed, and our son was
on antibiotics more times that we felt comfortable with (with
no improvement), we decided that it was time to consider the
tubes. We went to Dr. Robert Wesman, who has a conservative
approach and did not immediately recommend the tubes. He
wanted to see our son again (I can't remember how much later,
maybe weeks, maybe months), and at the point where we went for
the follow-up visit and th! ere still had been no improvement, he
recommended the tubes. Our son was about 23 months at the
time, and we were very nervous and concerned, but it was so
quick and easy and we never had another problem! The tubes
stayed in for almost a year, during which time he never had an
ear infection, and since then he has been fine. He has had one
or two ear infections in the past year (he is now 4), but
because he is older, bigger and stronger, he handles them well
and responds quickly to antibiotics. I have spoken to many
friends, family and acquaintances, and have yet to find anyone
who did not have a positive experience with tubes. I only
regret that we didn't do it sooner, because it could have saved
our son a lot of unnecessary pain.
Good luck!
Tracy
My son also had chronic fuild in his ears. By the time he was
two we realized that he was severly speech delayed. We got his
hearing checked and it was determined that the fulid had built
up so much, he could only hear like he was under water. He had
tubes put in this ears, which helped and then a year later his
adnoids and toncilles were removed to help open up the entire
area.
He is now 4.5 and has gone to speech thearpy every week for
2.5years. He is still very speech delayed and it seems to get
harder as he gets older- not easier. As kids at that age are so
verbal and people still cannot understand him, it has made him
very shy. I would get an appoinment with an ears, nose and
throught docter asap!
GOOD LUCK!
March 2000
Is there a class/resource somewhere that teaches parents how to look into their
kids' ears to check for ear infections? My 3-yr-old son does not exhibit the usual
symptoms (pain, tugging at the ear, fever) so it is quite difficult for me to
figure out that he might have an infection. (With my daughter, on the other hand,
it's a no-brainer. She's always had the ear ache + classic tugging.)
Marta
Dr. Berberich in Berkeley (ph. 849-1744), a couple of years ago, was doing a research
study evaluating parents' ability to use an inexpensive (under $25) otoscope to
check children's suspected ear infections. This included a one or two hour training
session for the parents, and a request that prior to having your child's physician
check your child's ears, you check them too and record your independent judgments,
so they could collect data on the success of the training. I found the training
interesting. I have not seen any advertisements for this training but perhaps
you might check with his office. By the way, I have found that the best way to
find out that my 3 year old daughter has an ear infection is that she yells when
I try to insert the otoscope! My friend, a nurse practitioner, feels that it takes
much more experience and a higher quality of otoscope for a parent to develop
the skill. I disagree and think it's learnable, especially if you also trust your
instincts in the middle of the night, give some pain reliever and phone the doctor
the next morning. Good luck.
Diane
Jan 1999
I would really appreciate any advice or information on ways of preventing
and treating ear infections in infants OTHER than tubes. My son is 10 mo old,
and is working on his 4th or 5th ear infection. I have seen suggestions on
this list before for preventative measures for older kids--anyone know of
any for younger kids? As soon as he got one or two infections, it seems, the
pediatrician started talking about tubes, and my husband is a big proponent
of giving a pill or a procedure for every ailment. I am not against medicine,
I just don't think he needs tylenol every time he cries. I am willing to do
the surgery if that is the only or best cure, but am reluctant to just automatically
put the baby through surgery without trying or even considering anything else.
But, I am really getting pushed to just do "a quick fix" and put tubes in.
Can anyone give me alternatives to try, or things to do with an infant that
will have the same effect as balloon blowing does for older kids? Also, are
there reasons to wait to have the surgery when he's older? Any advice much
appreciated.
Ann
I recommend reading How to Raise a Healthy Child : In Spite of Your Doctor
by Robert S. Mendelsohn. It calmly and clearly describes how many of the treatments
that doctors recommend are not based on scientific evidence and are extremely
faddish: highly prevalent at one clinic and never used at another. Treating
ear infections with tubes is his definitive example of unneeded surgery and
a fad. For another perspective, check out http://www.drgreene.com/960401.html
who is more optimistic about the surgery but at least mentions the 4 agreed
upon indications for tubes. All that said, I would definitely get a second
opinion. At 10 months we had a difficult time getting our daughter to take
the antibiotics. She didn't like the "syringe" and wouldn't drink it from
a spoon. In a baby catalog, we found a pacifier that could be filled with
medicine. On the few occasions we have tried that pacifier it was worked out
very well. I have found "How to raise a healthy child...." a great source
of information and very credible. Even when we've not followed his advice,
we've made a much more informed decision. It helped inform us of the dangers
of vaccinations and the minority opinion/controversy that vaccinations are
useless. This has allowed us to much more confidently agree to some vaccinations,
and say "no" to others in a way we would not have before. I wish there were
an update to this book (published in the 80s I think) but I do not believe
that will be possible, at least not by Dr. Mendelsohn. Jerry
regarding ear infections in infants. I have several friends who had the
same problem. They both tried homoeopathy and it worked for both of them.
They both swear by it. Hilary
Perhaps you'll find my experience helpful.... My one-year-old has had several
ear infections starting at 2-months and is just recovering from the most recent.
This last time, I raised the question of tubes with the pediatrician. She
told me to wait another couple of months since he's just now reached the age
(and season) that the infections usually subside. I plan to wean him from
a bottle asap - he does seem eager to use a cup and I hope that this will
also help. This last infection was a doozie and we resorted to two injections
of antibiotics to take care of it (hopefully) once and for all. The injections
were VERY effective!Good luck. Regan
You did not mention whether you are breast feeding or your 10 month old
is taking cow's milk. Dairy products such as cow's milk are well-known to
cause ear infections and colds in children. A health book which discusses
this convincing and with common sense is Fit for Life by the Diamonds (a husband
and wife team). According to the Diamonds, a child with an extended history
of ear infections will either cease to have them or will develop infections
much less frequently once dairy products are eliminated from the diet. Of
course, you can prevent many ear infections by never starting on cow's milk
at all. We as humans and particularly as children do not need cow's milk for
calcium, protein, fat, or anything else). Of course, a diet which includes
calcium is important, but this is possible without cow's milk. Good luck,
and trust your instinct. It is right on. Peggy
Try garlic and mullein oil drops, acupressure, homeopathy and take him off
of dairy definitely. There's a pretty objective book out there all about ear
infections. Sorry we moved recently and I don't know where it is or what the
title was but you can buy it at Vitamin Express. It may help you to resist
all the pressure and get you're husband on your side. We never got to the
point of talking about tubes but we had three months straight with five different
rounds of antibiotics. I finally took our daughter to an acupuncturist and
tried the other treatments as well. It was gone in 10 days. When she got another
infection shortly thereafter, I got a diagnosis, chucked the prescription,
did my thing and it was gone in ten days again. Go with your gut.
Just wanted to respond to your baby who's been getting a lot of ear infections.
We had a similar problem - between six months and a year, our daughter had
seven ear infections. It was non-stop amoxycillin and then on to the stronger
meds. Finally, at around 11 months, our Kaiser pediatrician said it was time
to visit the ENT. She checked out my daughter's ears thoroughly and said there
was absolutely nothing wrong with them and we should definitely not consider
tubes at that time. We made the decision, with our pediatrician, not to treat
her ear infections with antibiotics anymore (she never had many symptoms -
no fever, not much crying or obvious pain). Her last ear infection (knock
on wood) was on her first birthday - she's now 2-1/2. My advice is to wait
a bit longer, unless your baby seems to be in lots of pain. As kids grow,
the shape of their ear tubes change and many stop getting frequent ear infections
around 18 months. Especially since you're coming up on springtime and your
child will be outdoors and less likely to get so many colds. We have a close
friend who's daughter had tubes put in and has had mixed results. She still
gets frequent ear infections but they don't seem as painful. They've also
had problems with them falling out and then having to decide if they want
to do the surgery again to reinsert them. Best of luck.
Claudia
this page was last updated: Jun 26, 2008
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