Lo2 is 21mo. Has been battling ear infections since thanksgiving. He’s had 4 oral antibiotic and an ear drop. We’re seeing ent tomorrow. PLEASE tell me they’ll agree to tubes?? My worst fear is them saying let’s follow up in 4 weeks. Any one with experience?
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I’ve heard that they are trying to cut back on how often they go to tubes, and look for at least six in a year, but I suspect it varies from place to place.
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My lo was 11m when we went but about the same time frame of illness (sick all the time for 4m) and our ENT said yes schedule tubes on the first visit. And he was supposedly not a surgery pusher.
In addition to just not shaking infections, there can be fluid built up that’s a problem for hearing and language development. He saw that in our case so definitely worth asking about as 21m is a big age for language. Tubes were a huge improvement for us! And draining the fluid at the same time helped I’m sure. The anesthesia was scary of course but overall worth it. -
@bhbee: this is what I’m worried about because lo1 def hung on to fluid but it was never infected but it has impacted her speech and now she is in speech therapy
so we don’t want that to happen again
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@gotkimchi: i would definitely bring it up then! Both can they see the fluid buildup and maybe a hearing test. Good luck, it’s so hard to see them sick all the time!
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We’ve been going back and forth with our ENT since DS was two. Referred due to mouth breathing, snoring, speech disorder and enlarged adenoids. He’s had one normal hearing test, 3 inconclusive in that time and there is constantly fluid in his ears. This ENT has taken a wait and see approach for almost 1.5 years with us and refused to do tubes due to his hearing tests being borderline. Needless to say we have been waiting for a second opinion for the last couple months (Canada wait lists are crazy) I hope you get your surgery as it’s so annoying going back and forth. Yet another hearing test for us next month
ETA: ours did steroid nasal spray for a bit as a conservative approach for adenoids after our first visit. Other than that it’s been wait and see.
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@muffinsmuffins: that is soooo frustrating and sounds a lot like our daughter - so many hearing tests and appts just for them to be like she had a normal hearing test so even if there is fluid it’s not affecting hearing. But it’s affecting speech!!! So I’m REALLY trying to avoid it
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@gotkimchi: Hey there! We were referred to an ENT after our son had 4 double ear infections in 6 months. The first ENT we met wanted us to come back in 2 months - he wanted to wait and see. Well we waited, our son had another double ear infection, and we took him to a different ENT. We scheduled a hearing test before meeting with the second ENT. Turns out our son has mild hearing loss due to constant fluid in the middle ear on top of the ear infections. Needless to say a month after meeting the second ENT our kiddo got his tubes. Good luck!
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@gotkimchi: yes! I asked the audiologist at the hearing test and she said it’s pretty much like having water in your ears. So not like you can’t hear but the words are muddled. How annoying would that be?! Our ENT totally brushes off the speech problems as well and sees if he’s improving with the SLP, the tubes aren’t required. I can’t even think of how his speech could have been way less of a struggle if we just did the damn tubes 1.5 years ago....
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@gotkimchi: so interesting. I am not a doctor, but is your Ds getting middle ear infections? And were the drops prescribed to treat the infection? Seems odd because my understanding is the ear drum would prevent those drops from actually getting to the infection (unless he had tubes). When DD did not respond to oral antibiotics and the Dr felt it was bacterial, she received a shot of Rocephin antibiotic which was very effective. I hated having to do that and avoid antibiotics in general, so was relieved when DD finally did get tubes at 10 months.
DD had her first ear infection at 4 months. Her ear infections were not as frequent as they were difficult to treat. It was few very long ear infections as opposed to several shorter infections. So--im sure it depends on your specific experience and your doctor. I hope you get a resolution soon!
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We took Ds to the doctor on Tuesday. A week earlier he had finally cleared an ear infection after two doses of antibodies, but if was already back. She was able to get us an appointment for an ent immediately so we didn’t even go home. Then today, two days later, he had surgery.
The ent said 4 in 6 months (I think?) which he was definitely above. She did ask if it impacted his hearing, I’m not sure but he’s 16 months and not really talking, so maybe? I was surprised at how quickly it all happened though.
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@SweetCaroline: the drops were after his ear drum ruptured
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@Miss Ariel: this gives me hope! And also I think it can affect speech that early but they bounce back so quickly when they’re little! It’s much harder with my 4yo
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@gotkimchi: got it! I was wondering that. I had my ear drum rupture several times as a kid. No fun. Good luck mama!!
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@gotkimchi: hopefully you have a similar outcome!
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Our HMO does ENT referrals when your kid gets 4 ear infections within 6 months. Once you’re seen by ENT, surgery was all but a given for us.
DS1 ended up with a speech delay because of his infections (lots of fluid and he didn’t get tubes until 22 months) so we took DS2 to get his ears checked every time he got sick and were pretty happy he got his referral at 10 months. No speech delays!
DS1 just had his tubes redone and DS2 is probably going to need a new set soon as well. We are ear infection machines around here.
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I will keep everyone posted
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This is right on time for me and I don't want to thread jack so if you'd rather I start another post just let me know @gotkimchi:
Ds is one and we were referred to have his hearing tested bc as a newborn he had antibiotics during a hospital stay. He's had two ear infections total in 12 mos
At his well visit for 1 yr dr said he had fluid in both ears but it wasn't infected and she didn't seem to even think twice about it...
We made the appt for his hearing and went yesterday. He has a cold/runny nose.....He passed the hearing test but she noted fluid in his ears and assumed ear infection bc of his runny nose. She said she'd notify his pedi and that they mighy give him antibiotics. I called pedi after leaving and they wouldn't even see him bc no fever and no trouble sleeping...I guess they don't think it's an ear infection.
So my question is....what is the fluid in his ears??? And is it a problem? Should someone be doing something about it?? Should I push the pedi to see him??
The ear specialist said she'd see him two weeks after antibiotics...BUT he's not even on antibiotics...???
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@Ajsmommy: I don't know the exact answer to your question but my daughter ALWAYS had fluid in her ears before tubes. We'd take her to a well check (with no ear infection) and they commented on the fluid in her ears every single time. I don't think it's an issue as long as the ear isn't infected.
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@Ajsmommy: Our now 22 month old had 4 ear infections last spring - last one in June. We were referred to the ENT, had a hearing test, where she tested with a 20% hearing loss due to fluid. She advised using Hydrasense (infant version) with the kid sitting up and pointing the nozzle as straight back as you could to help push fluid out. We've had follow-ups, but no further ear infections. At our latest appointment, he didn't do a hearing test, but there was still fluid. He said if it's not affecting her speech (and it's really not, her speech is developing day by day - her daycare teachers say she's perfectly in line with the other kids her age), then he says tubes are up to us. We have a follow up in May with a hearing test and we'll see what the effect on her hearing is at that point and make a decision. If we can avoid surgery, then great -- obviously, if she'd had more infections or her speech were affected, we would be pushing for the tubes, but we agree with our doctor that waiting it out might be best.
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@skinnycow: @tinyperson: thank you. Your responses make me feel a bit better
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@Ajsmommy: the ent for my daughter said most kids can clear fluid themselves within 2 weeks and 90% in 12 weeks. So if it’s just fluid a recheck in 2 weeks is probably appropriate. But I’m sorry you’re getting a run around it’s soooo frustrating!
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In our area they do ENT referral after 3 infections in 6 months. My daughter had a 4th infection while we were waiting for our appointment after getting referred. Oral antibiotics stopped working for her and she had to have 2 rounds of the 3 Rocephin shots. Our ENT requires an Audiology appointment directly before the ENT appointment, and she was found to have mild hearing loss. ENT suggested tubes pretty quickly. Got tubes about 3 weeks later and both ears were infected on the day of surgery.
Everyone I know that's been referred to ENT for ear infections comes out with tubes. I'm surprised to hear how different it is in different parts of the country!
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My DS had multiple ear infections and one recurring one that required the Rocephine shots. He also had an ear drum rupture. Our ped referred us to an ENT and at our first appointment they did a hearing test (no issues). Saw fluid and scheduled tubes a few weeks later.
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I pretty much just walked into our appt. saying that I wanted tubes. Since your LO is already in speech therapy because of the build-up of fluid, I don't suspect that you'll get much push back. Advocate for your LO if they suggest waiting, tell the ENT that you've done waiting periods and the fluid has never cleared.
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Update - they will be doing tubes, protocol is 3 infections in 6mo here gets tubes
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Forgot to add, they also said we could/should take adenoids out too. Anyone have advice or recommendations for or against that? I’m leaning towards no at the moment
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@gotkimchi: I am happy they are open to the tubes now and you don't have to wait it out much longer. DS2 was 16 months and the doctor said we could remove adenoids but he didn't say should. We decided to just do tubes and so far it seems to have worked well but we are headed into that time of year that was so hard for us last year with all the ear infections so we will see.
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@autumnleaves: I’ve done a little reading on adenoids and I think we won’t do it for now. He doesn’t have a lot of the stuff it talks about for those - snoring, mouth breathing etc
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@gotkimchi: our ent said she doesn’t like to remove adenoids unless they’re over 3 or have some of the problems you listed.
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@gotkimchi: our ENT has some kind of cutoff for how enlarged the adenoids are before recommending surgery. I think 30% but I'm not sure. DS's were definitely enlarged, but under the cutoff, so the ENT prescribed a longer course of antibiotics and then a follow up. They shrank enough at the follow up that we didn't need surgery, and the treatment cut down the number of ear infections big time. Apparently a short course of antibiotics every 1-2 months was only enough to take the edge off the inflammation, but it was never getting fully treated. DS went from having ear infections almost monthly, to maybe two in several years.
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@Miss Ariel: I also read over 3 is a better age
@Mama Bird: this is very interesting and I’m going to look into thjs
so we don’t want that to happen again
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