[beautifulgirls]

Hi there

My 18month old dd is one who has recurrent ear infections, but sometimes doesn't have a temperature, and apart from being clingy (which is a trait of hers anyway) may not show many outward signs. Sometimes she has a bit of a runny nose but not much to show for it. I take her to the dr when she gets a cold but it is 50/50 if she has an infection!

Last week she had a cold but I didn't take her to the dr as she seemed to get over it pretty quickly, this week her sister had to go so I asked the dr to check my 18mont old as well and there you are she has another ear infection!! I swear I took her temp so many times in the last week ! I feel like such an idiot! You get sick of going to the dr all of the time as well!

Has anyone else experienced this? What have you done?
TIA

Julie
Hannah 22/11/02
Aliyah 27/2/04

[balah]

My 6 year old has not had an ear infection in the last 4 years that we know of and only 2 known infections before that. Yet he has such bad glue ear that his canals are red and swollen and his ear drums are bulging, the tests show that they are not moving very well and that he probably needs grommits BUT he has perfect hearing and his ears dont hurt him so GP has said not to worry about seeing an ENT. He gets temps but has had no unexplained temps. He has only had one course of antibiotics for this and needs another check up so yes it is very possible for this to happen.

[Demon]

ooooooooo that sounds so familuar!!!!! my DS has had reacurring ear infections since he was 6mths old and he is 12mths old now his booked in to have grommits in but have the time i dont know if he has an infection sometimes i know with a temp and things but like now i saw the doc yesterday and he has an ear infection and isnt running a temp and is totally fine and happy! Which is good i guess but i cant get over it are we meant to be mind readers or Doctors ourselves to tell? lol my DD went through this too when she was younger shes 3 now so she can kind of tell me sometimes but others she doesnt shes had 2 lots of grommits and the 2nd lot just fallen out i remember discovering when she was 7mths old that she had ear problems after having no idea we discovered after we agreed to go along with an ear research program AH

[Guest_Mum2Liam_*]

I heard at the chemist just yesterday, aparently a drop of garlic oil (from a capsule) can help with ear infections. Morning and night in each ear....when effected, not as a preventative.

I might try it next time!!!

Good Luck

Liam Michael

[gonzi]

Yep, we've had a few of these too. And you feel terrible when you find out your little one may have been in pain/discomfort without you knowing. But the latest medical journal articles actually recommend leaving ear infections as much as possible to clear on their own. Even acute infections that have a bulging ear drum can (but not always) resolve without intervention. Obviously you must manage the pain appropriately with panadol or painstop but constant antibiotics can create problems too.
So if your little one doesn't seem unduly bothered by the infection, maybe it is OK to let it run its course.
I would however always get medical advice in the first instance. Many doctors are happy to let these infections run under their supervision, without rushing to antibiotics.
Regards


Me 36
DP 31
DD Elizabeth born 4/3/04

[babygirl03]

My now 21mo daughter had 2 ear infections to date. When she had her 2nd ear infection, our GP told us that it's quite safe for us to put her on Dimetapp (Demazin doesn't do a thing for her) at the first sign of a cold and if she has a temperature, Panadol as well. The Dimetapp would essentially dry up her nasal passages and stop fluid build-up.

I must say with the last 2 colds she had, it's worked a treat as she didn't come down with a ear infection at all unlike the previous 2 occasions. Both times, I've only used the Dimetapp once in the morning and once at night for the first 3 days and then only at night for the next few days instead of the recommended up to 4x daily and no Panadol.