Posted on 08/19/2006 12:01:52 AM PDT by neverdem
When my sons were preschoolers in the early 70’s, ear tubes were all the rage for children with recurring ear infections. Parents were bombarded by warnings that if fluid in the middle ear lingered long after treatment of an ear infection it could impair hearing and cause lasting developmental abnormalities, including problems with speech and language, learning and behavior.
Two decades later, ear tubes were still very much in fashion. A newsletter published in November 1993 for parents of young children proclaimed that hearing loss resulting from otitis media with effusion, or O.M.E., as the problem is known medically, “can cause serious retardation of a child’s language skills, teasing and tormenting by playmates and siblings, anger and punishment from parents or teachers who may think the child is deliberately ‘ignoring’ them and even permanent hearing damage.”
What conscientious parent would not want to prevent such disastrous consequences? And so a million or more children each year underwent surgery to have “ventilation” tubes inserted in one or both ears to clear the eustachian tube and allow the eardrum to move properly in response to incoming sounds.
Acting With the Best Intentions
The tubes were intended to remain in the ear for up to 14 months. By then, many children outgrow the problem. After age 3 or 4, Dr. Robert Stenstrom of St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver explained, the eustachian tube lengthens and changes position, reducing the risk of middle ear infections and fluid buildup.
Still, after the tubes are removed or fall out on their own, many children need to have them replaced at least once. Each operation involves general anesthesia and the risks it entails.
According to a new long-term study by Dr. Stenstrom and colleagues, when young children were randomly assigned to receive ear tubes or to be treated...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I have a friend who swears by ear candling.
I had terrible recurrent middle ear infections as a child that were finally cured by tubes. I was an adopted child and so not breast fed. I breast fed both my babies, and to date neither has had a middle ear infection, and the oldest is almost a teenager. My daughter has never taken an antibiotic and my son has only taken an antibiotic once.
Curious, what causes itchy, flaky ears? I was told that fluid tingling in the middle ear caused the ears to itch. And that once one began scratching (like a dog), it would cause the outer ears to become irritated.
Stuff, acts, substances and events with no side effects likely have no effects at all.
I've also heard that but it didn't hold true in our family. I breast fed our daughter and she had several ear infections as a toddler, and can still manage to get one occasionally (usually associated with a cold) even though she's now a college student.
I was bottle fed and have never had an ear infection in my life. Go figure..
oops, should've previewed
Like everything, there are exceptions. Still, it had to improve your daughter's odds. She just fell in the wrong spot of the statistical curve. Also, consider the possibility that had she been raised on a dairy based formula her problems may have been considerably worse? Could be that she was predisposed to ear problems already. Shape of the ear, genetics, just poor luck.
There is hard evidence supporting this particular benefit of nursing. So personally, I subscribe to the notion that she was still better off in that regard thanks to nursing.
My son had an outer ear infection that caused his ear canal to swell and close up. When it was clearing the ENT specialist told him to use a solution of 50% vinegar and 50% rubbing alcohol. I have suggested this to other people who get outer ear infections and it seems to be very helpful.
BTW the doctor also told my son not to sleep with a fan blowing on his ear.
I once had a neighbor, an old Polish lady, who used to swear by her traditional method of treating ear infections. I don't recall the exact process but it involved a lit match. Yes, as in fire. Something about warming up the wax by inserting a string or something and setting fire to it.
Hey she lived to be 99.
Me, I've had a ringing in one ear for nearly 20 years. I just ignore it.
Candling! Thank you. That's what it's called. Bizarre.
I used to get frequent sore throat and sinus infections. As a natural extension this could lead to ear distress.
Last year I had a surgery that involved a Septoplasty and turbinate reduction. The results of the combined surgery was supposed to alleviate symptoms of Sleep Apnea. It has helped, but another benefit is that I no longer suffer from nasal or throat infections, nor ear aches as an extension of them.
I catch colds, I can feel them like I used to, but they dissapate within 6-8 hours as if they can never quite catch hold. The last one I felt was yesterday afternoon about 1:00PM, but by 6:00PM I was good enough to go to watch the Marlins get the snot beat out of them by the Braves. No further symptoms or anything...
So for anyone who suffers from these problems, perhaps they might check to see if they have a deviated septum or if they would benefit from turbinate reduction.
My surgery has resulted in a dramatic improvement in the quality of my life.
Jeff, didn't you have a similar surgery about a year ago? I've had wonderful results from mine, hope your experience is the same.
I had tubes put in my son's ears and it was a very bad experience. When the doctor suggested tubes for my daughter I said no way. She had maybe two more ear infections and then the problem went away on it's own
What bothers me the most is that there is no need to put the child under and insert tubes. They can accomplish the same thing by using a laser to put a hole in the ear drum. It is less trauma all the way around, heals better, and requires few if any follow up visits (like replacing the tubes that fall out). Of course, good luck finding a hospital that has this tool. As hard as they push tubes, it has to be a big revenue source for the doctors and hospitals.
>>Breast fed babies have significantly fewer ear infections than formula feed babies.<<
Then why were there ear infections at all before bottles?
I find the "breastfeeding" cure all to goes a little far.
My sisters had five children, all bottle fed.
There are now eight grandchildren from those kids, all bottle fed.
None of them had chronic ear infections and neither did my two bottle fed babies.
Breastfeeding is great but not the cure to the world.
Is this listerine like in mouth wash? I have had bad ears all my life....have to have my ears vacumned out every 6 months, but mine are different...
I have 'dry' ear...the skin inside my ears peel and go down the ear canal causing the ear infection....ear drops don't help, quite interested in this listerine...
My adopted son Vanya had chronic otitis media when he was in an orphanage in Kamchatka. They gave him antibiotics over and over, but never drained his ears. As a result, he spent his crucial language-formation years never hearing clear, articulate speech.
Now he's 14, and, in spite of years of systematic, targeted one-on-one aural training at home (from me, his homeschooling mom) plus intervention from the local University Speech and Communication Clinic, he still struggles with the legacy of CAPD (Central Auditory Processing Disorder.)
I wish to goodness they had drained the fluid from his ears when he was 1, 2, 3, and 4 years old. It is so difficult for a kid when he can HEAR auditory signals but they just don't make a lot of sense.
I had four of my sinuses opened up and cleaned out due to chronic sinusitis, had my septon straightened to improve breathing, and had a polyp removed from underneath one of my sinuses near my orbital bone left over froma tweny year old injury. Was a heck of an experience for 2-3 weeks after the surgery, but has turned out well.
Same happened with my children. Two daughters got it on recommendation of dr. Son did not, also on dr.'s recommendation. My son suffered years of infections and speech difficulties (which he still has). I'd go for the tubes.
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