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'm SO glad you posted this! I am constantly standing too far away from everyone, consequently my kids keep yelling, "Put your hearing aids in!" I shall now just tell them to come closer. ;)
I had one of these when I was about 12 or so. I thought it was really cool how every so often I could get my ear to leak. One day it fell out on its own and that was that. No problems since that aren't attributable to loud concerts in crowded bars.
could you blow smoke out your ears too?
once had a neighbor kid who could do that....makes sense now he must have had tubes in his eardrums
well not "had" in *that* sense of the word....the kid was a neighbor...
Nope, never been able to do that, though I have seen others who could.
Huh?
I never had ear problems until I was 42 years old. I think its all sinus related which has gotten worse the past two years. Had sinus surgery six years ago which helped reduce the sinus headaches but I still get infections which I think is effecting my ears. I got a bad ear infection last year and my ears have never gotten back to normal, constantly congested and intermittent pain. I'm on antibiotics now but nothing has changed.
I squeezed the liquid from vitamin A pills into my kid's ears. Very successful. Vitamin B-2 works wonders for kids with constant nose bleeds.
I've had infection and wax troubles all my life; until about 3 years ago.
Made 2 wonderful finds. First, an OTC ear drop called DEBROX. You can get it almost anywhere. Works great at removing wax without the "digging." The other is a home brew; a 50-50 mix of rubbing alcohol and white vinegar. Sucks the water right out of your ear and no more infections. It really works.
I had tubes as a kid and when I was in 5th or 6th grade I was playing soccer and this kid cupped my ear and popped my ear drum. I guess being a little vocab retarded I told the teacher it sounded like a wind tunnel in my ear.. and she said "Just go back to class." Well by that night my ear hurt so bad I couldn't stand it. Went the doctor and he asked if I wanted to be put out... I said no(trying to be the brave little solider because the general athestia would of cost more money, and yes I asked if it would.)
It never hurt.. just a little pressure.. but probably the oddest feeling in your life having someone in your ear drum giving you stitches.
Did you have the nasal packing? I had surgery years ago and when it came time to pull the gauze out, I thought it would never end.
I had successfully repressed that memory until you mentioned it - LOL!
Yeah, the following 4 weeks was rough for me, but I still recommend the procedure for anyone who may benefit from it.
Many have made comments describing otitis externa on this thread so far, but why did you direct your comment to me?
Today, I have 40% hearing in my right ear and 50% in my left. I can't hear anyone beyond 5 feet of me as I wear two behind the ear hearing aids.
Check this article, thread and maybe a neurologist.
Scientists Cast Misery of Migraine in a New Light
"Neither the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology nor the American Academy of Otolaryngology recognizes “sinus headache”; headaches only sometimes occur with sinus infections."
Never stick any object in your ear.
Use the over the counter ear cleaner with the warm water squirter. Anything else just packs the wax down tighter.
Hmm, I said "significantly fewer" not cure all.
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.
Yes, so what? That is anecdotal. It in no way conflicts with my statement. There are thousands of bottle fed babies that don't suffer from chronic ear infections. I said that breast fed babies as a group suffer from significantly [statistically] fewer ear infections. That's a verifyable statement.
These types of discussions seem to evolve into recitations of anecdotal evidence and refutations. You know, my grandpa smoked 2 packs a day for 50 years and died running the Boston Marathon at 92.
Again, so what? There are so many variables when talking about health and illness. In many cases the best science can do is determine which variables have statistically more significance than others. In this case, nursing improves the odds for the child. That's all. No guarantees.
Breastfeeding is great but not the cure to the world.
Yeah, that is pretty much what I was saying. No hidden meaning there.
I will not argue with your medical expertise, however the only children I know of with chronic ear infections are from homes that are either smoke-free or contain no smokers at all. These homes are also nearly antiseptically sterile.
The one and only time my now 8yo had an ear infection was when she was about 15 onths old. The doctor questioned me about any changes in routine, such as being around other kids she had never been around before. About 4 weeks before it occurred I had started taking her to a play group 2 days a week. 3 of 5 kids had chronic ear infections, including the child of the woman whose house she was in.........that, according to our doctor was most likely the cause.
BTW - my house is not smoke-free.
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