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So, mid October, our son got a cold. Nothing too serious, not even much of a fever. But, by the first week of November, it was still going strong...still no fevers or at least little ones here and there. So, I called the pediatricians and they said unless he's feverish, it could be allergies or just a head cold or that he had a few different viruses hit him in a row.
About a week after that phone call, he was diagnosed with ear infection and put on a amoxycillin. That seemed to work until he was finished. Two days later, he started to have a really thick discharge from his nose and became slightly feverish. I took him in to the pedi and they said he was still very red and swollen up in there. He assured me it was quite common and not to be worried. I went home with a second round of antibiotics..this time stronger and only for 10 days.
Ten days was two days ago and today, he's been fussy, slightly feverish, runny nose again after it hasn't been runny for about 5 days, and sensitivity to the same ear.
Should I be worried? How long can these things last?
I'm going to call the pedi on Monday (today is Saturday) and have him checked again, but has anyone else out there had similar experiences or is it odd for ear infections to go on for this long? I'm just slightly concerned there's something more serious happening. |
| Posted by Kelly on 12/01/2007 07:43 PM
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| I had a similar experiance with my son that started in September. It was every two weeks we were at the pedi office being diagnosed with ear infections every vist or a cold/croup. In October it was every week. That is when my pedi suggested we go to an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor to be evaluated for tubes. Sure enough my son was a great canidate for the tubes. We just had the tube put in on Friday, so I can't really comment on them yet. I will tell you that I'm glad we did it, the ENT doctor explaned to us that it won't get rid of the ear infections but it will let air pass and the mucas drain from his ear witch is what causes the fever and pain associated with ear infections. They do have to put your little one under for the procedure but it is something they do many of so they know what they are doing. My son is 15 months old and we have had 5 infections in the last 2 months. I suggest you call your doctor and ask what he/she may think about scheduling an appointment with an ENT Dr. You should be concerned that something more serious is happening, I know I was. |
| posted by Melinda on 12/03/2007 05:54 PM
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Hey there,
You did not mention how old your little one is, but is there any possiblility that his persistent congestion and ear infections could be due to some sort of food allergy? Ninety-five percent of children's food allergies (leading to ear infections, congestion, eczema, etc...) are due to cow's milk protein, egg whites, wheat protein, chocolate, soybeans, shellfish, peanuts, and some other tree nuts. It wouln't hurt to cut all of these out of your little one's diet for two weeks to see what happens, and then reintroduce one food every 3 days and watch the reaction. Another big thing would to limit the amount of sugar your baby consumes. Bacteria love sugar and this tends to lower the immune system. It probably wouldn't hurt to give your child something called a probiotic (good bacteria the body needs) since he has been on so many anti-biotics. Anti-biotics kill ALL of the bacteria in the body; the good and the bad. I am actually a licensed naturopathic physician in Arizona & there are a million suggestions I could give you to help treat your child, but the the information I have given to you is harmless and should be cleared by your pediatrician. As Naturopathic Medical Doctors, we like to use antibiotics as "the big guns"; just when other things do not work. The main premise is to keep the immune system healthy and functioning properly at all times to eliminate the chance and severity of certain illnesses. |
| posted by Allison on 12/03/2007 10:29 PM
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Good luck. I accidentally hit the reply button before I was finished. However, I think I've written enough. I hope things work out for you because there's nothing more miserable and heartbreaking than a fussy, uncomfortable child.
Allison |
| posted by Allison on 12/03/2007 10:32 PM
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We've decided to wait it out and let his body have a chance on healing itself. He was really rushed into the antibiotics just because his ear was "slightly red" and then the harsher because he was "still red and swollen". Only one time was he ever checked for fluid. At that time, we wasn't infected, but fluid was still present. So...he seems to be doing much better and we are going to monitor the ear at home for fluid with an Ear Check device and keep him off the antibiotics for now.
He is 14mo. old and I did wonder a bit about the milk, but he's been on it since September...wouldn't an allergy appear right away? I'll keep it in mind though the next time we go to the pedi and ask them about food allergies. He always was a "sneezy baby" since the beginning. He's doing much better now and his fever never was over 100...but boy! it can be frustrating when you just don't know. So, we're going to go with the "less is more" theory, help him with the pain if he's experiencing any, and just keep a tough watch on any developing colds. He's also cutting four top teeth (the 2 eye teeth and the 2 first molars) at once...which might mess with his sinuses as well.
Thanks so much for the advice! |
| posted by Kelly on 12/04/2007 01:27 PM
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My thinking is pretty much right in line with what Allison said. I would definitely remove dairy for a while to see if that's the culprit. Diary can cause all kinds of respiratory issues and ear infections. It also could be an allergy of another kind, like Allison said, so if you're comfortable just waiting it out and trying some diet modifications, you could probably figure out what's going on. I believe I read that most ear infections should clear up on their own, without the use of antibiotics. Also, when my daughter's molars cut through, she was miserable and pulling at her ears. Her other teeth didn't seem to bother her as much, but the molars were really hard. So, I'm sure that's adding fuel to the fire. Your poor little guy!
Good luck and keep us posted! |
| posted by SienasMommy on 12/04/2007 01:44 PM
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Hey Kelly,
To answer your question about the milk "allergy", it wouldn't necessarily appear suddenly. I used the word allergy pretty loosely; your little one may actually have a food "sensitivity". This is where one does not have a full blown allergic reaction to something, but has more mild symptoms (as I listed before). You mentioned you started milk in September & the symptoms began in October and have been persistent since then. Go ahead and check with your pediatrician about all of this; however, I've noticed most conventional pediatricians do not lend a lot of credence to food allergies/sensitivities. Do your own research online if your doctor does not have a lot to add to the food allergy/sensitivity discussion. It just worries me when docs give antibiotics without doing any tests because so many bugs are getting resistant to the medications. Also, most ear infections are viral and take care of themselves. Antibiotics only work on bacterial infections (which you mentioned your doc did not test for). My pediatrician is also a licensed Naturopathic Medical Doctor and Certified Midwife. She once told me half jokingly that she if she ever got dementia she would always be able to treat kid's ear infections and asthma by eliminating dairy, wheat and peanuts from the diet.
Anyway, glad to hear your son's on his way to feeling better. Hopefully all's well & everyone in your household will get some sleep and be healthy for the holidays!!!
Allison |
| posted by Allison on 12/08/2007 04:09 PM
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