Some kids have smaller eustation tubes. Milk allergy is also a possiblity (As you mentioned). DD had to have a mainenance dose of antibiotics as she always got them (same scenerio). As an adult now we realize she is lactose intolerant, and thay may have been the cause then.

Vickey

My son gets them every time he pops a new tooth through. He gets put on antibiotics every time. I hate it, but I also don't want the infection turning into something worse.

My son was the same way, no one smoked. And he was a stay at home baby and wasn't brought out during the day when it was cold and he was small. It I think this had to do with the positioning of the the sinus gland leading to his ear, when young.

One doctor told us that when he got allergies, a cold or anything that would stop up his sinus glands to give him a small dose of a prescribed decongestant. He clamied that with the (sinus gland)to his ear open wide the fluid could not close and start an infection in his middle ear ; therefore unenabling him not to have an ear infection. We saw a little film strip on this also. This was when he was two. That helped some. He didn't though have his first infection until about a year old, if I remember correctly.

He took countless antibiotics,especially from one to two even had to take some after the decongestant advice. But it did seem that he didn't get the infections as often with the decongestant. But sometimes the decongestant would make his so cranky and sleepy he couldn't take alot of it. Every time they talked about putting tubes in his ears, he wouldn't have the infections for a while and then he would start having them.

The ear infection would come off and one until he was out of first grade . It was hard in first grade as he had phonics and his hearing would suffer and he would write the wrong spelling word such as "mad" for "Dad" or something like that.

Like I said he outgrew this and today has excellent hearing. So, I couldn't be happier. I think the gland to his ear changed positioned when he matured and enabled him to not get the infections any longer.
~Lynn~

DS was much like Lynn's DS. His adinoids (sp?) were enlarged. Each time he would gat a cold or have allergies the fluid would get trappedi n his ear. Decongestants and chiropratic ajustments helped for a little while. Eventually his ear drum was so scared he was losing his hearing. That is when we decided tubes were the only choice. He had the tubes put in and his adenoids rmoved right after he turned 5. His hearing is fine now. There was no inner ear damage. I have a frined whos nephew isn't so luck. His mom was so determined to not have the surgery that he has lost some heaaring in both ears.

There are several causes some are:
Allergies (hay fever or milk any allergy that causes mucus productionand inflamation)
Enlarge sinus glands or adenoids
tubes that are too small or tilted the wrong way so they do not drain normally.

Sha lyn my DD sounds just like your DS. She was 4 weeks early and we both left the hospital with upper respiratory infections. She had her first recognizeable ear inf at 2 mos and one or 2 every month until 1 year. We opted to quit treating with antibiotics as she was building up a tolerance and hearing loss was a concern. SO GLAD we did it. In and out in 2 hours and only 1 ear inf after she had them in. We've had sinus inf since and finally now at 5 the adenoids were discovered to be the problem-enlarged, and actually infected. Out they came and she hasn't had a sinus infection. I actually called the doc the other day for myself and they said we were just wondering why we hadn't seen your dd lately!!
So Cheryl, I would recommend they see an ear/eyes/nose/throat specialist. They can usually give you good insight.I know surgery is scary but it was scary to me to have my dd sick all the time and on meds.

My grandson was plagued by ear inf. for almost 2 years, soon after birth. The ENT said his adenoids were HUGE and he couldn't talk; he failed his hearing test. My DD, much to my horror, had his tonsils and ad's removed and tubes put in. She walked him the entire day after the surgery; never put him down.
Then, he was fine and has been fine ever since. It is so nice and so strange to see him without runny nose and cough! And he almost IMMEDIATELY started talking afterwards! binkie

How old are these children?? With all this antibiotic use I would suggest supplementing acidophilus and friendly bacteria to replace what the antibiotics killed. Also depending on age you can look into colloidal silver at your local health store...maybe contact a naturopath as to the amount to give depending on age...~smiles~

YES, milk allergy can definitely cause chronic ear infections. As a matter of fact, milk allergy would be the first thing I would suspect, especially since it is most often the cause, and it is so easy to test for & treat.

I really need ot write this down & save it so I don't have to keep typing it out....

Milk allergy and lactose intolerance ARE NOT THE SAME THING!!!!!!!!! Do not, I repeat DO NOT confuse the two! Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest the milk-sugar lactose, which is present in all mammal milks. It usually develops in susceptible people around the 2-4 year mark (which means it is EXTREMELY RARE to have a lactose-intolerant infant), when the stomach stops producing the enzyme Lactase, which is needed to break down the lactose.
Milk allergy, on the other hand, is a true allergic response. Sometimes (although not too terribly often), it can cause typical food-allergy reactions like swelling & hives. But most often, a milk allergy is of the "hidden" type, manifesting itself in symptoms like chronic ear infections, chronic runny nose, headaches, and bedwetting.

To test for milk allergy, all you have to do is remove all cow's milk products from the child's diet. With the array of soy & rice milk-substitutes on the market, this is no longer a difficult thing to do - although you do have to be vigilant in reading labels, as milk is hidden in most processed foods. Look out for milk derivatives like casein (which is found, surprisingly, in soy cheese!) and whey, as well, as they will also interfere with the testing process.
When the milk has been removed from the diet for about a week, the offending symptoms should be gone, or at least be lessened. The child should be kept off of milk until the symptoms go away. If they don't, the something other than milk is probably the culprit (or sometimes other foods in conjunction with milk). If they do, then introduce milk back into the diet for a day & see what happens. Usually the symptoms will return almost immediately. If an earache crops up that night, then you've found the problem. It's relatively easy to do, and SO much healthier than over-reliance on antibiotics. It's best to save those for treatable infections, when they are really needed.

Hi,
My little girl will be 2 next month and she has suffered really badly from ear infections since she was 4 months old. She has been on antibiotics almost every 6 to 8 weeks or so. She had to be hospitalised twice as a result of the infections. Two months ago she had grommets put in her ears and hasn't had an ear infection since and has never been healthier. Her speech has improved as has her appetite and she seems much happier in herself. She'll need check ups every 6 months and the grommets will fall out themselves in time. Hopefully by them she will have out grown this problem but for now all is well with her.
Jackie

The best cure is prevention we have found. Nathanial never goes outside without a hat that covers his ears and in the tub I put earplugs over his ears. I know my ear aches have always been caused by these two things, and this helps me too!

Just a thought - I have heard that a product called "Belladonna", which is a homeopathic,natural and totally safe product, is great for ear infections, and saves using antibiotics all the time. If it was me, I'd try using it for the first day or two, then if it clearly wasn't working, go off to the doctor. Anything is worth a try, I suppose.

If you can't find any Belladonna, try calling a place called "Homeopathy For Health" on 1-509-766-0182 or emailing health@elixirs.com and they may be able to help.

Tamara:

Ear infections are not caused by the cold. I live in Florida where it never gets really cold and my kids get ear infections even in the winter when we are not swimming.

Mommabear

I have a friend whose daughter gets chronic ear infections, her dr. told her that her daughter's tubes were too small.

I have also read that feeding babies flat on their back instead of up at an angle can lead to ear infections.

There is a difference between inner and outer ear infections. Both may cause earaches. Only outer ear infections are affected by swimming and possibly bathing, if the water isn't properly treated or the pool/bath ins't clean. Some ears are more sensitive than others. These things have little to no affect on inner ear infections of the middle ear (otitis media).

Inner ear infections are greatly affected by the health of the eustacian (sp?) tubes, the opening between the throat and inner ear which allows for drainage of fluid. If the inner ear is fluid-filled due to irritation by allergens or germs, you are susceptible to infection. Having small, swollen or blocked tubes also prevents drainage and makes you more susceptible. Bacteria love warm, moist environments.

Find the source of the problem and treat that to avoid overuse of antibiotics, which can create other problems. It is also a good idea to boost the immune system (the body's way to fight off illness) with vitamins, minerals and pro-biotics.

Mama4Three

Boy Boy you really had to dig deep to find this 9 year old post!!
Shows how long this forum has been around....but what was good 9 years ago is still good now.