Ear Tubes

[Guest guest]

The water things seems to be doctor opinion. I have heard some say to watch out

while our ENT says kids with DS have such small canals, that I did not have to

worry about plugs. Myah has taken swimming lessons and everything with no plugs.

I have never done anything different in baths either. She said that if Myah were

diving we would want to plug then.You probably want to check with your doctor to

see what she suggests.

Re: Ear Tubes

Hi Karyn, I have very mixed emotions about ear tubes. My olest who is now

31 had them when she was 4 and had fluid in the ear. I won't go into the

horror story that happened to her after, suffice it to say that she had

nothing but trouble and still to this day has trouble with ear infections

which she never had before the surgery. On the other hand Micah had to

have tubes (DS) because he had such a hearing loss that we had no choice.

I will say though that again he had no infections before the surgery only

the fluid and now has had two infections since (approximately a year ago)

and we are vigilant about his after care. I would ask myself how many

infections she has had ( I am assuming with fluid because I don't think ear

tubes do anything for just

infections) and whether it has affected her hearing. I am very slow to do

surgery with these tubes. I think they do to many of them wholesale. They

are a godsend for kids like ours who have DS and such thick fluid that they

can't hear, but any surgery has drawbacks. Question your ENT about all of

these things. Just my opinion. Hope it helps

Loree

************************************** See what's free at

http://www.aol.com.

[Guest guest]

My understanding is that ear infections include fluid behind the ear drum as

this has been the underlying problem for all ear infections.

We tend to avoid water in her ears anyway to avoid potential ear infections.

Before age 3, every time I got water in my ears, I developed an ear infection.

Thanks for your input!

Karyn

Jan Marie <janmarie21@...> wrote: My

understanding tubes are for fluid behind the ear drum - not for

infections. Fluid build up will decrease hearing, which in turn decreases

speech development.

Trent has permanently perforated ear drums and still gets ear infections.

Though these days, not as often as we are very on top of his ear health and

will only let him go swimming when on holidays (with the ENT's consent and

drops just in case they help.) As to Trent's perforated ear drum the likely

cause is - a weakness caused from having tubes.

With tubes in, you have to be so so careful about water in the ears - think

washing hair, bathing, swimming. If your child is intolerant of things like

ear plugs, swim caps you can put swimming out of the question the whole time

the tubes are in. Also with wearing ear plugs and swim caps it decreases

their hearing, so they can't hear you give instructions at a swim class or

if you need them.

I like Loree, have mixed feelings about these, and would be asking loads of

questions and exploring other options first.

In your case it may be the best option at this point in time, all the best

Keep smiling

Jan, mother of Trent 22yo w/DS from the LandDownUnder

Re: Ear Tubes

Hi Karyn, I have very mixed emotions about ear tubes. My olest who is now

31 had them when she was 4 and had fluid in the ear. I won't go into the

horror story that happened to her after, suffice it to say that she had

nothing but trouble and still to this day has trouble with ear infections

which she never had before the surgery. On the other hand Micah had to

have tubes (DS) because he had such a hearing loss that we had no choice.

I will say though that again he had no infections before the surgery only

the fluid and now has had two infections since (approximately a year ago)

and we are vigilant about his after care. I would ask myself how many

infections she has had ( I am assuming with fluid because I don't think ear

tubes do anything for just

infections) and whether it has affected her hearing. I am very slow to do

surgery with these tubes. I think they do to many of them wholesale. They

are a godsend for kids like ours who have DS and such thick fluid that they

can't hear, but any surgery has drawbacks. Question your ENT about all of

these things. Just my opinion. Hope it helps

Loree

************************************** See what's free at

http://www.aol.com.

[Guest guest]

My little guy has tubes. He had never had an

infection (knock knock) but he was not responding to

his name being called or loud bangs. We took him in

and he had an 100% blockage of fluid in one ear and

60% in the other. With his small ear canals, normal

size T & A, the fluid could not escape. No reddness

or fever. He is 3.5 years old. We like them.

B

--- Karyn <thebombtexas@...> wrote:

> My understanding is that ear infections include

> fluid behind the ear drum as this has been the

> underlying problem for all ear infections.

>

> We tend to avoid water in her ears anyway to avoid

> potential ear infections. Before age 3, every time I

> got water in my ears, I developed an ear infection.

>

> Thanks for your input!

>

> Karyn

>

> Jan Marie <janmarie21@...> wrote:

> My understanding tubes are for

> fluid behind the ear drum - not for

> infections. Fluid build up will decrease hearing,

> which in turn decreases

> speech development.

>

> Trent has permanently perforated ear drums and

> still gets ear infections.

> Though these days, not as often as we are very on

> top of his ear health and

> will only let him go swimming when on holidays

> (with the ENT's consent and

> drops just in case they help.) As to Trent's

> perforated ear drum the likely

> cause is - a weakness caused from having tubes.

>

> With tubes in, you have to be so so careful about

> water in the ears - think

> washing hair, bathing, swimming. If your child is

> intolerant of things like

> ear plugs, swim caps you can put swimming out of

> the question the whole time

> the tubes are in. Also with wearing ear plugs and

> swim caps it decreases

> their hearing, so they can't hear you give

> instructions at a swim class or

> if you need them.

>

> I like Loree, have mixed feelings about these, and

> would be asking loads of

> questions and exploring other options first.

> In your case it may be the best option at this

> point in time, all the best

>

> Keep smiling

>

> Jan, mother of Trent 22yo w/DS from the

> LandDownUnder

>

>

> Re: Ear Tubes

>

> Hi Karyn, I have very mixed emotions about ear

> tubes. My olest who is now

> 31 had them when she was 4 and had fluid in the

> ear. I won't go into the

> horror story that happened to her after, suffice it

> to say that she had

> nothing but trouble and still to this day has

> trouble with ear infections

> which she never had before the surgery. On the

> other hand Micah had to

> have tubes (DS) because he had such a hearing loss

> that we had no choice.

> I will say though that again he had no infections

> before the surgery only

> the fluid and now has had two infections since

> (approximately a year ago)

> and we are vigilant about his after care. I would

> ask myself how many

> infections she has had ( I am assuming with fluid

> because I don't think ear

> tubes do anything for just

> infections) and whether it has affected her

> hearing. I am very slow to do

> surgery with these tubes. I think they do to many

> of them wholesale. They

> are a godsend for kids like ours who have DS and

> such thick fluid that they

> can't hear, but any surgery has drawbacks.

> Question your ENT about all of

> these things. Just my opinion. Hope it helps

>

> Loree

>

> ************************************** See what's

> free at

> http://www.aol.com.

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

> Click reply to all for messages to go to the list.

> Just hit reply for

> messages to go to the sender of the message.

>

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/19/2007 7:35:08 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

thebombtexas@... writes:

My understanding is that ear infections include fluid behind the ear drum as

this has been the underlying problem for all ear infections.

I don't know if all ear infections include fluid behind the drum. I would

question the ENT. ou can, however, hav e fluid with no infection.

************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

[Guest guest]

Yes, Jan, that was the case for us. Nic never had an ear infection until

AFTER the tubes were inserted-it allowed water in the ear canal. Nic's

problem was fluid buildup so his tympanograms were coming out flat. I

didn't want the tubes but his ENT was very persistent about them. Nic was

having some apnea issues and I wanted his tonsils and adenoids removed but

the ENT didn't want to. So we made a deal, he can put the tubes in at the

same time as the T & A.

Di

Re: Ear Tubes

>

> Hi Karyn, I have very mixed emotions about ear tubes. My olest who is

> now

> 31 had them when she was 4 and had fluid in the ear. I won't go into the

> horror story that happened to her after, suffice it to say that she had

> nothing but trouble and still to this day has trouble with ear infections

> which she never had before the surgery. On the other hand Micah had to

> have tubes (DS) because he had such a hearing loss that we had no choice.

> I will say though that again he had no infections before the surgery only

> the fluid and now has had two infections since (approximately a year ago)

> and we are vigilant about his after care. I would ask myself how many

> infections she has had ( I am assuming with fluid because I don't think

> ear

> tubes do anything for just

> infections) and whether it has affected her hearing. I am very slow to

> do

> surgery with these tubes. I think they do to many of them wholesale.

> They

> are a godsend for kids like ours who have DS and such thick fluid that

> they

> can't hear, but any surgery has drawbacks. Question your ENT about all

> of

> these things. Just my opinion. Hope it helps

>

> Loree

>

>

>

>

>

> ************************************** See what's free at

> http://www.aol.com.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Nic loves to swim but can't tolerate plugs. So after he's done swimming for

the day, we do a dose of ear drops to help dry up any water inside.

Di

Re: Ear Tubes

>

> Hi Karyn, I have very mixed emotions about ear tubes. My olest who is now

> 31 had them when she was 4 and had fluid in the ear. I won't go into the

> horror story that happened to her after, suffice it to say that she had

> nothing but trouble and still to this day has trouble with ear infections

> which she never had before the surgery. On the other hand Micah had to

> have tubes (DS) because he had such a hearing loss that we had no choice.

> I will say though that again he had no infections before the surgery only

> the fluid and now has had two infections since (approximately a year ago)

> and we are vigilant about his after care. I would ask myself how many

> infections she has had ( I am assuming with fluid because I don't think

> ear

> tubes do anything for just

> infections) and whether it has affected her hearing. I am very slow to do

> surgery with these tubes. I think they do to many of them wholesale. They

> are a godsend for kids like ours who have DS and such thick fluid that

> they

> can't hear, but any surgery has drawbacks. Question your ENT about all of

> these things. Just my opinion. Hope it helps

>

> Loree

>

> ************************************** See what's free at

> http://www.aol.com.

>

>

[Guest guest]

My granddaughter had ear tubes put in about two years ago after many,

many ear infections. She is still getting many ear infections and

now one ear tube is clogged and the other is missing. She is due for

another set.

Could you tell me what kind of ear drops you folks are using. I've

never heard about ear drops.

This child lives for swimming! It is favorite thing in the entire

world and it's great for building strength.

We were all so joyous and thankful when she had her tubes put in. We

were nervous and a bit hesitant but went through with it. It was

like a miracle! A day after the surgery she started walking with her

legs together. Up to that point she always walked with her legs far

apart and we didn't know (and the doctors never picked up on it)

that that was how she was balancing herself. Her equilibrium was

off! She then started running!!! And doing stairs without bending

over and holding on to each and every one. And paying attention

better!!! And her learning just increased rapidly. She had all of

us in tears. This isn't a testimonial to sway anyone's opinion, it's

just one thing I wanted to share with you because it was so

monumental for our family.

Please let me know about the ear drops. Our little sweetie is

constantly on antibiotics and we know that's not good. Oral

antibiotics and the antibiotics we hear about in our food, she is

getting bombarded with them. We also just got an email that it's in

the milk we buy!

Thanks to all of you who share.

Dona

[Guest guest]

Yesterday I went to see an ear doctor for my son who is three with autism, when

he got sick I would go to the Doctor offices (went to many) and they would tell

me that they were not sure he had an ear infection because the ears had too much

wax to tell, so I finally got in to see the specialist (this alone took months)

he told me that in one ear that he was able to get the view of (he could not

view the other ear it had too much wax) does have fluid and should be removed,

he told me that it would be best to put in the tubes to avoid this happening

again, I could just get them drained but if the fluid comes back then he would

have to go under to get then drained again so now I am a little hesitant about

the tubes.

 

I know that this fluid is probably effecting his speech, my son is non verbal

except for mom mom and dad dad and that's pretty much it, my son is often off

balance and falls when he walks sometimes and he also has the drunken man walk

at times. He rubs he ears often so I know that they bother him, I am just not

sure what to do about the surgery tubes or not...

 

Any comments advice would be appreciated

Shell

> Dana

>

> Can you explain what the 3 day chelator is?

>

> Our DAN wants use to test for metals via DSMA and the consent form I need

> to sign has me concern.

>

> I truly feel at such a lose with my daughter. She has imporved some, but

> continues to be nonverbal and CHEWS ON EVERYTHING! Regardless of what we try

> (limiting carbs, treating for yeast, giving zinc). Ugh.

>

> Thanks

>

> -

[Guest guest]

I would get them. My daughter got them, but only after they demonstrated

hearing loss to me. I was very hesitant because she has only had one infection,

but she kept fluid in her ears because of her anatomical differences so they put

tubes in when she was scheduled for another surgery.

-Undiagnosed Asperger's Syndrome

Stay at home mom to 3, Wife to

-6-6-02-Autism Spectrum, the light of my life

Katy-11-19-03-undiagnosed genetic syndrome that includes cleft palate-Pierre

Robin Sequence, scoliosis, heart defects, short stature, low muscle tone,

developmental delay, oral defensiveness, g tube fed part time-working on oral

feeding, slightly dysmorphic features, and my joy

J.D-no issues except he is totally in love with mommy, cutest baby in the world

visit my blog http://busiestmommyinamerica.blogspot.com

" If you think my hands are full, you should see my heart! "

________________________________

From: Shell <zencameyou@...>

Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2009 4:41:52 PM

Subject: Re: ear tubes

Yesterday I went to see an ear doctor for my son who is three with autism, when

he got sick I would go to the Doctor offices (went to many) and they would tell

me that they were not sure he had an ear infection because the ears had too much

wax to tell, so I finally got in to see the specialist (this alone took months)

he told me that in one ear that he was able to get the view of (he could not

view the other ear it had too much wax) does have fluid and should be removed,

he told me that it would be best to put in the tubes to avoid this happening

again, I could just get them drained but if the fluid comes back then he would

have to go under to get then drained again so now I am a little hesitant about

the tubes.

I know that this fluid is probably effecting his speech, my son is non verbal

except for mom mom and dad dad and that's pretty much it, my son is often off

balance and falls when he walks sometimes and he also has the drunken man walk

at times. He rubs he ears often so I know that they bother him, I am just not

sure what to do about the surgery tubes or not...

Any comments advice would be appreciated

Shell

> Dana

>

> Can you explain what the 3 day chelator is?

>

> Our DAN wants use to test for metals via DSMA and the consent form I need

> to sign has me concern.

>

> I truly feel at such a lose with my daughter. She has imporved some, but

> continues to be nonverbal and CHEWS ON EVERYTHING! Regardless of what we try

> (limiting carbs, treating for yeast, giving zinc). Ugh.

>

> Thanks

>

> -

[Guest guest]

and this doctor (specialist) couldn't wash his ear to view properly!. ear tubes

imo equal food allergies, usually dairy. the wax build up is from inappropriate

fats and fatty acid metabolism. linda rn

Re: ear tubes

Yesterday I went to see an ear doctor for my son who is three with autism,

when he got sick I would go to the Doctor offices (went to many) and they would

tell me that they were not sure he had an ear infection because the ears had too

much wax to tell, so I finally got in to see the specialist (this alone took

months) he told me that in one ear that he was able to get the view of (he could

not view the other ear it had too much wax) does have fluid and should be

removed, he told me that it would be best to put in the tubes to avoid this

happening again, I could just get them drained but if the fluid comes back then

he would have to go under to get then drained again so now I am a little

hesitant about the tubes.

I know that this fluid is probably effecting his speech, my son is non verbal

except for mom mom and dad dad and that's pretty much it, my son is often off

balance and falls when he walks sometimes and he also has the drunken man walk

at times. He rubs he ears often so I know that they bother him, I am just not

sure what to do about the surgery tubes or not...

Any comments advice would be appreciated

Shell

> Dana

>

> Can you explain what the 3 day chelator is?

>

> Our DAN wants use to test for metals via DSMA and the consent form I need

> to sign has me concern.

>

> I truly feel at such a lose with my daughter. She has imporved some, but

> continues to be nonverbal and CHEWS ON EVERYTHING! Regardless of what we try

> (limiting carbs, treating for yeast, giving zinc). Ugh.

>

> Thanks

>

> -

[Guest guest]

My son had the problem of too much ear wax. We were sure that he just

wasn't talking because his hearing was affected. We spent a long time

and many products trying to get the wax out so that his ears could be

checked (and you know the MOST effective thing? Warm soapy water!).

We did get a timpanogram (sp?) showing that the impacted wax was

limiting his hearing. We were told that we should put him under

general anesthetic to have the wax removed.

We heard that this could be from food allergies, so we started GF/CF.

The other thing that helped tremendously is mitochondrial support,

which involved supporting proper absorption of fatty acids. Excessive

and impacted earwax is all about improper fatty acid metabolism, and

fluid is all about allergies, usually dairy. If your child is already

off of dairy I'd add the mito cocktail from Dana's View site.

As for ear tubes, my dh had them 4 times as a kid and got scarring

from the surgery that caused permanent hearing loss and even today as

an adult he has pain in his ears from the surgeries. When he got

older he discovered that he has food allergies. I would consider

tubes only after exhausting the safer, gentler options. Anesthetic

has risks too, especially since our kids tend to have messed up

biochemistry.

One more thing- BE VERY WARY OF EAR PRODUCTS, this is one area where

thimerosal is still in widespread use (as well as eye products and

hemorrhoid products). The FDA website keeps a list of pharma products

that contain mercury so you can look this up. The ENT gave us a

prescription ear wax removal drop that had thimerosal in the parts per

ten thousand!!! This is an insane dose. My son had an extreme

reaction that our doctor said was probably a seizure, the only one

he's ever had. This also goes for any product used during ear surgery.

-Sierra

>

> and this doctor (specialist) couldn't wash his ear to view

properly!. ear tubes imo equal food allergies, usually dairy. the

wax build up is from inappropriate fats and fatty acid metabolism.

linda rn

> Re: ear tubes

>

>

> Yesterday I went to see an ear doctor for my son who is three with

autism, when he got sick I would go to the Doctor offices (went to

many) and they would tell me that they were not sure he had an ear

infection because the ears had too much wax to tell, so I finally got

in to see the specialist (this alone took months) he told me that in

one ear that he was able to get the view of (he could not view the

other ear it had too much wax) does have fluid and should be removed,

he told me that it would be best to put in the tubes to avoid this

happening again, I could just get them drained but if the fluid comes

back then he would have to go under to get then drained again so now I

am a little hesitant about the tubes.

>

> I know that this fluid is probably effecting his speech, my son is

non verbal except for mom mom and dad dad and that's pretty much it,

my son is often off balance and falls when he walks sometimes and he

also has the drunken man walk at times. He rubs he ears often so I

know that they bother him, I am just not sure what to do about the

surgery tubes or not...

>

> Any comments advice would be appreciated

> Shell

>

[Guest guest]

I highly agree about the food allergies/yeast causing fluid or

excessive wax. Whenever I eat any sugar or foods that bother me my

ears get itchy, it feels like there is fluid running in them, and I

get lots of wax. As long as I stay off sugar, strictly limit fruits

and only one soaked grain(gluten free) a day I do good.

[Guest guest]

My son had tubes inserted at 16 months.  He wasn't talking yet & had constant

ear infections.  IN his case, he has a divided uvula (the little thingy that

hangs down in your throat), a cleft palate deformity actually, this means his

ears, as a baby, couldn't clear fluid properly on their own.  So, I'd get your

dr to check that. The surgeon took one look at it & scheduled him in.

 

The procedure itself was simple, about 45 minutes from the time they took him to

sedate him until I could hold him again.  3 hours after surgery, you'd never

know he'd had it.  At home, he started reacting to sounds he'd never noticed

before.  That was pretty exciting. 

 

It did not really help with speech.  He was 3.5 before he really talked & 4.5

before you could really have a conversation with him.  He is nearly 6 now & is

still in speech therapy.

 

Now, it could be coincidence, but I've always wondered if the surgery set him

back developmentaly.  He was progressing fairly well up until the surgery & then

seemed to stop for about 18 months.  For the last 4 years, he's been scoring

18-25 months behind his age in all testing.  (About the time the ASD started

niggling in the back of mind too)

 

BUT, with GFCF limited soy, enzymes, CLO - my son is scoring at age level in his

Gross motor.  We're still waiting on the other results, but they look similar!! 

 

Overall, you have to do what works best for your family.  But, I wouldn't tube

just for wax.  Good luck with the decision.

http://www.gfcfcanadianstyle.wordpress.com

http://www.allaboutpotential.wordpress.com

__________________________________________________________________

Instant Messaging, free SMS, sharing photos and more... Try the new

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[Guest guest]

>

> Yesterday I went to see an ear doctor for my son who is three with

autism, when he got sick I would go to the Doctor offices (went to

many) and they would tell me that they were not sure he had an ear

infection because the ears had too much wax to tell,

At my house, excessive ear wax meant my son was not properly absorbing

fats. Mito cocktail corrected that problem, and helped with a lot of

other areas also.

http://www.danasview.net/mar05.htm

> I know that this fluid is probably effecting his speech, my son is

non verbal except for mom mom and dad dad and that's pretty much it,

my son is often off balance and falls when he walks sometimes and he

also has the drunken man walk at times. He rubs he ears often so I

know that they bother him, I am just not sure what to do about the

surgery tubes or not...

The other symptoms you list, can be caused by yeast overgrowth also.

My son had tubes when he was 2. They helped drain his ears, but

addressing his mito issue corrected the problem.

Dana

[Guest guest]

HI DAna,

I wondered about this, my son(9) we are noticing alot of wax in his ears

lately, and him BM's are floating and frothy, very dark in color, with

some bleeding around rectum even though BM's are not lARge. I have read

the link page below, but did nto find anythign that specifically said what

this MITO cocktail is. PLEASE ADVise.

jen

Re: ear tubes

>

>>

>> Yesterday I went to see an ear doctor for my son who is three with

> autism, when he got sick I would go to the Doctor offices (went to

> many) and they would tell me that they were not sure he had an ear

> infection because the ears had too much wax to tell,

>

>

> At my house, excessive ear wax meant my son was not properly absorbing

> fats. Mito cocktail corrected that problem, and helped with a lot of

> other areas also.

>

> http://www.danasview.net/mar05.htm

>

>

>> I know that this fluid is probably effecting his speech, my son is

> non verbal except for mom mom and dad dad and that's pretty much it,

> my son is often off balance and falls when he walks sometimes and he

> also has the drunken man walk at times. He rubs he ears often so I

> know that they bother him, I am just not sure what to do about the

> surgery tubes or not...

>

>

> The other symptoms you list, can be caused by yeast overgrowth also.

>

> My son had tubes when he was 2. They helped drain his ears, but

> addressing his mito issue corrected the problem.

>

> Dana

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

>

[Guest guest]

> HI DAna,

> I wondered about this, my son(9) we are noticing alot of wax in

his ears

> lately, and him BM's are floating

Floating bm is also a sign of improper fat absorption.

>>but did nto find anythign that specifically said what

> this MITO cocktail is.

Several supps, indicated near the middle of the linked page, including

carnitine and CoQ10. My son also required taurine and vitamin K.

Dana

[Guest guest]

Has anyone on this list just said no to ear tubes after awhile? Micah

is scheduled to go yet again for ear tubes for fluid in the ears. I

question how much damage is being done to his eardrums just from the

surgery itself. Any thoughts or comments.

Loree

[Guest guest]

We did tubes through about age 8, then after a patch job (to fix the

hole that the tube that stayed in too long... after all the ones that

fell out, and had to be replaced, we ended up with one in too long and

making a hole, LOL), and have been OK since. I was thinking that at

some point, I'd stop with the tubes, have her hearing checked

periodically, and monitor for ear infections... she was old enough to

tell me by that time that her ear hurt (although I did worry about that,

as she seems to have a high tolerance to pain, so she might NOT notice

until it was really bad.) But, the ENT said " were done " and will will

continue to monitor her yearly for fluid, etc.

How is Micah's hearing? Language? If his hearing is good, and he's

continuing to make progress with expressive language skills, then I'd

worry less about possibly forgoing tubes. If he already has some

hearing loss, or his hard to understand, I might think about keeping

them in hopes that improved hearing would help him improve if other

areas. In the past, has the fluid been infected, or just hanging around?

It's a really good question... I hope you get a better rambling than mine!

, mom to (13), (11 DS), and Sammy (10)

loree5@... wrote:

> Has anyone on this list just said no to ear tubes after awhile? Micah

> is scheduled to go yet again for ear tubes for fluid in the ears. I

> question how much damage is being done to his eardrums just from the

> surgery itself. Any thoughts or comments.

>

> Loree

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Well he has not had any ear nfections that we know about. It seems to

just be fluid. His speech is becoming more clear and articulate though

he is still hard to understand for most. Did your doctor try a coiurse

of antibiotics first before the tubes. I am thinking this might at

least be worth a try before we do the tubes on the 30th. No one has

ever tried that because he does,'t have an " ear infection " . He has a

mild hearing loss. I just hate to do the hosptial again because he is

just now starting to trust the docotrs and let them examine him. He

will be 9 in October and while still very smalll (wears size 4 toddler

and the pants are a little big lol) they say his ear canals have4

grown. I am beginning to wonder if he will ever be over this problem.

Loree

Re: Ear tubes

 

We did tubes through about age 8, then after a patch job (to fix the

hole that the tube that stayed in too long... after all the ones that

fell out, and had to be replaced, we ended up with one in too long and

making a hole, LOL), and have been OK since. I was thinking that at

some point, I'd stop with the tubes, have her hearing checked

periodically, and monitor for ear infections... sh

e was old enough to

tell me by that time that her ear hurt (although I did worry about

that,

as she seems to have a high tolerance to pain, so she might NOT notice

until it was really bad.) But, the ENT said " were done " and will will

continue to monitor her yearly for fluid, etc.

How is Micah's hearing? Language? If his hearing is good, and he's

continuing to make progress with expressive language skills, then I'd

worry less about possibly forgoing tubes. If he already has some

hearing loss, or his hard to understand, I might think about keeping

them in hopes that improved hearing would help him improve if other

areas. In the past, has the fluid been infected, or just hanging

around?

It's a really good question... I hope you get a better rambling than

mine!

, mom to (13), (11 DS), and Sammy (10)

loree5@... wrote:

& gt; Has anyone on this list just said no to ear tubes after awhile?

Micah

& gt; is scheduled to go yet again for ear tubes for fluid in the ears.

I

& gt; question how much damage is being done to his eardrums just from

the

& gt; surgery itself. Any thoughts or comments.

& gt;

& gt; Loree

& gt;

& gt;

& gt;

& gt;

[Guest guest]

No I haven't said no to ear tubes - we are on set number 6 and it just reminds

me that we need to go and have them checked over again.......argh yet another

appointment. Anyways the last time I thought that we could get away with not

getting them in - we waited over a year from first onset of symptoms - and I am

kicking myself in the rear end because now we have mild hearing loss due to the

chronic fluid build up. I thought that he was outgrowing that phase in his life

because my twin daughters (who both needed tubes when they were 9 months old due

to the same thing chronic fluid build up) outgrew that phase (and they are 6

years younger than ) so I figured that we just outgrew the phase of needing

tubes well after the hearing test (and he cooperated for the whole test so I

know that it was a good test that we got done) and the ENT said we have mild

hearing loss because of the fluid build up, well at that point I wanted to kick

my own a$$ I was so peeved off with myself but oh well life goes on and we just

have to deal with it now.

mom to 10 (DS and a long list of other problems)

Abbey and a 4 - my identical twin girls =)

Re: Ear tubes

Has anyone on this list just said no to ear tubes after awhile? Micah

is scheduled to go yet again for ear tubes for fluid in the ears. I

question how much damage is being done to his eardrums just from the

surgery itself. Any thoughts or comments.

Loree

[Guest guest]

Loree,

Since it's fluid, have you tried a decongestant? We had a similar issue. The

SLP tested every week and found fluid 80% of the time. No symptoms of an

infection, just fluid. Something to dry up the fluid helped. I can't remember

the different ones we tried but it took a couple to find the right one. Some

were too much - knocked him out; others weren't enough and didn't do the job.

Good luck!

>

> & gt; Has anyone on this list just said no to ear tubes after awhile?

> Micah

>

> & gt; is scheduled to go yet again for ear tubes for fluid in the ears.

> I

>

> & gt; question how much damage is being done to his eardrums just from

> the

>

> & gt; surgery itself. Any thoughts or comments.

>

> & gt;

>

> & gt; Loree

>

> & gt;

>

> & gt;

>

> & gt;

>

> & gt;

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi,

Ana has an ear tube in her left ear.  She had a very hard wax build up, which 

was  first treated with ear drops during a whole week,  and then rinsing done by

the family doctor; had to repeat treatment two to three times, but at the end

Ana had to be seen by an ENT, who finally decided to remove the wax buildup and

at the same time insert an ear tube.  Ana was sedated for this procedure,

because it was imposible to keep her still.

After this, a special earplug was custom made for her to wear while swiming, but

I cannot make her wear it, I am afraid she can get an infection.

Bonnie

--- El mar 8-sep-09, bandwsmom <bandwsmom@...> escribió:

De:: bandwsmom <bandwsmom@...>

Asunto: Re: Ear tubes

A:

Fecha: martes 8 de septiembre de 2009, 18:04

 

Loree,

Since it's fluid, have you tried a decongestant? We had a similar issue.. The

SLP tested every week and found fluid 80% of the time. No symptoms of an

infection, just fluid. Something to dry up the fluid helped. I can't remember

the different ones we tried but it took a couple to find the right one. Some

were too much - knocked him out; others weren't enough and didn't do the job.

Good luck!

>

> & gt; Has anyone on this list just said no to ear tubes after awhile?

> Micah

>

> & gt; is scheduled to go yet again for ear tubes for fluid in the ears.

> I

>

> & gt; question how much damage is being done to his eardrums just from

> the

>

> & gt; surgery itself. Any thoughts or comments.

>

> & gt;

>

> & gt; Loree

>

> & gt;

>

> & gt;

>

> & gt;

>

> & gt;

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

My oldest son doesn't have apraxia but he did have a big speech delay

because of ear infections and needed tubes also. He was 2 when the ear

infections started and 3 1/2 years old when we did tubes. He was our first so

we

thought he had cute babble language all his own. When the ear infections

kept coming back and he wasn't talking as good as he should they did a

hearing test. That's when we found out how much he wasn't hearing. He didn't

show any of the typical signs of hearing loss. We had no clue he couldn't

hear. His fluid never completely disappeared. They did the hearing test

while he was perfectly healthy and it was so muffled he couldn't make out

complete words. We did the wait and see and it only delayed his speech longer.

Now he's 11 and only has a slight lisp when he talks.

I am so glad to see you researching all your options.

[Guest guest]

Hi all - I'm a new poster here. I some questions about getting ear tubes a

second time. Here is the back story --

By 18 mos, DS wasn't talking at all. Nothing at all. He is our third child so

we obviously knew something wasn't right. Hearing test was poor and tons of

fluid in the middle ear. He had several ear infections in the first year, so we

did ear tubes at 20 months. By 2 years, he was still not talking, so we met

with a speech pathologist and got our apraxia diagnosis which is 100% right on

from what I understand of my son and the disorder. Found out the hearing loss

was a red herring. He has no other developmental concerns and his receptive

language tests several months ahead of his age.

It's been 12 months since the ear tubes and 6 months since the apraxia

diagnosis. We have speech therapy several times each week - twice for 30 min

with a private speech therapist and once a week for an hour at our home with a

birth-to-three specialist from the school district. DS is making so much

improvement -- he is making many many attempts, lots of imitation. His vowel

sounds are all very clear and he is gaining consonants and many combinations of

sounds. It's all starting to come together just in the past month and we are

thrilled.

We went to recheck his ears yesterday -- one tube is gone, one has worked its

way partially out with some fluid on that side (he has a cold this week). He is

showing no signs of hearing trouble, pain or infection. The doc immediately

said repeat the tubes because there is fluid present and he has speech delay.

When I questioned her about the risks/benefits of the surgery, she dismissed my

concerns and said that because of the speech delay, she would do it no matter

what. I tried to explain that his speech delay was unrelated to his hearing but

I don't think she understood what his speech needs were.

My concerns about the surgery --

** I recently heard a very compelling study from Mayo about the link between

repeated exposure to general anesthesia before age 4 and learning disabilities.

When I mentioned this she challenged me to prove it.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102306350

** I wonder about the necessity of ear tubes when there are no infections (he

hasn't had an ear infection in over 18 months) and he appears to have little or

no hearing loss at this time. When I asked to have his hearing rechecked prior

to surgery, she said no.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7249965 & ps=rs

** I have heard that fluid in the middle ear will go away on its own within

days, weeks or months and that there is no real long-term difference in

hearing/speech for children who have ear tubes immediately vs delayed placement.

http://www.medicineonline.com/news/10/5889/Delayed-Ear-Tube-Surgery-Doesn-t-Dela\

y-Development.html

Because of this, we are considering taking a wait-and-see approach, but I wanted

to get the advice of other parents of apraxia who may have encountered a similar

situation. What did you do for your child and why?

Bruce

Mpls mom to Grover (8),Adelaide (5), and Finnegan (2)

[Guest guest]

I am not that far into my sons journey, but I will say that my son just had

tubes put in two weeks ago. My son as well had no history of ear infections

but I had heard my pediatrician comment many time that there was fluid in his

ears. I never thought twice about it because my son had passed a hearing test

3 times prior. However, looking back, none of those tests were done at a

time when he was having a lot of allergies (he has them off and on throughout

the year).

I believe that the fluid in ears does affect hearing. When I brought him in

for the transition from Early steps to the school he had a flat tympanagram

(excuse my spelling0 due to fluid and when we went in to the room where they

test the hearing of tones by setting off things on around the room, he failed

the test. I was stunned (as I mentioned we had already had his hearing tested

3 times previously). He was sitting on my lap and I kept expecting him to

turn his head toward certain noises and she kept making it louder and louder

until finally he would turn toward it. A few weeks later we had him retested

and there was still fluid (he was still having allergies) and again, flat

tympanagram. A few weeks later the doc checked and again, same thing.

If it were me I would do the tubes again if there is fluid. I have noticed a

difference in my son since the surgery. Not a huge difference, but i can see

that he can hear me a little more clearly.

Thank you for the informaiton about anestesia. My son has had it several times

already so I will read through it!

Best of luck to you. I'm curious to see the responses you get as I may be in

your same position in the future.

Sue

[ ] Ear Tubes

Hi all - I'm a new poster here. I some questions about getting ear tubes a

second time. Here is the back story --

By 18 mos, DS wasn't talking at all. Nothing at all. He is our third child so we

obviously knew something wasn't right. Hearing test was poor and tons of fluid

in the middle ear. He had several ear infections in the first year, so we did

ear tubes at 20 months. By 2 years, he was still not talking, so we met with a

speech pathologist and got our apraxia diagnosis which is 100% right on from

what I understand of my son and the disorder. Found out the hearing loss was a

red herring. He has no other developmental concerns and his receptive language

tests several months ahead of his age.

It's been 12 months since the ear tubes and 6 months since the apraxia

diagnosis. We have speech therapy several times each week - twice for 30 min

with a private speech therapist and once a week for an hour at our home with a

birth-to-three specialist from the school district. DS is making so much

improvement -- he is making many many attempts, lots of imitation. His vowel

sounds are all very clear and he is gaining consonants and many combinations of

sounds. It's all starting to come together just in the past month and we are

thrilled.

We went to recheck his ears yesterday -- one tube is gone, one has worked its

way partially out with some fluid on that side (he has a cold this week). He is

showing no signs of hearing trouble, pain or infection. The doc immediately said

repeat the tubes because there is fluid present and he has speech delay. When I

questioned her about the risks/benefits of the surgery, she dismissed my

concerns and said that because of the speech delay, she would do it no matter

what. I tried to explain that his speech delay was unrelated to his hearing but

I don't think she understood what his speech needs were.

My concerns about the surgery --

** I recently heard a very compelling study from Mayo about the link between

repeated exposure to general anesthesia before age 4 and learning disabilities.

When I mentioned this she challenged me to prove it.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102306350

** I wonder about the necessity of ear tubes when there are no infections (he

hasn't had an ear infection in over 18 months) and he appears to have little or

no hearing loss at this time. When I asked to have his hearing rechecked prior

to surgery, she said no.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7249965 & ps=rs

** I have heard that fluid in the middle ear will go away on its own within

days, weeks or months and that there is no real long-term difference in

hearing/speech for children who have ear tubes immediately vs delayed placement.

http://www.medicineonline.com/news/10/5889/Delayed-Ear-Tube-Surgery-Doesn-t-Dela\

y-Development.html

Because of this, we are considering taking a wait-and-see approach, but I wanted

to get the advice of other parents of apraxia who may have encountered a similar

situation. What did you do for your child and why?

Bruce

Mpls mom to Grover (8),Adelaide (5), and Finnegan (2)