Tubes in an 18 month Old's ears?

Question

My 18 month old son has really bad chronic ear infections due to allergies. His doctor suggested tubes if he gets another infection. I was wondering if anyone else out there has had experience with this and if it helped their child.

Answer 1

I can tell you, what happens when you don't put tubes in your child's ear. He or she goes through life reading lips, half the time. I had chronic ear infections, when I was a child and as a child I was to active, so the tubes always fell out in a couple of weeks. When I was a teenager, I just covered up the fact I couldn't hear half the time. Got really frustrating and learned to lip read. College was tough, but I adapted. Started a business which turned into a big corporation, still I had the problem. Just recently, I'm 42 now, went to a audiologist to see, how much hearing loss I had, and I found out over 60% loss in both ears. I have spent most of my life, hiding the fact I was hard of hearing, by perfecting the art of reading lips (only the closest people knew). I had tubes put in a month ago, and the change was incredible. I said to myself, Self why didn't I do this, when I knew what the problem was back in high school? Moral of the story. Put the tubes in your child's ear now, and when they fall out, do it again and again, until technology finds a better way to solve this problem and before your child's ego takes hold and the child adapts without them. I think, boy what have I missed...

Answer 2

Yes, I had the tubes put in my ears and my mother said I didn't have anymore trouble with ear infections after that. Look at it this way I know it is hard to think of your child going through any type of surgery but you want to do what is best for him in the long run. Children can take a lot more than we think, they are natural survivors and when he gets older his hearing will be fine, his speech won't be impeded, and he won't remember a thing.

Answer 3

First eliminate as much as possible the source causing allergic reaction...what is he allergic to? An Otolaryngologist at a children's hospital is your first stop ASAP. Is it just one ear or both? Tubes are commonly used and particularly for infants and toddlers can be absolutely necessary to relieve pain and pressure. You want to avoid at all costs a perforated eardrum, and realize that chronic ear infections can lead to severe deterioration of nerve endings in the canal and eardrum, making infections less noticeable as the child ages, since the pain dissipates.

Answer 4

My son had constant ear infections. When he was 3 yrs and 3 months old, we had tubes put in. I wish we had done it sooner. He has been alot healthier and happier since he got them. The procedure to put them in only took about 30 minutes. I think we got to the outpatient facility at 8:30 am and were going home by 10:30 am.

Answer 5

My little sister had to have tubes in her ears when she was a year old and she had to have it done again when she was seven. She's in high school now and hasn't had any problems with ear infections since. I would recommend the ear tubes

Answer 6

I would go with the tubes. My husband had severe ear infections as a child, but never had tubes.Now he has hearing loss in his right ear.He's on his third set of tubes in 10 years, has a perforated left ear drum (it lets fluids drain) and always has to wear ear plugs to go under water.The doctor said he should have had them but no one advised his parents.It's a very simple surgery like 10 minutes.You won't regret it.

Answer 7

My son had a lot of ear infections as an infant. Unfortunately, his doc never recommended tubes and his current ENT says he is hearing impaired because he didn't get the tubes.

Answer 8

My nephew had tubes put in his ears when he was about 30 months. He's six now, and hasn't had ay porblems. It apparently helped him a lot, because he's only had a couple of infections snd they were mild ones, and before he had five in the six months prior to getting the tubes

Answer 9

I work with children and I have alot of kids on my caseload who have had tubes placed and it can help a lot with speech, since children with chronic ear infections usually have speech delays.

Answer 10

not my child but my little sister had the tubes put in her ears....she was getting ear infections so often that the antobiotics were causing her teeth to rot....they put the tubes in and she was fine. i would do it.