Preventing ear infections in a toddler
January 16, 2016 7:37 AM Subscribe
Is there anything I can do to prevent my toddler's colds from turning into ear infections?
My almost 20-month-old is on her second ear infection in six weeks. Three ear infections in six months is considered chronic. Is there anything we can do to prevent the next cold from turning into an ear infection? We do all the recommended stuff when she has a cold - humidifier, nose suctioning, honey for cough, limit dairy. She's still breastfeeding. Is there anything else? She's in daycare so exposed to lots of stuff. It's a bad year around here for viruses too. Not ok with chiropractic.
My almost 20-month-old is on her second ear infection in six weeks. Three ear infections in six months is considered chronic. Is there anything we can do to prevent the next cold from turning into an ear infection? We do all the recommended stuff when she has a cold - humidifier, nose suctioning, honey for cough, limit dairy. She's still breastfeeding. Is there anything else? She's in daycare so exposed to lots of stuff. It's a bad year around here for viruses too. Not ok with chiropractic.
The otorhinolaryngologist we consulted with our eldest, who was prone to ear infections, recommended using OTC nasal xylometazoline whenever she had even a little bit runny nose, to help keep the Eustachian tubes open and the inner ear better ventilated. But I think you should consult your pediatrician before going ahead with that.
Eventually our eldest needed grommets, though. Good luck, it's tough on everyone, I know!
posted by sively at 7:59 AM on January 16, 2016
Eventually our eldest needed grommets, though. Good luck, it's tough on everyone, I know!
posted by sively at 7:59 AM on January 16, 2016
This is happnening to us right now too. We tried everything. Nothing worked. The doctor said one more and we'd have to get tubes in her ears. That doesn't prevent it either just makes it easier to treat. Some kids just have tiny ear canals!
posted by Potomac Avenue at 8:42 AM on January 16, 2016
posted by Potomac Avenue at 8:42 AM on January 16, 2016
Steamy warm showers/baths in the morning and evening. Sleeping with her head on an incline to help drainage.
I've had luck as an adult of using a few drops of hydrogen peroxide in my ears until the bubbles go away to help kill bugs coming in from that way, but I don't think I'd be able to get my toddler to put up with it.
posted by jillithd at 8:46 AM on January 16, 2016 [1 favorite]
I've had luck as an adult of using a few drops of hydrogen peroxide in my ears until the bubbles go away to help kill bugs coming in from that way, but I don't think I'd be able to get my toddler to put up with it.
posted by jillithd at 8:46 AM on January 16, 2016 [1 favorite]
There are a number of things that we did for our daughter, but she's going to be different: she has Down syndrome and as a result has teeny, tiny ear canals. We ended up getting tubes in her ears which helped a lot. She also had a tonsillectomy, but that was mostly because it was contributing to apnea.
The tubes helped fluid drain, but this also meant much more care during bath time by making earplugs out of cotton balls and petroleum jelly.
posted by plinth at 9:37 AM on January 16, 2016
The tubes helped fluid drain, but this also meant much more care during bath time by making earplugs out of cotton balls and petroleum jelly.
posted by plinth at 9:37 AM on January 16, 2016
Any chance she's scratching at an itch in her ears or ear canals and that's how the infection starts? If so, maybe some sort of special fingernail-trimming regime could help? Some of my adult ear infections have definitely started from a self-inflicted scratch.
I expect this isn't of any help now because it's dangerous to give little kids NSAIDs, but as a life-long sufferer of ear infections I was amazed to finally discover in my twenties that aspirin was the best remedy for me, better than anything else at reducing the swelling and pain.
posted by XMLicious at 9:44 AM on January 16, 2016
I expect this isn't of any help now because it's dangerous to give little kids NSAIDs, but as a life-long sufferer of ear infections I was amazed to finally discover in my twenties that aspirin was the best remedy for me, better than anything else at reducing the swelling and pain.
posted by XMLicious at 9:44 AM on January 16, 2016
We were also recommended low-dose nose spray (xylometazoline as mentioned above) to reduce the swelling and thus trapping of liquids. Whether for that reason or something else, we don't know, but our little one hasn't had an ear infection since.
posted by meijusa at 10:27 AM on January 16, 2016
posted by meijusa at 10:27 AM on January 16, 2016
Hydrogen peroxide can do irreparable damage to your hearing if you happen to have even a small hole in the ear drum. Flonase was what was recommended by our ENT for our little guy who had repeated ear infections.
posted by PorcineWithMe at 11:10 AM on January 16, 2016
posted by PorcineWithMe at 11:10 AM on January 16, 2016
As a toddler, my infection prone daughter did prophylactic antibiotics for a winter, and never had another ear infection after that. That was about 1992, and I am not sure that that treatment is in style anymore, but it worked a treat for her.
My son did not have that treatment and ended up with ear tubes a few years earlier.
posted by SLC Mom at 11:18 AM on January 16, 2016
My son did not have that treatment and ended up with ear tubes a few years earlier.
posted by SLC Mom at 11:18 AM on January 16, 2016
Are they bothering her? Because apparently my 21 month old is on her second ear infection in two weeks but we only found out incidentally (she had pink eye the first time, reaction to antibiotics prompted another visit which confirmed that the ear infection had cleared, third visit this week for gastroenteritis found a new, mild ear infection). Pedi says they sometimes just happen especially if she's fighting any other bug. No treatment was even recommended this time.
Dear god, don't give your toddler gum!
posted by lydhre at 11:51 AM on January 16, 2016
Dear god, don't give your toddler gum!
posted by lydhre at 11:51 AM on January 16, 2016
Best answer: I'm an audiologist but not yours etc.
Lots of wrong info above. Ear infections have nothing to do with the ear canal size or bacteria entering the outer ear. What happens with a URI linked ear infection as your child is getting is that the infection moves from the throat up through the Eustachian tube and into the middle ear space, which is where the infection is. Kiddos have relatively horizontal Eustachian tubes, so they don't drain well, which is why they're so prone to ear infections.
Chronic ear infection is not so much the number of acute infections but rather the type. If the pain goes away but they still have effusion (gunk) in their middle ear that doesn't go away, that's usually what we might call chronic. Having several acute infections is simply recurrent acute.
This is important because recurrent acute may not need tubes. Chronic ear infections respond great to tubes, as the effusion can drain. If the acute infections are clearing relatively quickly, tubes may not be of much use. In any case, do talk to your ENT, as tubes are still the best treatment for chronic ear infection.
Different docs/countries use different antibiotic protocols for ear infections. Depending on the origin of the infection, they may or may not be useful. Generally speaking, prescribing antibiotics for ear infections is not much in favor these days.
Your best bet is to try and prevent the cold in the first place. Barring that, try and keep it from getting into the middle ear space by keeping their head elevated if possible. Chewing, yawning, swallowing all open the Eustachian tube, which may (emphasis on may) help.
Please don't put anything into your child's ear canals.
Ear infections are pernicious and they suck, frankly. There's not a ton of effective treatments. Tubes are very common for a reason. If they really do have chronic ear infection, tubes are still your best bet. If the ear infection is truly chronic and fluid is remaining in the middle ear space for months, a conductive hearing loss is possible (non permanent), which can give some kids some language development issues (which tend to resolve when the infection is treated). This is just to say that if the infection is chronic, it is important to have it treated.
Feel free to memail me with any questions.
posted by Lutoslawski at 12:05 PM on January 16, 2016 [12 favorites]
Lots of wrong info above. Ear infections have nothing to do with the ear canal size or bacteria entering the outer ear. What happens with a URI linked ear infection as your child is getting is that the infection moves from the throat up through the Eustachian tube and into the middle ear space, which is where the infection is. Kiddos have relatively horizontal Eustachian tubes, so they don't drain well, which is why they're so prone to ear infections.
Chronic ear infection is not so much the number of acute infections but rather the type. If the pain goes away but they still have effusion (gunk) in their middle ear that doesn't go away, that's usually what we might call chronic. Having several acute infections is simply recurrent acute.
This is important because recurrent acute may not need tubes. Chronic ear infections respond great to tubes, as the effusion can drain. If the acute infections are clearing relatively quickly, tubes may not be of much use. In any case, do talk to your ENT, as tubes are still the best treatment for chronic ear infection.
Different docs/countries use different antibiotic protocols for ear infections. Depending on the origin of the infection, they may or may not be useful. Generally speaking, prescribing antibiotics for ear infections is not much in favor these days.
Your best bet is to try and prevent the cold in the first place. Barring that, try and keep it from getting into the middle ear space by keeping their head elevated if possible. Chewing, yawning, swallowing all open the Eustachian tube, which may (emphasis on may) help.
Please don't put anything into your child's ear canals.
Ear infections are pernicious and they suck, frankly. There's not a ton of effective treatments. Tubes are very common for a reason. If they really do have chronic ear infection, tubes are still your best bet. If the ear infection is truly chronic and fluid is remaining in the middle ear space for months, a conductive hearing loss is possible (non permanent), which can give some kids some language development issues (which tend to resolve when the infection is treated). This is just to say that if the infection is chronic, it is important to have it treated.
Feel free to memail me with any questions.
posted by Lutoslawski at 12:05 PM on January 16, 2016 [12 favorites]
At around 18 months we were at the point of six serious ear infections in three months with our daughter, and went with surgery for ear tubes. Since then (8 months later), we have not had any ear infections but several minor colds, and we strongly feel that her vocalization and development rapidly caught up to normal afterward.
posted by nickggully at 12:24 PM on January 16, 2016
posted by nickggully at 12:24 PM on January 16, 2016
Obviously my advice is small potatoes compared to Lutoslawski's insight, but when my son had recurrent acute ear infections, our NP taught me a trick. Every day multiple times a day, even when she's healthy, you hold the upper top side of the ear with your finger and thumb and pull gently out at about a 45 degree angle. Hold for 10 seconds or as long as she will tolerate it and do it whenever you think of it. I guess it just gets things moving a bit in there for drainage.
posted by bluebelle at 2:29 PM on January 16, 2016
posted by bluebelle at 2:29 PM on January 16, 2016
Response by poster: Thanks all. It sounds like we're basically doing what we can, but next time she gets a cold we will up the preventive measures. (She really hates having her nose suctioned....so it's pretty easy to not do it as often as might be best! But we'll do it regularly going forward.) Unfortunately these are the miserable kind - inconsolable child in a lot of pain, fever, green snot, etc etc. They are pretty terrible which is one of the big reasons we want to avoid.
Lutoslawski, thank you very much, that is super helpful information. We didn't realize that it was type, not number. I think both have been acute - her ears were looked at three times between this and the last diagnosis and she was all clear on the last two checks, the first all-clear coming just a few days after she started the antibiotics.
Our pediatrician said their office generally does antibiotics in the under-2s and wait and see in the over 2s, so since she's not all that far from age 2 I will bring up waiting if it comes up again....we don't love giving her antibiotics for the obvious reasons.
OMG definitely no gum. yikes.
Thanks again, all. I did not properly appreciate the misery of ear infections before becoming a parent!
posted by john_snow at 6:31 PM on January 17, 2016
Lutoslawski, thank you very much, that is super helpful information. We didn't realize that it was type, not number. I think both have been acute - her ears were looked at three times between this and the last diagnosis and she was all clear on the last two checks, the first all-clear coming just a few days after she started the antibiotics.
Our pediatrician said their office generally does antibiotics in the under-2s and wait and see in the over 2s, so since she's not all that far from age 2 I will bring up waiting if it comes up again....we don't love giving her antibiotics for the obvious reasons.
OMG definitely no gum. yikes.
Thanks again, all. I did not properly appreciate the misery of ear infections before becoming a parent!
posted by john_snow at 6:31 PM on January 17, 2016
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by greatgefilte at 7:54 AM on January 16, 2016 [1 favorite]