Ear infection "season"

[Snow mom]

DD has had a non-stop series of ear infections starting a bit after 9 mos (September) and extending to now. She's had 5 different antibiotics in the last 6 months. Our pedi referred us to the ENT at our last visit and he recommended tubes. I was all set to do it but now I'm second guessing myself. The noses are finally drying up at daycare and I'm wondering if ear infection "season" will be coming to a close also. Are ear infections typically worse in winter when everyone has colds? Would you get your LO tubes in April when spring is in full swing (at least in TX...) or would you wait and see when the next infection hits? I know it's a pretty minimally invasive procedure, but I hate to do it if her likelihood of having another infection is going down due to the season.

[Indianamom2]

I'm not sure about an ear infection "season" per se, but after dealing with months of back-to-back ear infections with my 5 year old (as a result of seasonal allergies) I was initially reluctant to do tubes...now, if it happens again, I'm all for it. It has to be better than constant antibiotics.

[MolieMuts]

My niece has chronic ear infections and after this last one, her pediatrician told my sister to see if she makes it through the summer without one because kids do not normally get ear infections in the summer. She also said that she may outgrow it by the fall. She is almost 3 and has already had tubes put in and one has fallen out. They are in Texas as well.

[Wife_and_mommy]

My DS was on the verge of tubes 2 yrs ago when I started following a tip my friend's ped recommended to her. He hasn't had an EI since.:cheerleader1: The tip? Putting 2 drops of saline in each nostril when he has a cold. I do it a couple or three times a day when he has a cold.

[crl]

DS had 4 ear infections in one winter. I finally asked about allergies, we tested and he has severe dustmist allergies. Once we started treating the allergies, he never had another ear infection. Just thought I'd pass that along.

Catherine

[Tondi G]

EI's are the result of the congestion from colds causing all their mucus membranes to swell up and fluid building in their ears (and then breeding bacteria). So yeah they go hand in hand with cold/sick season and usually kids get a break during the summer months. Both my boys had EI's after cold symptoms and when they hit about 2.5 or 3 their Eustation tubes went more vertical (they can be rather horizontal when they are babies) and they had better drainage... thus less EI's! My 4 year old still gets them sometimes but not with every cold like he did as a baby. We also treat his congestion better now that he is older.... benedryl at bedtime to help dry him up. Decongestant in the day time to help shrink sinus swelling.

Saline in the nose is good. Humidifier in their room when they are sick. My mom has used Garlic and Mullein oil drops when she had some pain in her ears and said it worked like a charm. Might be worth a try for you in the mean time. I would wait out the summer and see if she gets some relief from the EI's. If it picks back up then schedule with the ENT again and see if they want to do tubes.

[chlobo]

I think in your shoes I would wait.

In the meantime, you might want to checkout this book, as it gives alternative approaches to ear infections. Maybe something might resonate with you:

http://www.amazon.com/Childhood-Ear-Infections-Alternative-Treatments/dp/1556434421/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269086292&sr=8-1