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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Posts
    4

    Default If your LO has ear tubes

    We just went for my son's follow-up, and the ENT said he has a lot of ear wax and couldn't confirm that the tubes are still in place. He said he could put him under anesthesia for 5 minutes to clean it out, or just let it be for now. Just curious if anyone has come across this? He said cleaning out the ears awake could be traumatizing (I know he's had it done at the pedi, but he was younger).

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Posts
    5,504

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by schuyler View Post
    We just went for my son's follow-up, and the ENT said he has a lot of ear wax and couldn't confirm that the tubes are still in place. He said he could put him under anesthesia for 5 minutes to clean it out, or just let it be for now. Just curious if anyone has come across this? He said cleaning out the ears awake could be traumatizing (I know he's had it done at the pedi, but he was younger).
    That's the way it's been for my DS almost every time we go to the ENT and the Ped. In the absence of any infections or hearing loss, we leave the ear wax alone. Not worth the trauma/risk of anesthesia.
    Green Tea, mom to three

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Posts
    154

    Default

    We've had that too. It got to a point that the same piece of wax was in there for months. I took a bulb syringe full of warm water and had him lean over a towel. I squirted a tiny bit of water in his ear which loosened it up then I scraped it out with a bobby pin. You have to use your own judgement because they aren't supposed to get standing water in their ear with tubes. My son's ear was almost closed with the wax and imo, a little water was safer than doing at the dr. My son didn't put up a resistance at all but i'm certain he would have for the dr. I do have an otoscope that i got at Walmart. I keep close tabs on his ears myself. I also have an Earchek which is awesome!
    Wife to an amazing man and Mommy to 4

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Ohio
    Posts
    302

    Default

    Both of my boys have tubes and both have extremely waxy ears. DS1's waxyness vastly improved after the tubes but DS2's ears are still really waxy. Our ENT didn't seem too concerned about it and said that so long as he is not getting any infections or losing his hearing that we shouldn't be too concerned. If it gets worse then we are supposed to call him.





  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Metrowest, MA, USA.
    Posts
    4,374

    Default

    They could NEVER tell if DS's tubes were still in because of the wax. He never had any infections though and lo and behold both tubes fell out (with lots of wax) last year (he was six) after being there since he was 18 months old. No one knew if they were even still there at that point.
    Debbie




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