warriormom Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 My ds had an ear infection every month from August to March. We went to an ENT, and his hearing is normal. The doctor is not pushing for ear tube surgery but he said it is an option that might work for him. Do you know of any alternatives to ear tube surgery? I am open to alternative medicine. He constantly has fluid in one ear or both. Should I just shake him upside down till the fluid comes out....LOL?:lol:Yes, I am kidding! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 As an adult who currently has ear tubes (5th total, 2nd as an adult), reconsider tubes. It is life changing! Without tubes, I have constant fluid in my ears, it hurts, and I can't hear right. Yes, my hearing tests fine, but the quality is sooooo different! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeidiKC Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 Well, whenever my little ones would get a cold I'd start pulling on their ears up and out, and massaging just below (where the ear canal must be) to prevent an ear infection and help prevent fluid build-up. This worked GREAT! One of my boys used to get an ear infection with most colds, but once I started massaging and moving them around, they hardly got any! I sort of would put my finger into the little "cup" part of the ear and gently pull up, out, even down. Also, if they had any pain at all, I'd know immediately when messing with the ear. Then I'd put in natural ear drops for infection (grapefruit extract, got the drops at Whole Foods) and usually within 24 hours they'd be fine. Continuing the massaging, etc. If after 24 hours they still were having pain, I'd go to the doc and probably get antibiotics. But I think I avoided LOTS of those with the ear manipulation and natural grapefruit extract ear drops. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellydon Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 I'd try the chiropractor first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 I'd try the chiropractor first. Ha ha! I didn't have to be the first to say it this time! :) Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 (edited) --- Edited November 10, 2021 by prairiewindmomma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in OK Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 - Breastmilk - Tea Tree Oil - Garlic/Olive Oil - Ear oil (we have one that has garlic, arnica, mullein, st john wort) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Eliminate dairy completely and be very strict about any other possible allergens you suspect. Dairy is very associated with repeated ear infections and fluid, and can make a huge difference. I agree with the grapefruit extract. Dont put tea tree in straight- dilute with olive oil. Warm anything you put in the ear. (not hot of course). But I wouldn't use these things unless there is an actual infection- you don't need to increase the fluid levels in there. If there is just fluid, gentle massage is the best option to help it drain. Boost the immune system- kids echinacea drops are good, or any other immune boosting formula. My daughter has fluid in her ears at times- she calls it "wet ears". She uses cotton buds to help drain them but she notices that they come when the weather is damper- they just came back as the autumn rains started here. She has never actually had an ear infection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 What do his tonsils look like? Are they large? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellydon Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 My daughter has fluid in her ears at times- she calls it "wet ears". She uses cotton buds to help drain them but she notices that they come when the weather is damper- they just came back as the autumn rains started here. She has never actually had an ear infection. Just to be clear --- the eardrum traps the fluid in the middle ear. You cannot get fluid out of the middle ear with q-tips, the eardrum is in the way. Oils and other drops in the ear cannot penetrate the eardrum and won't affect the level of the fluid trapped in the middle ear. The only way for the fluid to get out is through the Eustachian tube or a ruptured or pierced eardrum. When there is fluid/infection the Eustachian tube is swollen and blocked. Massage and/or chiropractic care can sometimes open the Eustachian tube enough to allow the fluid to drain and return the middle ear back to normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
violinmom Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Echo what others have said: chiropractor, diet (wheat, dairy). There is a huge section on this in the book, "Is This Your Child." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in OK Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 *shrug* Have used TTO on its own in the ear without any adverse effects. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 *shrug* Have used TTO on its own in the ear without any adverse effects. :) I would too- for myself- but have found some skins react severely to 100%. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warriormom Posted April 15, 2011 Author Share Posted April 15, 2011 Yes, my son has very large tonsils like I did. Thank you for the advice about chiropractic care/massage. I might give the oil treatments a try as well. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbpaulie Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 So my son doesn't seem to have shaken his ear infection. We're going to try natural/ alternative. Not ready to take him to the chiro yet. What, along w/ massage, would be your first attempt: 1) Garlic Oil - would you buy this or make this? 2) Tea Tree Oil 3) Specific drops for ear infections/ aches 4) other suggestion Looking for something I could use today. What if the drum is ruptured? (I'm not sure if it is, just thinking out loud.) Also, swimming lessons started yesterday - would you take him or make him sit out for some time? And if, as a previous poster mentioned, the infection is not on the outside, but rather the inner ear do these really work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roxanne23 Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 (edited) . Edited January 4, 2023 by roxanne23 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom0012 Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 My daughter had the same problem with her ears starting at 6 months old. She had tubes put in at a year and they came out on their own within a couple of months. She went through a horrible time until I found a book called Healing Childhood Ear Infections. The ENT who wrote this book claimed that 70% of his patients' ear problems resolved with the removal of dairy. I removed dairy and within two weeks, she no longer had fluid in her ears. I kept her dairy free for two years and she did very well. Then, family and doctors all convinced me she had probably outgrown the problem (that they never believed she had.) I slowly started reintroducing dairy maybe once or twice a week and then more and more. At first she was fine, but a few months later as she had more and more dairy, the infections started again and her eardrums ruptured 6-8 times over a few months. It makes me sick to think about it. I had her allergy tested and she came back negative for dairy and again, I felt the pressure from the doctors and family that dairy was not the problem. We did tubes, and they came out on their own within a month. Then we did tubes again and also removed her adenoids. Three weeks after the 2nd set of tubes, she was writhing in pain with puss draining out of her ears and I had had enough. I removed dairy and she was fine again within two weeks. Now, she is 9 years old and we started adding dairy back about 6 months ago in limited amounts. She is doing fine. If she has a cold or starts getting fluid in her ears (which she can now tell me), we pull back on the dairy. I'm not sure if that will help you at all, but it's something to consider. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 My DD's pediatrician put her on Nasonex when she was having ear fluid problems. Apparently, it can sometimes keep the Eustachian tube open and increase response. DH's tubes never enlarged the way they're supposed to during early childhood, and as a result of having the repeated ear tube surgeries now no longer function at all, which has led to not only needing the tubes life-long, but a hearing loss due to scarring on the eardrum, so keeping DD from EVER having the tube surgery was a priority-there was simply too high of a chance that this would turn out to be an issue for her as well. At about age 4 she was able to go off it, and has had no trouble since. The only problem with Nasonex is that it's quite expensive and insurance didn't cover it. Our pediatrician gave us a lot of samples that she got from the manufacturer-as she said, it wasn't usually the best choice for the seasonal allergies that it was recommended for, so she had enough to outfit her few patients who needed really needed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chanda7 Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 This isn't exactly alternative medicine, but it is what worked for us. My daughter began having chronic ear infections around age 3. Each time she got a cold, it turned into an ear infection. We had an ER doctor recommended trying Claritin, on top of an antibiotic, to help clear things up. We started giving her Claritin every time she got a cold, and she hasn't had an ear infection since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracieT Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 I know you said you aren't ready for the chiropractor, but that would be my number one recommendation, too. I started taking my boys at 1 and 2 because of my oldest's asthma. I don't know if has helped his asthma, but he only has one or two attacks a year. I had constant sore throats my entire life...to the point I was ready to go have my tonsils removed....until I started going to the chiro and have now only had one in the past 3 years. It was apparently due to a vertebrae in my neck that was WAY out of alignment. My oldest also had huge tonsils and my pediatrician told me to wait until he was 5 or 6 to see an ENT. We go to the chiro once a month and he has always kept an eye on his asthma and tonsils. He finally said one day "I really think it's time to see an ENT. There are just some people who need to have their tonsils removed." I took him, he had his tonsils and adenoids removed and was a different child after that. I was actually shocked that my chiro recommended the ENT before my pediatrician because chiro's definitely don't jump to that path. But he saw my son every month and saw what was and wasn't working. Our chiro is invaluable in my eyes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracieT Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Oh yeah....a chiro should also be able to show you how to massage his ear and neck to get that to drain inside there...what's behind the ear drum. I know someone mentioned it's not going to drain out his ear, which is true. But you can get things opened up behind there and get it to drain the way it's supposed to with massage. And I wouldn't totally rule out tubes. I understand your hesitation....I was the same with my son's tonsils....but when all else fails, it might be for the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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