I've never heard of this before, have you?

Yesterday I took dd6 to the dr for a persistent cough. When the dr looked at her ears she said the right had a tiny bit of fluid in it and the left was red. She though maybe it was from the coughing and told me to keep an eye on her. And to put vicks and socks on her feet, turn on the humidifier and try to keep her hydrated. We've done that before, so that isn't new.

This morning she woke up and said her left ear hurt. Since we were just at the office I called the nurse line to see what we should do now. The nurse just called back and told what I've never heard before -- that with older kids they can sometimes fight off the infection in the ears by themselves and to give her tylenol or motrin and they would call in a script of some ear drum numbing medicine. And if that didn't help her with the pain they would see her Monday.

 

I think someone on here told me about the Vicks on the feet with socks. I always do that now and it helps them sleep.

 

I don't ever remember a time when one of my dc had a red ear and they didn't prescribe a antibiotic. I would watch her very closely. I wasn't much older than she is when I had to have mine lanced and it wasn't something I'd want to have done again!

 

I have heard of doctors wanting the kids to fight the infection without antibiotics, but I would have to change doctors if ours felt that way. My youngest has some hearing loss from ear infections and she had the antibiotics. I hate to think how bad it would be if she hadn't had them. I hope you little one feels better soon. It always helped Emily to sleep propped up when her ears hurt. She was born with a cleft and had lots of ear problems.

 

They gave one of mine some ear drops before a full blown infection started.

We do the Vick's & socks as well!!!

 

Thanks. She hasn't had an ear infection for at least a year or 18months at most. I think she's had 3 or 4 total in her lifetime. We haven't even been to the doctors office since their 6 year check ups in August. It isn't like I'm there all the time asking for medicine. It just seemed odd to me and not sure if I even want to mask the pain if it is an infection, you know?

 

It's not uncommon for drs to take the "Lets wait and see" approach due to reluctance of prescribing antibiotics. If your body can fight it off on its own without harm, its better than taking antibiotics.

Hope your lil one feels better.

 

Well, I'm a little bummed over the Vicks. We've been battling a bad cold in this house, and I tried it last week. It didn't work. I still coughed, and I had greasy socks. Maybe I did something wrong.

As far as the ear issues...this is pretty tangential, but I think it's interesting.My brother had recurring ear infections, and by the age of six had lost most of his hearing. His hearing was restored after some surgeries, which including having tubes put in to drain fluid. Then, a few years later, my sister was born and in toddler hood she, in turn, began having chronic ear infections. My mom would take her to the doc (same doc as my brother), he'd prescribe antibiotics and the infection would go away. My sister would fininsh the course of meds, and as soon as the script ran out, the infection came back. At one point, the doctor told my mother they were going to try something different. He was not going to prescribe any more anitbiotics, but he told my mother to start feeding my sister yogurt with live cultures daily. THAT did the trick - no more ear infections, and no subsequent hearing problems like my brother had.

 

i think i mentioned about the vicks and socks before.

it does work.

 

they do sell ear drops over the counter they come in a little yellow box/bottle

 

A friend of mine is a nurse and she avoids antibiotics as much as possible. She says she sees too many kids who can no longer be helped by antibiotics due to the overuse. Not saying anything...just saying what I was told.

She also told me when I was concerned that Kara may have developed an ear infection to give her motrin or tylenol and to use a dropper to put peroixde and water vinegar and water to clean out her ear. She said the fluid would come out which is what causes the pressure.

Kara did not have an ear infection or if she did it went away...so I am NOT NOT NOT advocating any of what I just said...just conversing here. lol.

Now, from my friend and other sources I do know that most ear infections will clear up on their own. Antibiotics are overused and in many cases on used correctly. Not all infections or illnesses can be helped by antibiotics.

Anyway...so I am saying that yes I heard of just giving a kid pain meds and that it will clear up on its own. However, I would monitor it carefully as you don't want to mess with your ears if you are actually in need of more meds.

 

I love Ems doctor because she will not hand out antibiotics, or any meds for that reason, unless she thinks it will be beneficial. Since Ems is asthmatic, I want to save the antibiotics for when it really counts.

Since I believe they are precribed way to much, I do not mind. I just keep an eye on Ems and if I think she is getting worse, then I have the doctor precribe them.

I have fought off sinus infections, throat infections, and ear infections without antibiotics. It does take a bit longer but I try not to take meds unless I have to. The only time I take them is when I see that I am not getting better.

 

My DH did a pediatric residency (but did a fellowship in neonatology so doesn't work as a pediatrician). Our kids don't get antibiotics for ear infections because most ear infections are viral and will clear up.

If you worked in a hospital (I used to scrub in the OR), you would know just how bad antibiotic resistance has gotten and would avoid them as much as possible. Going to the OR every single day to have dead tissue cut off cannot possibly be a fun way to live. You are also forever labled as MRSA or VRE positive or whichever version of resistance you have.

Absolutely take them if you NEED them, but docs way overprescribe to keep parents happy.

 

Jen hit it right on. So many ear infections ARE viral, and won't respond to antibiotics.

I drop peroxide and warm oil into the ear. My friends swear by a poultice of crushed linseed (?) and charcoal. I tried it when Rachael was little, and couldn't get it to work for me, but that may have just been me.

 

Thanks for sharing, Jen.

 

My youngest had infections all the time and our ped at the time always prescribed antibiotics. Now 5 years later and after a lot of research plus a new dr we only use antibiotics as a last resort. It is not uncommon for Dr's to be more reluctant to prescribed antibiotics. We often use a natural antibiotic called Collidial Silver and to date it has worked every time even recently with my 3 yr old.

 

It was just all new to me, I'd never heard it before. I had an ear infection about two years ago and it came on late one Friday afternoon. My doctors office was closed, so I held out miserably through the weekend so I wouldn't have to pay the extra money to go to the urgent care. Monday came and I was in total misery, called my dr's office and they were closed due to Martin Luther King Jr day. I ended up at the urgent care anyway because I just couldn't take the pain another day. I did get antibiotics for it and it cleared it right up.

Like I said I never heard of not treating an ear infection before, that is why I asked. Thanks for all your info!

 

I have always used peroxide when I have personally felt an issue and it has always worked. Knock on wood my kids are very very healthy and rarely see the Dr. usually they see him when I go in for a routine check up for me.

BUT having said that - with the anti-biotics - try and take PRO-BIOTICS afterwards to help your system recoup. I've actually started trying to remember to take the things regularly aside from yogurt because it just seems to work better. For some reason it works wonders on colds and such and I haven't figured that one out yet - LOL. But I told my mom to get her husband on them because in the last month he's been through 4 anti-biotics as they try to kick whatever he has and nothing has worked - and I'm pretty sure his immune system is garbage at this point.

 

Yes, I have written about this many times on here, my grandmother always told me when my girls were really small and always sick to put vick's on the bottom of there feet then put socks on also rub vick's on there chest and put shirt on and rub some vick's below there nose just before bed. She also said if they have a cough do a shot of whiskey with a spoon full of honey and bingo your kids will be better in no time. I remember doing this one time and took the girls to the doctor and he said what did you do, I told him and he rolled his eyes and said old people they are funny, yes they are but they have good meds. that works fast and cheap.
Try it a few times you will see a big different. I did it again last month on all of us when we were sicker then dogs.

 

HMM I had never heard about the vicks, but I did know aobut the no antibiotics for ear infections. For all the same reasons. I think that there is an official name for not givng ear infections anti biotics.It is like you wait several days and if the pain is still there then you get antibiotics.

BUT... my ds one time started crying when he layed his head down to go to bed. Very abnormal for him. So we took him to the minor er. His ear drum was about to burst. The doc gave him a shot, and made us wait for a few hours to see if it would help. Before he started crying we didn't even know his ear was infected. The doc then also told us that even if the drum did burst it would just be a tad of blood and fluid, but it would feel much better for ds, and not have much if any impact on his hearing. They would just want to watch it to make sure it healed correctly. That was an odd thing for me to hear.