Anticipating ear problems... what to do?

[mamalle]

I agree with you. I can count on one hand how many times BOTH my children have been on antibiotics. I work in a busy ER and it amazes me how people demand antibiotics when it isnt warrented. I took my script just in case for dd since I didnt want to end up in a area I was unfamilar with and in a a busy ER. If dd would of never complained we wouldnt of even ended up at the office. BUT: I still take motrin, tylenol, benedryl and a thermometer on every vacation just in case some kiddo gets sicko. must be the nurse in me..

 

[CleveRocks]

BUT: I still take motrin, tylenol, benedryl and a thermometer on every vacation just in case some kiddo gets sicko. must be the nurse in me..

My wife does the same. She takes every OTC med ever made whenever we go away with the kids. The only non-over-the-counter product she takes is a couple vials of glue (and her otoscope).

 

[Mommy2Lots]

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[Mommy2Lots]

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[SILLYANDI]

I see you have 15 day before you leave..i think the antibiotics should have it cleared up before then..hopefully.
My DH has REALLY bad ears and his ENT told him he has to do take these steps before going up and coming down...(he has ruptured his eardrum more than once flying(his ears don't release pressure)....
1)He has to take a sudafed 1 hour before the flight(or Benadryl)
2)He has to put Neosenephrine in his nose(they have drops and spray, but not sure if a child can use it..its pretty strong)it clears everything out so you are all clear, nothing is blocked up.
3)And the most important is using Ear Planes..they are a life saver.
We use Ear planes for my 4 yo as well..she got her Daddy's ears
Good Luck and let us know how you make out!!! I hope your DS is feeling better soon!

This is what i was about to post-our ENT gave the same advice and we haven't had any problems since following the directions!

 

[tammy1210]

What do you mean, does Floxin work as well as an antibiotic. Floxin IS an antibiotic!

I think she probably meant does it work as well as oral antibiotics.

 

[Ilkley Moor]

My DD9 has a long LONG history of ear problems and flying was a nightmare until my Mum picked up an excellent tip. We now give DD something chewy that involves alot of swallowing to eat during take off and descent. We flew back from WDW the day before yesterday with no problem. A smallish pack of pretzels was enough for each trip. Because they are dry (duh - obviously ) and we don't give her a drink until after take off/ landing she has to swallow more than usual.

HTH

 

[kddlm]

Thanks everyone for all this info. DD just began swimming underwater (I keep checking her for fins...LOL).....anyway, she has complained that her ears are sore after a long day of swimming. I have been giving her drops to help dry up the water in the ear (seems like mosly pure alchohol). Knock on wood that it has been working! Since we leave in 17 days for WDW I have also ordered the putty type earplugs for her to use while we are there. Does anyone know if the putty plugs can be used on the plane for pressure (do they work like earplanes?)

 

[twinklebug]

Putty plugs don't really work at all from my experience with my son. Just when you think you have it in good and tight it'll pop out.

I found the earplanes in child's size over at Wal-mart (they had them inside the pharmacy - a special order item) I forget how much they were but I'm positive they weren't $12 like on the website. They're shaped very different, sort of like a rubber tree. Check out Earplanes.com and you can see what these look like on the packaging. The company also makes earplugs for swimming that they say do not interfere with hearing. Hmmm...

I like the benedryl suggestion many of your doctors have passed along. Although I too fall into the category of not wanting to give my kids more meds than wht they absolutely need, I have been giving DS antihistamine a few times a week to help him with allergies. I have no problem giving him one pill just before takeoff if it means he might not have discomfort.

Thanks you EVERYONE for all your help. DS's ear is feeling much better today and I have high hopes for our trip.
(DS: "Mom! I don't even feel it anymore (Poke poke) OW!")
(Mom: "Don't do that")

 

[NotUrsula]

On the "just-in-case" front, one Rx med it is good to have is Auralgan or the equivalent. Auralgan is not an antibiotic, it is a topical pain-killer in drop form that can be administered directly into the ear canal (it contains benzocaine). I have Meniere's and get ear pain for lots of reasons (including planes) and I carry a supply of generic Auralgan for emergencies. It is OTC in Canada, but requires a prescription in the US.

Now then, an important caveat. American pediatricians will be reluctant to give you Auralgan for a child because it can mask symptoms of a serious problem, and it shouldn't be used if the eardrum has actually ruptured. If you are given the stuff, you will probably need to promise in blood that you will not use it for more than 24 hours at the outside. If pain persists that long, the child should be examined by a physician.

Personally, I swear by Guiafenesin as a preventative measure, and my ENT agrees with me. Lots of doctors will tell you it is useless, but I don't find that to be the case. Plain pseudoephedrine isn't nearly as effective in preventing pain for me; I get much better results with a combination of decongestant and guiafenesin.

If all else fails, you can ask the FA's for "cups for the ears." They will know what you need. These are styrofoam coffee cups, stuffed with paper napkins that have some boiling water poured onto them. When you get them, it is very important to first hold them upside-down for a minute to be sure that no hot water will drip. Then place the cups tightly over the ears. The hot water will generate steam, which will help to equalize the pressure inside the ear, which will usually relieve the pain after a minute or so. If you anticipate pain on descent, ask for the cups ahead of time; the FA's can't get them for you once they have to buckle in for landing.

 

[Pixiedust34]

If all else fails, you can ask the FA's for "cups for the ears." They will know what you need. These are styrofoam coffee cups, stuffed with paper napkins that have some boiling water poured onto them. When you get them, it is very important to first hold them upside-down for a minute to be sure that no hot water will drip. Then place the cups tightly over the ears. The hot water will generate steam, which will help to equalize the pressure inside the ear, which will usually relieve the pain after a minute or so. If you anticipate pain on descent, ask for the cups ahead of time; the FA's can't get them for you once they have to buckle in for landing.

I was given the cups on a British Air flight about 12-13 years ago. Unfortunately, I was in so much pain that they did not help. I didn't know anything about the cups until a kind FA saw me suffering in pain and brought them to me. If you feel severe pain coming on, ask for the cups ASAP before the pain spreads to your jaw. For my upcoming flight, I'm hoping that Earplanes will help.

 

[luvsmickeymouse]

Benadryl is what we used to use when our kids were small. Our kids both have a cleft lip and palate and they are more prone to ear problems.

 

[KikiNJ]

To the OP, glad your child is feeling better. I was going to say, usually by day 4 of the drops the ear starts to feel a little better. We are going through that now for the second time this summer, with both kids. You should have drops left in the bottle (if it's the same as what my kids are on, Ciprodex), I would take that with you just in case. Also, we've had luck using swimmer's ear drops (the ones w/95% alcohol) to prevent the infections... mommy just slacked off last week which is why both kids now have one! But I generally put them in each ear after swimming.

To tell if it's swimmer's ear, when they complain of ear pain, pull gently down on the lobe. If that hurts, it's swimmer's ear. Inner ear infections don't usually hurt more when you pull on the ear. At least that's what my pediatrician told me, and it's held true for my kids.

I also picked up some homeopathic drops for ear pain, the pharmacist said they work, just used them for the first time last night. In the meantime, we've gone through a lot of motrin!

 

[LuvOrlando]

I agree with everyone here. My entire family has ear troubles so I have a ENT Dr. who suggested Afrin and Sudafed to reduce the fluid in our ears so here is what we do, so far so good

When we fly everyone(including me) gets Sudafed & Afrin 45 min before takeoff, a few sticks of gum, and 1 set of Earplanes (childrens sold at Wallgreens and Adults at Walmart). If the flight is over 4 hrs a new dose of Sudafed (read the label) before landing. Supposedly the landing is worse than takeoff so you might want to ask the flight attendants around what time you'll start your descent so you can get those earplanes in.

During our last flight DH & DS refused to wear the earplanes. During the descent the pain started for them which was so intense DH lost the power of speech and DS was in tears . Unfortunately, once the pain started the Earplanes didn't work and there was nothing we could do. I felt awful for them because DD and I were perfectly comfortable. Unfortunately their ears didn't readjust for a few days. Now DH asks for a new set of Earplanes before every business trip...at $4 each they are totally worth it.

 

[100 acre wood]

I spoke with the pediatrician this morning and he clarified that DS does not have an ear infection, but rather Swimmer's ear (an inflamation of the outer ear canal). That's why he's not reponding as quickly to the drops as he would if it were an infection and using Amoxocillian. Ahhhhh.

Not that it makes the problem feel any better... just nice to know.

I found the info on babymd.com on how to tell the difference between swimmer's ear and an ear infection. The doc said that IF anything were to happen and he could tell by the symptoms over the phone it was an infection, he'd have no problem calling in a 'script to a pharmacy in the area (as long as the state allows this: ie: not SC)

FYI
In the future, use over the counter Swimmers Ear drops to dry out the water from swimming and thus preventing swimmers ear. Worked wonders !