Ear infection/perforated eardrum - how long discharge for?

[pigsinmud]

Dd1 (8) complained of really bad earache Thursday afternoon & buzzing in ear and was crying with the pain by bedtime - already drugged up on paracetamol & ibuprofen. She had been off school most of the week before half term with high temp & headache.

Bad night's sleep. Friday morning - ear still aching, but not as bad. Slight temp. Then discovered ear was crusty and discharge all over pyjamas - looked yellow. Went to GP. He said couldn't see her eardrum as so much pus and inflammation. Antibiotics given. My GP is lovely, but wanders off topic taking me with him and I forgot to ask if I needed to go back and how long should she avoid swimming for - he mentioned avoid it, but not for how long.

Decided I'd make a general appointment for a week on Monday so he can check her ear - some online sources said to avoid swimming for 2 months if the eardrum is perforated. I need to know as she goes swimming with the school.

It is still leaking a discharge, which most of the time is a clear fluid. How long will this go on for? I can't send her to school on Monday with leaking ear... can I? She keeps her hand, with hanky, over her ear as it makes it feel better. Otherwise she feels better today - can't hear much in that ear. She was ok lying down, but once sat up said it felt blocked again.

Sorry...that was long!

On swimming you can get ear plugs - grommets are effectively a perforated ear drum and the advice is to avoid swimming for 2 weeks and then use ear plugs. The ear drum takes 6-8 weeks to heal so hearing won't return fully till then I guess that where the 2 months off swimming comes from.... I'd check with GP that you are ok to use ear plugs

When mine have had gunky ears from an infection it has cleared up very quickly once they have started antibiotics - after 1-2 days. I'm not sure whats 'normal' but when the antibiotics haven't worked I tend to see that it clears and then comes back so we end up going back and ask for ear drop antibiotics rather than oral ones which work better - I've stopped accepting oral antibiotics as a solution to an ear infection.

Our school and nursery policy accepts children with gunky ears even when they are leaking - not sure why as it is a bodily fluid effectively but they don't even send them home for it Hopefully it will have cleared up by then anyway.

Thanks for that. She seems much better after a couple of days of antibiotics and the discharge has slowed down, so I think she'll be fine for school tomorrow.

I think I'll still take her back to GP as I want to know if it was perforated or not just for the swimming issue really.

My dd has suffered many ear infections and a few perforated eardrums. After anti biotics have been given for perforation gp had always asked for a follow up appointment about a week later to check it's improving so it's definitely worth getting checked.

I agree with getting her checked again. Depending upon the damage to the ear it could be as long as four months out of the pool.

Thanks - I will take her back. I was the one that asked if it was perforated and GP said he couldn't see due to gunk. He said to avoid swimming, but didn't mention going back. It was only later that I thought how will I know if it's perforated and to avoid swimming! My gp is lovely, but not exactly forthcoming with information!