Glue ear - back to GP or wait it out?

[vvviola]

(not in UK)

DD aged 1 has fluid behind the ear after 3 ear infections in the space of 2 months (or 1 that never quite cleared up, despite getting all clear from doc). Last time we saw the GP he said to come back in a month to see if it had cleared and if not he'd look into an ENT referral.

DD is waking at night screaming & pulling at her ear, but has no fever or other symptoms of an infection. She's been a very bad sleeper anyway (although it had all improved a bit before the ear infections started) so its hard to be 100% sure whether the ear is disturbing her or whether it's something else.

WWYD? Hold out another 2 weeks as originally on the basis that there's not much doc can do anyway & just deal with the waking? Or bring her down and, I don't know, push for earlier referral or something?

I would just go back now. She is obviously suffering. The sooner she is referred to ENT the better I think and the GP can look in her ear again and see if it is inflamed and needs treatment.

Go back and keep going back until you get an answer you are happy with, even when you have a referal you may still have to wait. Explain to GP what is happening and ask for some more advice, they may well send you away but at least you'll know you did everything or at very least they can look in her ears and see if anything is going on.

fwiw all 3 of mines sleeping improved after grommets - ENT consultant said it would and it did we never had ear infections though, I think it was due to general discomfort.

Typically, as soon as I posted the problem seems to have stopped. She's sleeping better (well, all things are relative!) and not pulling at her ear at all. But I think if she shows any more signs of discomfort I'll take her down to GP & see what he says.

Thanks!