Swimming with grommets; sea and swimming pool on holiday.

[shootfromthehip]

My 9 yr old has had grommets for nearly a year and we are due to spend a month in Spain over the summer holidays. Keeping her out of the pool (or at least with her head above water) is going to be difficult. She uses ear plugs made by the hospital but refuses to wear the accompanying swimming cap. I have two friends who let their children with grommets swim under water without earplugs and they seem to have been fine.

I, on the other hand, have been rather cynical about this information and was wondering if others amongst you done the same. I am really worried that earplugs may come out in the sea (and I would not be able to replace them) and lead to her not being able to swim. I have ordered a spare pair but just need to know what the options are should they not arrive.

Any experiences/ advice are welcome. I just don't want the poor soul to have a terrible holiday as she is total water baby and swims for hours every day abroad, usually diving and jumping in/ surfing.

Many thanks in advance.

I thought grommets fell out after about nine months? Unless there are different types?

We never used earplugs but then there was no jumping in allowed. Are her grommeys definitely still both in? If you lose the earplugs I wouldn't worrybut would just stop her jumping and diving.

My ds had them put in yesterday and we were told they last 6-9 months. We were told after 9 months you can get the doctor to check they have fallen out before not using the plugs.

Our ENT consultant said no water in the ears for six weeks after grommets, and then not to worry about it. Unless it's dependent on some factor? Age, size, reason for grommets perhaps?

Oooh, thanks for the replies- her grommets are def still there- they were checked a couple of weeks ago. She has them for glue ear (I was hoping they'd be out by now too!) and I haven't wanted to risk an infection. So day to day swimming seems ok, just not diving/ jumping in? Swimming under water ok too?

Assuming the grommits are still in place the advice is no diving or jumping. Dd did both and was fine however her cousin only has to look at a swimming pool and he gets an infection.

I think it depends how prone to infection your dc is but get his ears looked at before you go. If his grommits have fallen out it may be a non issue.

Her sorry. and x post.

See if you can get her a prescription for the drops they give after surgery.

Ds had his put in last Jan when he was 9. We went to Spain in August first ever pool /beach holiday ever/ ENT doctor said just to be careful of the jumping /diving as it is something to do with the pressure. He did lots of jumping in though

2 days before the end he had gunk coming out of one ear.

Took him to the doctors there to make sure it hadn't popped ...all fine and grommit still in (btw the doctor did not know what a grommit was ...a nurse was translating for us and I knew she was explaining it was a small thing inserted into the ear drum......etc)

He would not give me any drops or in fact the OOH doctor I took him to when we came home ...he got AB's here though .

Did not improve and I got emergency appointment at ENT and got given the drop's..

Due to the packaging saying not to be used on a perferated eardrum no one likes giving them for gromit problems.

At least if you go with the drop's you could put some in at night to keep any thing at bay....and also have proof that some drops can be put in if needed.

sorry that was so long winded !!

My son has an grommet (put in due to glue ear) in his ear which has never fallen out after 8 years. He finds diving and swimming under water quite painful in that ear so he has a specially made earplug from the hospital and it does not fall out when swimming without a cap.

He can do racing dives, swim under water, jump in and all without pain. No worries except he is so forgetful he has lost one earplugs and the replacement was £25.

My DDs both have grommets, and I allowed them to wear their hospital made grommets without the hat. We had a couple of falling out incidents, but apart from that no issue. I took the synthetic wax ones that you can buy in the pharmacist as a back up, in case the others got lost. My ENT consultant does not like the made to measure style ear plugs as he says they quickly become ineffective as the child grows, and he recommended the synthetic wax ones, if you were concerned about using them as a back up.

Also, both DDs ended up swimming without them at times, with no ill effects ( both went under the water).

Have a lovely holiday.

This is all very reassuring- a neurotic parent I am not, however I would love to avoid any unnecessary discomfort for her. Have bought the wax ear plugs and some of the plug type ones which she likes the look of- will just buy enough that we can replace them should they decend into the depths.

Thanks all.

my ds has had his in well over a year now, he still wears them way plugs with a head band holding them in place, wi intend him still doin this in august when we go abroad, his tan will be interesting and perhaps i am a bit neurotic too