DS (9YO) recurrent ear infections since having grommets

[Curlybrunette]

Morning all,

I'm writing for some advice regarding my ds and his ears. DS had quite a few ear infections in his left ear when really young. It never caused him any pain, was just thick gunky stuff coming out. The infections stopped by the time he was about 3, but I always had concerns about his hearing.

His teachers also had hearing concerns so after many tests etc. he finally was diagnosed as having glue ear and had grommits in both ears in July last year.

Since then he's had the thick gunk coming out of his left ear again almost constantly since about a month after having the grommits put it. It's the same as before, he isn't ill and has no pain.

His grommits are still in, I'm wondering whether it's 9 years worth of crud pooring out of them!?!

He's had a few courses of antibiotics which seem to clear it but then it comes back. He finished a course or a/b last Monday, but then sure enough this morning it's starting again. I'm a bit worried as we go on holiday next week and although I'm sure the doctors would say he shouldn't go swimming there's no way we can go away on holiday and him not go in the pool for a week. I don't want it to turn from being gunky but not bothering him to actually starting with ear ache.

Have any of you experienced this? I'm starting to wish he'd never had the grommits, I don't think his hearing has really improved much with them!

Any advice would be great thanks,
x

Ds found the grommets cleared up his ear infections, but they don't promise they will; they're entirely to improve the hearing.

Firstly, for swimming he needs ear plugs. The pain ds had from getting water in them was immense compared to his drum bursting. But they won't say don't swim, or they never have with ds.

The other thing is the grommet is possibly draining the ear, ds didn't find this, but I know someone who did find that they had a lot of discharge for a couple of months, but once it cleared that was fine.

He must be coming up to his 6 week review, so I'd raise it then.

What I will add though is that ds has had 3 sets of grommets. I've heard people talk about coming home with a different child, how they immediately saw immense improvement.
I never did. But over the year there were things that came out that showed how much they helped. Jumping in autumn leaves he said "the leaves didn't crunch last year"-that was the difference in hearing not any reflection of the leaves.
When you realise 3 months later that you haven't had to ask him to turn the TV down since grommets.
And the teacher commenting how much better he's concentrating this term.

And each one you think. "Hey, that's the difference in having the grommets." And it seems minor compared to the people whose dc had their hands over their ears for a week because everything was too loud, or gained 30 words a day in the week after the op, or commented in the recovery room that they could hear bird song... but it's not.

We've had grommets with both DCs but we got adenoids out at the same time as ent said adenoids keep on feeding the ear with fluid
Is there any chance your ds has enlarged adenoids that doesn't help with was infections? How's his breathing?

Also are you totally sure both grommets are still in?

Thanks for your replies.

Deewe it was July last year ds had the op so his ear has been oozing for about a year now! His ear infections stopped by the time he was about 3, the grommets were put in because of the glue ear/poor hearing. I really haven't noticed a difference in his hearing, though he has had a repeat hearing test and that shows it's better. I think he has just got into the habit of saying what pardon without actually trying to listen to what I'm saying! Unless ofcourse I ask if he wants sweets. He could hear that if I whispered 3 streets away

AnotherTimeMaybe yes the grommets are both still in. It was only about 2 weeks ago the GP looked and they were still there then. It is oozing again now (finished a/b last Monday) so I've booked a GP appointment and will mention about adenoids.

I don't think his breathing is too bad but in the past he's gone through stages of horrific bad breath, could that be an adenoid thing, if they're full of horrible fluid? (I've had his bad breath checked out and the GP came to no conclusion about it)

Well some gps are not experts on the field but yes that could be a sign
If you can check if he sleeps with the mouth open