Never ending ear infection

[Worriedears]

My DD has now had an ear infection for going on 8 weeks and I’m starting to get really worried.

We have had four rounds of oral antibiotics and one of antibiotic/steroid ear drops but nothing is shifting it. It’s the same pattern every time - it seems that she is getting better for a few days, but by the end of the course her ear hurts again and is full of discharge.

We’ve seen an ENT privately who did some microsuction. He told us the drum is definitely perforated and looks quite inflamed but seemed pretty confident the drops would sort it, but unfortunately it has still come back again. We’re also waiting on results from a swab taken by the GP but have been told this might take another week to come back (and it has already been a week).

Is there anything else I can be doing to help her? Her sleep is terrible and she is really not herself.

Have a look at her tongue, does she have a tongue tie?
Perhaps see a good myofunctional therapist to ensure she has the correct swallow pattern.

Both my dd 26 and I had chronic ear infections as kids and I didn’t realise that your tongue should sculpt the roof of your mouth and the pressure when swallowing correctly massages the eustation? tubes clearing them.

We did both grow out of ear infections at around 8 years old as the eustation tubes change in angle as they grow so drain naturally.

Was blooming miserable before that.

I have recently read that you can try something like hydrogen peroxide in ears to clear infections but it sounded a little scary.

I had a fungal ear infection (caught from a swimming pool). Antibiotics make those worse :/ GP had to send off a charcoal swab and was surprised by the result. It might be worth trying a acidifying ear spray - they are basically vinegar. Can help with fungal ear infections (if that's the cause).

Please do not put any drips or sprays in an ear that has a perforated drum unless explicitly prescribed by a gp. I say this as a parent of a child who had endless infections and perforations, and 4 surgeries over 10 years ( and awaiting no. 5). You need to be the squeaky wheel and chase the test results and chase up with gp for ent referral. We had to go to second line antibiotics as first line never cleared things up. With lots of infections and perforations you end up with scar tissue and hearing can be impaired long term too. The earlier they sort it the better. Always have ear plugs for bathing, or swimming, always even when no infection. Your local audiology should fit and provide custom plugs and replace as they grow out.

It was the ENT specialist who prescribed the drops so we do feel confident using them, but they haven’t helped unfortunately. And yes have been calling the GP daily for the test results but no luck yet!