Ear infection question

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DD (8 months) has had a pretty much continual stream of colds, ear infections, coughs and tonsilitis for the last 3 months.

We had an osteopathy appointment on Tuesday who saw that her inner ears, one in particular, were very red and inflamed. It is pretty much the same any time someone looks in her ears or throat. However, she isn't showing major signs of pain associated with a full blown infection. What I don't know is whether there are different severities of ear infection, with some coming and going without too much pain, or whether an inflamed inner ear will always get worse and more painful unless it bursts or is fought by abs.

Hi. My dd very similar problems when she was about the same age. She was almost constantly on antibiotics for a couple of months with her ears. They were always red and inflammed and are still waxy now. She is 16 months now and hasn't had any ear problems for ages.
I don't think if the ears are just inflammed that she will need antibiotics.
Sorry not much help but I do sympathise

There was some research recently that said that ear infections in children get better 24 hours quicker with antibiotics than if they were left to get better by themselves, and that it was usually better to leave them and treat with warmth and calpol rather than expose children to repeated courses of antibiotics. I'll try and find the article.
FWIW my children have had occasional ear infections and have never had antibiotics for them. My daughter once had one that flared up in the night and ended with a burst eardrum at 4 in the morning. The dr the next morning said they there wasn't any point in giving antibiotics at that stage as the infection had drained (TMI, sorry!) and I was just to keep her out of the swimming pool for a week. She - and her hearing - wer/are fine.