Grommets and swimming- any recommendations please?

[pickie]

DS had grommets fitted today and loves swimming.

Information I got seems a bit contradictive as to wear earplugs when swimming or not (he cant go for 2 weeks) and he has to wear vaselined cotton wool plugs in the bath & washing hair to avoid soapy water getting in the ears.

So thought better safe then sorry and get some earplugs, can anyone recommend a brand that will stay in and ideally could be inserted by dS (4) himself or should I not bother?

Depends where you live?!! Know a good place in chelsford Essex that fitted my son with "fitted" silicone earplugs privatly for £20. Been to florida and swimming here loads and they are the best and never fall out.

thanks EddieJo, we are in Oxford but will do a google search for fitted silicone earplugs and see if there is one local as sounds good!

Only thing i do do is put earband on over earplugs just in case!! but have never had one fall out when DH takes him without band!!!!
These were made in a NHS audiology clinic but done privatly - if that makes sense. So it might be worth ringing roound the audiology clinics local to you.

ah many thanks for the tip, will call them as Dh has been to private clinic for hearing loss

gltc do the silicone ones with the ear-band-it which my dcs use both at home and school etc

Not everyone needs them tho - I know plenty of children with grommets that do not use them but my two seem prone to infections if they swim without. We even need to use ear plugs for hairwashing

They are not terribly easy for a 4 year old to insert - my my dd (now 7) manages pretty much by herself but the school teachers still supervise to make sure they are in properly

These silicone ones i'm talking about are made seperately by squirting the wet silicone into the ear canal so they are the most perfect fit.
Mine also is prone to infection if we go without and also use in bath!!

thanks SpringSunshine and EddieJo, will look into these today and hopefully get some next week so he can go swimming asap. Amazes me how quickly they recover. He had the op yesterday and as there was lots of gunk they have given him 10 days of antibiotics to make sure he doesnt get an infection but today he wants to go back to school, swim, no paracetamol and is just a happy little boy who hears much better!!

Good luck

EddieJo, I am having no luck with finding a local company that makes the sillicon earplugs, GP, ENT, pharmacies or sport shops all have no idea what I am on about. Even spoke to swim teacher..

Could I have the number of the service you used so I can call them and see if they know of an audiology dept in Oxfordshire that do them?

Many thanks!

Birmingham Childrens ENT will do them, and I think Redditch ENT as well (just off M42). They don't fall out and seem to be more comfortable than ordinary plugs partly because you don't feel the need to "make sure they are in" and give an extra push.

Hi pickie, I think you may need to ask for swim moulds if you are ringing audiology depts. They are like the moulds deaf kids have for their hearing aids except without the tubing iyswim. Otherwise you could try asking on the national deaf childrens society (NDCS) site, parent place has a section for glue ear and I think a few parents there use them.

thank you KathG and Bigcar, just realised that there is a hearing centre at his school so popped in there and got the right number!

Have an appointment next week Friday at the Pediatric Audiology in the JR and it will be done for free!

Also got some really helpful excercises to do with DS as I feel the grommets havent made much difference but this could be due to not listening which takes time!

Again many thanks!