My DD is 3years old and for the last 2years has suffered with constant ear infections, with burst ear drums. This has led to a permanetly perforated right ear, and we are currently waiting to see if the perforation in her left ear is going to heal or not.
Initially we went along with the Doctors' advice (and we saw dozens) and then along with the Consultants' advice. What more can a parent do ? BUT, after two years, we started questioning if there was anything else we could do, and have discovered several things that the Docs just either don't know about or can't be bothered to tell you. So, I am posting this in order to spread the word of alternatives that we have only found ourselves, too late to prevent damage to our own DD's ears and hearing, but hopefully may help some of you out there currently wondering what to do. Please note that I am not advocating ignoring your GPs - you must always go to them - but hopefully this may give some food for thought. Also to note is that there are many ranges of severity in these cases, from mild pain to severe. Or the occasional burst ear drum with goo (most likely to heal) or constant burst ear drums with goo (possibly leading to scarring of the ear drum which can affect hearing permanently, or a permanent perforation). So, please make up your own mind as to which of these (if any) you try:
Mullein Oil - If the ear drums are not burst then this is a good herbal tincture which is said to relieve the pain. Do not use if the ear drum is burst. You can find this at Neals Yard, or other hebalist suppliers.
Milk - Milk can exacerbate mucus production, so if your kid has a heavy cold, try an alternative
Antibiotics - to give or not to give ? It depends on which Doc you see. Some will tell you they don't work, some tell you to wait and see if it clears up by itself before prescribing them, and some will tell you off for not coming in to see them immediatly. It seems that some infections are caused by bacteria (so antibiotics will work) and some by viruses (where they won't). Certainly for us, sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't which I suppose makes sense. You can always ask for swab to be taken, although it will take a day or two for the results and in the meantime you need some sleep. You and your Doc will need to discuss and decide.
Sofradex - these are ear drops which are excellent when the ear drum has ruptured and there is goo coming out. They are an alternative to antibiotics but can be used at the same time if the condition is accute. We found them to be brilliant and clear up the infection within 2-3days. You may need to ask for them, as not one of the Docs that we saw suggested them.
Decongestants - you probably already know about the plug-in vapour decongestants - karvol and calpol - which work to help your kid breath more easily at night. But we have discovered Sudafed for Kids.....
Sudafed for Kids - we were at a desperate point when we discovered this product and were very cross that no-one had suggested it before. When I mentioned it to our Consultant, he said that the liturature on it is 50:50, but hey, when we're trying to save the ear drum in the second ear - in my humble opinion it's worth a try ! Basically it dries up the cold, and I imagine if there is less mucous, there will be less pressure on the ear drum, and hence less liklihood of the ear drum bursting ? You decide !
Grommets - these are small tubes which sit in the ear drum allowing the air to circulate, facilitate draining and thus the small bones in the middle ear can move freely. Your Consultant will advise.
Pneumoccocal Vaccine - again, not one Doctor asked/checked if we had had this. I found a reference to it in a very useful leaflet on '"Ear Infections and Glue Ear in Children" published by Deafness Research UK. They will send you the leaflet free of charge from their website. The vaccine is offered as part of the UK national childhood immunisation programme against a wide range of bacteria causing ear infections. Go to www.patient.co.uk/printer.asp?doc=40002062 for information that my GP gave me when I asked about it (forgive me for the rant - but when I asked about it she said it was for old people to prevent pneumonia - but please see first paragraph stating that it can help with otitis media (ear infection) !)..
Age - age is a big factor. It's all to do with the eustacian tubes which are narrow and horizontal in small infants, but seem to get into a more downward sloping direction as they get older. So most kids will grow out of the problem of blocked tubes (leading to infection) as they grow. It has been said that when they reach 2-3yrs it will get better. For some kids however, it doesn't get better until they get older around 7-8. I don't know if this is connected or not, but possibly it ties in with when the second teeth drop down, thus creating more space in the area ? Just a guess on my part - tbc.
Myringoplasty - this is a surgical procedure to repair the ear drum with a graft. At one point we were assured that having a perforated ear drum was not a problem as it could be 'fixed'. The Consultant was very unforthcoming with the information that the procedure is thought to be more succesful if done when a teenager ! So, only 12-14years of blocking the ears every time she has a hairwash or wants to go swimming. At 3yrs old she's not complaining too much - not sure how she's going to feel about it when she's 10 and wants to go splashing and diving in the sea with her friends. I found a research paper published in 2008 (Factors that affect the success of Myringoplasty, Scholck) which states that the success rate of the procedure for her Chronic condition as only around 60% (not great)and that's to fix the ear drum. Any damage to her hearing is not likely to improve after the op.
Hearing Tests - a new thing apparently - but if you are concerned about hearing loss then you are allowed to self-refer yourself to the Audiology Dept at your local hospital. ie you do not have to go via your GP.
So, to summarize, your GP is always the first port of call, but in our experience it's worth doing your own research too.
If anyone has more advice to give - please do - it'd be great to have a one stop shop of information.
Hope it helps !