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Original poster

2 year old completely off balance today- help calm my anxiety?

27 replies

minimini358 · 03/12/2022 20:05

So our DD has been poorly with a cold for the last 7 days; took her to the GP on Monday as wanted to get her checked for scarlet fever as it was going round the nursery. They checked her ears,chest all fine.

Anyway, fast forward to today, she's still snotty and a hacking cough, no real temp but she is totally totally off balance- she keeps tripping over, when she stands up from sitting needs 3/4 steps to right herself and keeps veering off to the side slightly. She's never been like this before. No sickness or complaint of anything.

I suffer with awful health anxiety and my mind has immediately jumped to this being a symptom of a brain tumour and I'm going out of my mind 🥺

please could anyone advise whether their little ones have had this before? Will take her back to the GP but they're honestly useless and we only get to see a clinician!

OP posts:
ofwarren · 03/12/2022 20:07

I'd be ringing 111 OP
They may send you to out of hour or the hospital.

viques · 03/12/2022 20:08

Could it be an ear infection or glue ear after the snotty cold affecting her balance,

3partypics · 03/12/2022 20:10

Maybe an ear infection? Have a look right into the ear with a torch and see if it's red? Has she been tugging or touching the ear at all? This can be really common especially following a cold as it's all so closely connected on little ones.

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Sunnydaysahead2 · 03/12/2022 20:12

Get it fully checked, but when I saw the title I thought it would hopefully be the start of a congested cold that is also in the ears/ear infection.

Beamur · 03/12/2022 20:12

I'd hazard an inner ear problem - possibly labyrinthitis or similar? I've had this as an adult and the symptoms you're describing were exactly how it started.
Ring 111 for advice. Much more likely to be something linked to her cold than anything as sinister as a tumour.

Didyeaye · 03/12/2022 20:15

Hi,
even though your brain is taking you to worst. Saw, the reality is it’s far, far more likely to be something more common.

an ear infection is so common at the end of a cold. My DD’s nursery mentioned one day that’s she’d been off balance and falling over. Sure enough, she had an ear infection.

As she’s so young it would definitely warrant a 111 call.

also 💐 for health anxiety, it’s the worst thing I’ve ever lived with in my lifetime

SofiaAmes · 03/12/2022 20:23

It could be transient synovitis. Also known as irritable hip. Basically an inflamed hip joint triggered by a cold. My ds used to get this all the time. It's treated with ibuprofen and time.

Twizbe · 03/12/2022 20:25

Go get this checked out.

It happened to me at this age. Doctor sent mum away saying it was nothing.

Later that day my ear drum burst.

Likely it's an inner ear problem and some antibiotics will sort it

Original poster
minimini358 · 03/12/2022 20:25

@Didyeaye honestly it's just the worst- every day it feels like it takes over and I worry about something being wrong with her 🥺 then I think over and over about 'mums intuition' and that I shouldn't ignore it.

She's fast asleep now (coughing aside) so I'll call 111 first thing in the morning. My
Worry is they checked her ears on Monday and all was fine. Thank you for your thoughts x

OP posts:
freshflowers2 · 03/12/2022 20:26

I had this panic with DS last winter (he was 3). He was a bit under the weather and had a temperature, next thing I know he can't get off the sofa- when he did he staggered and fell over.
I was absolutely beside myself and drove him to A&E. Yep, he had an ear infection. Antibiotics sorted it out.

Mariposista · 03/12/2022 20:26

I’d definitely be thinking ear infection before brain tumour, especially in the context of a bad cold. Can give you horrendous vertigo and balance issues. I got accused of being drunk with one (I had had no alcohol at all, felt too bad to drink!)

RandomMess · 03/12/2022 20:28

Ear infections can come on fairly quickly so fine Monday and not today wouldn't be unusual

User0ne · 03/12/2022 20:32

It sounds like an ear infection. If she's otherwise ok in herself then I'd try and ride it out for a few days before contacting a doctor. If she gets worse, has a high temp etc then you might want to be seen sooner.

Also, my kids were often off balance when having growth spurts. It was like their brains hadn't caught up with their new body size so they'd trip over themselves . Seemed fairly common in the kids at playgroup too.

Original poster
minimini358 · 03/12/2022 20:56

@RandomMess I didn't realise this! In one ear he said there was a lot of wax so found it hard to see in there properly.

It has probably been the heaviest cold I'd say she's ever had but there's no pulling on the ear or anything.

OP posts:
Greentomatoes21 · 03/12/2022 21:04

Transient synovitis is a possibility as mentioned by someone above. Apparently common and, more importantly, it isn't serious. My DD had it aged 3. Woke one morning and couldn't walk at all. Just collapsed if tried to bear weight on it. Rushed to a&e thinking dreadful things - calpol and time. It was off the back of a v v mild viral infection.

Original poster
minimini358 · 03/12/2022 21:06

@Greentomatoes21 it definitely seems to be more of a balance thing than the not being able to weight bear, almost like she is drunk!

OP posts:
Greentomatoes21 · 03/12/2022 21:06

Also agree with PP about ear infections developing v quickly! We would get my daughter checked on a Monday and by Wednesday be back at the doctor with a very obvious ear infection.

Original poster
minimini358 · 04/12/2022 09:00

Have called 111 and waiting for an out of hours gp to call back within 6 hours.

I've tried to look into her ears this morning but all I can see is heaps of earwax, they look really hits full so I can't tell whether they are red.

OP posts:
RandomMess · 04/12/2022 09:11

If her ear is blocked with wax it could be a build up of fluid causing balance issues. Either way if she's struggling visibly with her balance it needs checking.

NameOchangeO1 · 04/12/2022 10:19

Almost certainly just the virus affecting her ears. If it goes on for a couple of weeks it might be worth trying antibiotics but in the absence of a high fever the GP will conclude it is viral and needs to run its course.
My DD used to get like this a few times each winter. There really is not much to do but wait, especially if she isn't obviously in pain or otherwise unwell beyond normal cold symptoms. If she develops a high fever, becomes lethargic etc then reassess.

Original poster
minimini358 · 04/12/2022 14:39

The out of hours GP sent us to A&E as he wanted them to look into it as specialist doctors.

We were sat in A&E for 3 hours and ended up then seeing a GP anyway. He looked in her ears and said that they were 'hazy' but not obviously infected and that it sounds viral rather than any infection needing antibiotics.

We've got to watch and wait regarding the balance thing and see if it's better by the end of the week and if not then back to the GP for them to refer her to the hospital.

All I can feel now is that I'm just having to over analyse and worry for even longer about it 🥺

OP posts:
HoppingPavlova · 05/12/2022 10:53

I’d pay $$ on viral inner ear infection (labarynthitis). Nasty thing, but time heals.

ofwarren · 05/12/2022 11:30

How is she today?

RandomMess · 05/12/2022 11:36

@HoppingPavlova that was my thought too or vertigo.

Original poster
minimini358 · 05/12/2022 11:40

No clear ear infection according to the doctors but a lot of wax and they're hazy apparently. Would this still cause a change in balance?

She's still rather off balance ☹️ just a lot of wobbling, but fine in herself except the stinking cold.

OP posts: