Location: in a horse and buggy town missing it's horse
Posts: 2,654
What would you have done?
I took my 2yr old into urgent care (the family doc is on vacation, not that he's ever seen her, but it would have been faster and cheaper) because his ear infection got out of control IMO. and I'm wondering if there is something I could do differently in the future...
He started with a mild upper respitory thing a little over a week ago. It became croup I believe, but I used the vaporizor with tea tree and lavendar oils, Breath Easy from Gessence (a wahm vapor rub alternative) and tried to keep him elevated so it didn't end up in his ears... well it ended up in his ear. This whole time he was running a low fever, maybe 101 (not sure never actually took it) When he started complaining about his ear I put garlic oil in it which he hated and he wouldn't leave the cotton in there. I also started giving him collodial silver. Well Friday his ear started leaking fluid, it was mostly clear and he still had some fever. I continued to put drops in and rub it in behind his ear. Well by Sat. afternoon it was getting pretty heavy and more yellowish and from it leaking all night he had some sores on the outside of his ear. I tried to clean it out and put some more oil in and kept washing the outside off... Sun it's pretty much the same... Mon it's the same but now he's got more sores on his ear lobe and a couple across his cheek... and of course my doc (who's a FP) is on vacation and doesn't have anyone covering her. Of the two other Dr's recommeded by friends one is on vacation and the other is already double booked...I ask a retired nurse friend who is very naturalpathic to come look in his ear (she has an ostoscope) and she says it's full of puss... so I went to the ER where we waited 4 hours for a frickin script! (they couldn't even give him a dose there!) but the infection is in his eye now so we're using ABX eye cream, ABX ear drops, ABX oral This child has never ever had any allopathic meds and now this triple whammy! I feel like I failed, but I'm now sure what I should have done differently. (I had to keep checking on him last night as I was afraid of him having an allergic reaction!)
Location: somewhere between complete exhaustion and utter euphoria
Posts: 5,883
Was his drum ruptured? If so, you should not put oil in. If not, where was the drainage from?
I do not put cotton in the ear after the oil. My kids won't leave it alone either. What were the sores from on the outside of the ear? Those would concern me.
Samantha used to get terrible ear infections. She'd run a 105 fever and have severe pain. This started after a round of IV abx for bacterial pneumonia in the hospital. After 3 or 4 rounds of this in a three month period, I finally stopped letting myself be afraid of the temp and followed my instinct. I put Kerry's Herbals Ear Oil in when she is in pain and just leave it alone otherwise. They are always pain free quickly. I had her hearing tested one time (unrelated speech delay) less than two weeks after one of these episodes and the doc was amazed she had no fluid build up despite still having remnants of the cold that precipitated the ear ache. I have an otoscope ($10 at a drug store) and ooh her ear can look nasty. But, we manage and they are slowly getting further and further apart. I think she had one this winter. And, the fevers stopped with them shortly after I stopped giving the abx each time.
This is what I do. All of this started after she was 3 years old.
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Michelle
-- Mom to Beth, 11 and Sam, 8
I understand your avoidance of "traditional" treatment, but it is an ok thing to have way in the back of your "medicine" bag,,sometimes it is what works, just like sometimes it is homeopathics, sometimes that herbal remedy is ideal, sometimes it is time that heals all. Don't let yourself feel like you "failed" him in any way,,allopathic medicine is not the answer to it all, and is super overused and relied upon in our culture more than instinct and common sense, but it is not an evil, and your child is going to benefit this time because you turned to it!
Other than not continuing the oil after the rupture, there is nothing I would have suggested you do differently. In the future, if your child tends to get ear infections, there are awesome ear ache tablets (homeopathic) that are just awesome. They have saved our hiney a couple of times getting my son through the wait it out period with reduced discomfort. But I think in general, I would feel that once an eardrum is ruptured, it might be time to have a "Dr" take a look.
My older son had lots of ear infections when young. (I did breastfeed him until he was 1, and did all I knew to do, he was just prone to them physiologically) and had 4 ruptures in one ear, and 6 in the other (often his ear would infect and rupture before he showed symptoms by fussing. We truly saw the Dr for a recheck after an infection, he was all clear, and it had filled and ruptured again by midnight of the same night!) in his first year of life..he would take an extra long nap, and I would pick him up and find his ear full of pus! Poor guy,,but he is a very loud child now, Always turns up movies, music and computer up waaaaaay too loud for the rest of the family. his voice is loud,,,I suspect he has had some eardrum damage from the ruptures, and wish a Dr had suggested tubes in that first year (which is not a common thing). He has only had 2 ear infections since that first year of life..so really I think his eustacian tubes were not develped quite right, and he had to grow out of that trait that made him prone to having fluid trapped and infection bloom....
My youngest has had 4 ear infections, only one course of antibiotics when a week of waiting didn't kick it,,no ruptures.
Location: in a horse and buggy town missing it's horse
Posts: 2,654
yes his eardrum had ruptured... I can't find anything that tells me *why* I shouldn't put oil in after the rupture?
The sores were from the puss and cleared up after the first dose of abx.
I wish his fever would have been higher, I think that would have helped.
He's never had an ear infection before, usually doesn't get anymore than a sniffle and cough once a year. Although, the water here makes him puke.
Thanks for the comments and encouragments. I know it's not that big a deal to give abx, but I just hate it. I am glad that he wasn't scared. He actually did really well for the nurse and PA. Surprised me since he hasn't seen a dr since he was 3days old.
Next time he gets a cold, I would start treating his ears even if there is no sign of an ear infection, sort of head it off before it starts.
Also, grapefruit seed extract fights infection like antibiotics. I use that if I think my kids have an infection that needs extra kick. Maybe get some to have on hand.
Breastmilk in the ears helps also. Also works great in the eyes for eye infections.
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Allison
mama to Ara, Simone, and Zarin
This is what we would have done, take it for what its worth to you, especially in those times when I feel as though a good fever would resolve the problem.
You don't want to put anything in an ear with a ruptured drum, as the drum will start to reseal and anything you've put in is not sterile, and could introduce more organisms behind the eardrum, or could be the medium for more growth of the original organism once behind the now sealing eardrum.
This child has never ever had any allopathic meds and now this triple whammy! I feel like I failed, but I'm now sure what I should have done differently. (I had to keep checking on him last night as I was afraid of him having an allergic reaction!)
and Sam, 8 
In the future, if your child tends to get ear infections, there are awesome ear ache tablets (homeopathic) that are just awesome. They have saved our hiney a couple of times getting my son through the wait it out period with reduced discomfort. But I think in general, I would feel that once an eardrum is ruptured, it might be time to have a "Dr" take a look. 
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