Ear infections

So,
My son—he’s four and a half—has dealt with five ear infections in just the last two months. It’s always the same routine.😢 He gets either Pfizer or CVS Health, and within three or four days, he's back to normal.

I can't help but feel this isn't right—why so frequent, why the same ear every time, and why does life have to be such a constant struggle?!😠

My mother is completely deaf. She was born with perfectly healthy ears, but as a child, she suffered from endless infections—one after another, dozens of them—leading to multiple surgeries before finally losing her hearing entirely at age 37.
Lately, I've been wondering if my little guy inherited this predisposition from her. Is that even possible? It wouldn't be a genetic disease per se, but could he have inherited the tendency? Or not?

Anyway... I went to see his pediatrician—a highly regarded gentleman—told him this whole story, and played the part of the polite parent—shaking his hand and stroking his ego a bit🙄 just to secure a referral to a specialist.
He refused.🙄 Nothing new there. 🙄

So, I'm curious what the smart people here think: Should I push for a specialist, or am I just overthinking this?

My husband is heading to the doctor this afternoon because we need a few other things, and I didn't quite have the nerve to bring it up myself. I suspect it'll be an interesting encounter.🙄 😁

Get him to see a specialist, seriously!! It’s just not right—having ear infections pop up that often is totally abnormal. Plus, if you've got insurance, you're entitled to a referral from your doctor, and honestly, the fact that this keeps happening suggests there might be some stubborn bacteria hanging out in there. You can't just keep hammering him with antibiotics over and over, especially if they aren't actually doing the trick. Just ask for the referral... they have to give it to you. My mom dealt with some bacterial issues in her ear once and it dragged on for almost a week—she'd take meds for three days and feel better, then boom, right back to square one. She finally got a referral to a specialist, and even though things flared up again for a little bit, everything is fine now.

Don't just blow air into it; go see a specialist.
The approach our pediatrician suggested isn't the answer either... pumping a child full of broad-spectrum antibiotics isn't exactly my idea of medicine. 🙄

My mom used to get ear infections constantly. They actually eroded her middle ear bones, so she ended up needing surgery.
I’ve been prone to the same thing since I was a kid. I get ear infections all the time, which makes me one of those annoying people who whines on an Amtrak train in the middle of summer asking someone to blow air in their ear, making everyone hate me. Honestly, whoever hates me probably has no clue how much an earache actually hurts. Sometimes the pain was so intense I felt like slamming my head against a wall. On top of that, I'm allergic to almost every penicillin-based antibiotic, and lately, even erythromycin. 😢

What actually helped me—and what my mom used to do for me like I was some little kid—was heating up kitchen towels and using them as warm compresses on the ear. It holds the heat longer if you can find a piece of copper tubing, heat it up, wrap it in something, and lie down on the painful side. You could also try dripping some garlic juice in there.

But first and foremost, go see a specialist. These are just quick fixes...

My childhood was basically just one long cycle of ear infections.
After dealing with endless rounds of ointments, antibiotic cycles, rinses, drops, home remedies—like ten years of pure torture, honestly—and seeing way too many specialists, I finally got an answer. Turns out, my ears just don't produce enough of that specific natural lubrication, so instead of sliding out, the stuff just gets trapped and drains straight into the ear canal.
Some doctor, I can't even remember which one, finally figured it out, and everything’s been fine since then.
Just... please, don't let them pump your kid full of antibiotics and all that other junk if they haven't actually pinpointed what's going on.
If you can, go see the specialists. Even if you have to pay out of pocket because you can't get a referral, just do it. All those meds I took back then? Yeah, they probably did more harm than good, but hey, I guess I should thank God I still have my hearing.

You definitely need to get him to a specialist and make sure they take an ear swab.
Frequent ear infections can actually be caused by tonsillitis. You should also look into those adenoids too—they're a huge reason why these ear issues keep popping up.

Thanks, everyone.🙂

My husband is taking him this afternoon—I've had quite enough of doctors lately😢
hopefully he'll provide the referral😕

It is likely just frequent middle ear infections.

Let me attempt to explain this clearly.

There is a small passage connecting the nose to the middle ear known as the Eustachian tube. Its purpose is to channel air from the nose into the middle ear. This is vital because it equalizes the pressure between the middle ear and the external auditory canal. If the Eustachian tube becomes blocked, air cannot enter, creating the perfect environment for an infection to develop. Furthermore, the eardrum can become sucked inward, which results in hearing loss. If the infection progresses, fluid builds up in the middle ear, causing pain. Should the Eustachian tube remain obstructed, that fluid eventually has to escape—usually by rupturing the eardrum, allowing fluid and blood to drain through the outer canal. While the eardrum eventually heals, repeated ruptures can leave scarring, rendering it non-functional and leading to permanent hearing loss.

Now that I have provided that explanation, I must point out that the most common cause of a blocked Eustachian tube is nasal congestion or rhinitis. This could be bacterial, viral, or—most commonly during this season—allergic (birch pollen is extremely allergenic right now). Regardless of the type of rhinitis (which you will need to determine), the priority is keeping the nasal passages clear. If the child begins complaining of ear pain or muffled hearing, do not skimp on nasal drops. And I am not talking about simple saline sprays; use the effective ones (operil, Ben, pseudoephedrine, etc.). The correct administration method is as follows:
- First, have them try to blow their nose to clear any mucus.
- Have the child lie on the bed with their head hanging slightly off the edge.
- Apply 1-2 drops into each nostril and instruct them to inhale through the nose as much as they can. Leave them in this position for at least 5 minutes.
- While lying there, have them make the "K" sound or say words containing "K" (don't be silly 😉 tell them to say "Manhattan"). This is because the "K" sound lifts the soft palate, increasing the likelihood that the drops reach the nasopharynx where they need to act.
- Repeat this process 3-4 times a day, and ensure you do it before bedtime.

If you start the drops promptly and clear the Eustachian tube, the infection may never even develop, meaning antibiotics won't be necessary.

That said... it wouldn't hurt to have an ENT specialist take a look. 😉

👋

P.S. For heaven's sake, do not put anything into the ear itself or the outer canal. You never know if the eardrum has already ruptured, and in that case, you would simply be introducing an infection deeper into the ear.
P.S.

granitebadger25, you're starting to worry me😲 😁

Regarding those nasal drops... I've had people warn me about overusing them, but there's just no way I'm doing that to him. 😢 He’s a wild little guy from Dale--stubborn as a mule, really--and he'll run five miles straight just to dodge me if I try to administer anything. 😁 We finally reached a sort of compromise by getting that Atlantic Ocean spray; apparently, that's "cool" enough for him😁 that he actually does it himself.

One thing still puzzles me, though... these ear infections—both middle and outer—seem to come out of nowhere. No nose blowing, no cold symptoms... honestly, there isn't even a hint that anything is wrong.
😕

Justin Gonzalez87 said:Regarding those nasal drops... there is absolutely no way I'm doing that to him. 😢 He is one wild, unpredictable guy from Dale.😁 Stubborn as a mule.

Everyone is exactly the same. It has nothing to do with where they come from. 😁
You have to develop your own technique; you don't really have any other choice. In my experience, it works through a systematic cycle of persuasion followed by coercion... and that's just how it goes.

Atlantic Ocean spray is useless; it’s definitely not going to clear his nose. If he's that into the whole spraying thing, I think Operil has a spray version too... though when you're dealing with an ear issue, drops are always the better way to go.

I still don't quite get it... These ear infections—affecting both the middle and outer ear—just seem to come out of nowhere. There’s no congestion, no cold... I mean, there isn't even the slightest hint that anything is wrong.

Wait, what symptoms is he even dealing with? How did the doctor even diagnose an ear infection in the first place?

😕

I forgot to mention one more thing.

Sometimes, you might find that while a child can technically breathe through their nose, the nasal passages are actually still swollen. It’s pretty rare in kids—you see it much more often in adults—but if that happens, the child will be breathing through their nose, yet you'll notice their voice sounds nasally. In those instances, it can also lead to a blockage in the Eustachian tube.

As for the šmrcanje... it may or may not happen.

granitebadger25 said:Wait—what kind of symptoms are we actually talking about here?

None, really. His last bout—just a little while ago—was like this: he woke up, had some chocolate milk, and just mentioned his ear hurt—though he was still busy playing with his toy cars 😕. I checked his temperature, it was 100.4. We went straight to the pediatrician, and they diagnosed an ear infection 😕. The whole thing lasted maybe an hour.
The one before that was a bit more intense; there was quite a bit of crying 😢 and screaming about the pain. But a few hours after taking the liquid medicine, it was gone—poof—like nothing ever happened.
The only thing is, he never gets any šmrcanje with it. 😕

Justin Gonzalez87, you've gotta listen to the specialists when it comes to safety. Better safe than sorry, right? 🙂 My little guy dealt with ear and throat infections twice, and we got him on Pfizer immediately before things could spiral out of control. Those two scares were enough to keep me up at night, so I can only imagine what you're going through.

Just get it handled so everyone can finally breathe easy. Hang in there. 🙂 😉

Update😁
The legalities are sorted. He didn't walk away with any actual referrals—just a tongue scraper and a bit of psychoanalysis😁
He certainly didn't leave without making his point known😁
Now I'm back on the hunt for a new pediatrician. I'm officially crossing this one off the list🙂

Justin Gonzalez87, you can't just joke around when it comes to ear issues. granitebadger25 already gave you the straight truth. 👍

Ear problems aren't something to take lightly. You have to consider the fact that a kid can end up with hearing loss even without a ruptured eardrum.

As for the pediatrician, find a new one. Doctors need to learn how to actually treat their patients. Five infections in two months isn't normal. This needs a specialist's eyes on it immediately.

You also need to watch out for potential hotspots popping up elsewhere.

I’d pay extra attention to any issues with teeth or gums—like exposed roots and stuff.

It’s all right near the ears.

Justin Gonzalez87 said:But you shouldn't be dealing with any nose congestion along with it. 😕

Just ask him—see if he ever gets that sour, slimy taste in his mouth every once in a while.

Justin Gonzalez87, my little Theo is already five years old now...
The constant ear infections really kicked off once he started preschool. Our pediatrician finally told us we needed to see an ENT because having an infection every single month just isn't normal—there’s clearly something going on with his ears, throat, and nose that needs looking into.
granitebadger25 actually described the whole thing perfectly. We ended up going through with removing his third tonsil and having tubes put in his eardrums just to keep the canals clear so the fluid could drain out. Once we did that, the ear infections vanished, but... well, we hit a massive snag. During the procedure at the hospital, the poor kid caught a Pseudomonas infection. We're fighting it now, but without surgery, it feels like we're hitting a wall since it's moved into the bone... honestly, we're all losing our minds back at home...

Seriously, go see a specialist!

I dealt with chronic ear infections constantly when I was a kid. Fast forward to now, and I’ve got hearing loss—specifically at those middle speech frequencies. But, I guess my brain just figured out a workaround because my speech audiogram looks totally fine (thank God, right?). Still, the tonal audiogram shows some slight damage left over from all those old infections.

Find yourself a second opinion.

Gregory Evans82 said:I dealt with chronic ear infections as a kid. Now, I have some hearing loss—specifically in the speech frequencies. Though, somehow—luckily, thank God!—my speech audiogram looks perfectly normal. The tonal audiogram, however, shows slight damage from those old infections.

Get a second opinion.

Yeah... that's how it started for my mom too—except her story didn't have a happy ending like yours did.

I haven't been given a referral; my doctor insists there’s no need.🙄

No specialist, no referral. That's just how it goes, honey.😁 😁