getting used to ear tubes

[Anonymous]

DS got ear tubes about a month ago. he's been congested practically the whole time since, pretty much like he was before the tubes. I thought the tubes would take care of his congestion, by moving more fluid out of his ear/nose cavity. we had the checkup with the ENT, who said his ears look good and that the tubes aren't designed to clear nasal congestion.

anyone else experience this? if so, did your DC's congestion ever go away?

[Anonymous]

OP here... one other thing -- DS often whacks at his ears and sticks his fingers inside, which ENT wasn't concerned about. but, I can't help feeling that it's not normal. I thought kids weren't supposed to feel the tubes. DS isn't upset when he does it; he just does it.

[Anonymous]

Not our experience.

My child got tubes back in May and has been 100% healthy ever since. Not the slightest cough, sniffle, or infection.

[Anonymous]

My son doesn't have ear tubes yet but we are talking about getting them. The way it was presented to me was not that the tubes prevent congestion, only that when he was congested the tubes would make it less likely that the congestion would lead to an ear infection. I don't see how the tubes could prevent him from getting colds. I think if your son is very congested but his ears look fine that the tubes are doing their job - without them the poor thing would probably have had an infection by now.

[Anonymous]

Our 17mo son got tubes two months ago, and we were just marvelling that we hadn't been the doctor in that long. He's been great, and his months long congestion finally went away. He does fiddle with his ears sometimes, but does not seem to be in pain.

Maybe your little guy has an allergy?

[Anonymous]

I recall that when my son got tubes, it took about a month for the accumulated gunk to fully drain from his ears. He started talking a week later and hasn't stopped since, sigh. And, it changed our life - no more taking turns to go to the pediatrician every week or so.

BTW, our son had a second set of tubes a few years later and they took adenoids out as well. That was great for nasal congestion.

[Anonymous]

My daughter got tubes for ear fluid, but they did not help with her constant congestion and runny nose. So a few months after the tubes, her regular pediatrician put her on Nasonex (nasal spray for allergies) and it's been much better since then. DD wasn't "officially" diagnosed with allergies, but there's family history of both allergies and problems with adenoids (which Nasonex can help shrink), so perhaps that was why the pedi was willing to do it. I kind of had to push for it, and the ENT was not willing to prescribe it to her, wanting to do a "wait and see", but after 6+ months of near constant runny nose and mouth breathing, I figured I had enough of a wait. Also, DD recently started touching her ears again (she did it before the surgery, presumably because the fluid was bothering her) - her doctor was also not concerned, said perhaps she could feel the tubes and they were bothering her slightly but that it was normal.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

From the point in time that my son got eartubes three years ago until now, he has only one cold and it wasn't very severe. Prior to the tubes, each cold landed him at the doctor because it would grow into something more serious.