Possible ear infection in 1yo: Go to doc, or wait?

[ambivamom]

Hi,
I did a search but didn't find what I was looking for; I guess I just want to hear othere folks who have had lo's with an ear infection that they did NOT take to the doctor...OR that I definitely should take it to the doc.

My 1 yo has been having symptoms on and off of distress/discomfort in his ears; concurrent with a tooth coming in AND this last week everyone in the house has had colds with runny noses, etc. Kids even stayed home from school two days to rest fo it. 1yo's symptoms began before the colds manifested.

Initially I treated him with garlic oil and it seemed to make him feel better. But after a week he is swatting his ear and crying out. It's not a pain cry, more annoyance, but I know that they are not always in pain.

He is my fourth son and I have never had this happen before. We go to the doc rarely and try to treat things naturally. 1 yo is unvaxed, although others have had some recently for school.

So, looking for experiences: Would you definitely take him in just to have the ears looked at? Wait a few days and treat with gralic oil or something else?
Is there a worry about HIB?

TIA.

[Panserbjorne]

If what you are doing isn't working then I think it's appropriate to seek additional assistance. You say that he's also teething. What are you doing to help with that discomfort? Have you done anything aside from garlic oil in his ear? If not, how often have you done that? Does it bring relief? For how long? Is there a reason you aren't still doing it if he's still uncomfortable?

I don't like the idea of a little one being in pain. My advice would be to go to the doctor to understand what's happening-find out what the ears look like etc. and then do what you need to to help him. Honestly it sounds like teething, but ear infections aren't something I'd ignore and I'd want to rule that out.

For me I'd be seeing a chiropractor, using homeopathy and cell salts for teething as well as additional issues (possible ear infection?) I'd be using the chiropractor to assess progress to know what we were doing was working. So, if I brought my child in and they had an infection, they'd get adjusted and I'd treat at home. Even if the demeanor totally changed and the child was less irritable, sleeping and eating better and no longer tugging at the ear I'd still follow up to make sure the ear looked better.

I'm a huge advocate for natural medicine, but it does carry the same responsibility in my eyes as conventional medicine. It also requires vigilance. I rarely use one thing to manage anyone's care so I also think it's important to have several tools. For what you're describing that would include home remedies, homeopathy, cell salts, structural work (not by me), essential oils and possibly chest rub (which can be excellent for teething pain.)

I'm not saying you have to run to a doctor at every sniffle. But discomfort that isn't really responding to the one intervention you've tried and has gone on this long *I* think warrants another pair of eyes. IN this instance (as in just about every instance) information is power. Once you know what you're dealing with you have a better shot at handling it. Hope he feels better.

[ambivamom]

Originally Posted by Panserbjørne

If what you are doing isn't working then I think it's appropriate to seek additional assistance. You say that he's also teething. What are you doing to help with that discomfort? Have you done anything aside from garlic oil in his ear? If not, how often have you done that? Does it bring relief? For how long? Is there a reason you aren't still doing it if he's still uncomfortable?

For teething pain I give him cold/hard things to chew on, nurse, and occasionally ibuprofen or acetaminophine (prefer the former) at night to help with sleep. I have use homeopathic for teething in the past but I am out of it now.

I don't like the idea of a little one being in pain. My advice would be to go to the doctor to understand what's happening-find out what the ears look like etc. and then do what you need to to help him. Honestly it sounds like teething, but ear infections aren't something I'd ignore and I'd want to rule that out.

I agree with not wanting to ignore it. I am not familiar enough with ear infections to know how serious it can be...other than the scary language my doc used when I refused the HiB vaccine for my last baby.

For me I'd be seeing a chiropractor, using homeopathy and cell salts for teething as well as additional issues (possible ear infection?) I'd be using the chiropractor to assess progress to know what we were doing was working. So, if I brought my child in and they had an infection, they'd get adjusted and I'd treat at home. Even if the demeanor totally changed and the child was less irritable, sleeping and eating better and no longer tugg
ing at the ear I'd still follow up to make sure the ear looked better.

Can you tell me more about cell salts? I have never heard about that before.

I'm not saying you have to run to a doctor at every sniffle. But discomfort that isn't really responding to the one intervention you've tried and has gone on this long *I* think warrants another pair of eyes. IN this instance (as in just about every instance) information is power. Once you know what you're dealing with you have a better shot at handling it. Hope he feels better.

I agree with you about getting more info. I am leaning toward the doc tomorrow (a good day to go, too b/c hubby is home and can help wrangle the other ones.)