When to visit the doctor?

[GardenStream]

I don't know if this should go here or in Parenting.  Mods, feel free to move this if you think it fits somewhere else.  

DH thinks I wait too long to take the kids to the doctor.  I think DH is a hypochondriac that goes to the doctor at the slightest stuffy nose.

For instance, DS has had a runny nose, a slight cough, and cruddy eyes for the last 3 days.  I think it's just a regular cold, the entire family is sick right now.  As long as DS is acting normal, playing normal, and doesn't have a fever I will let it go.  So, today he starts crying and pulling at his ear and then he wants to cuddle nonstop.  This is very strange for him.  I decided it was time to take him to the doctor.  Of course, I got a huge "I told you so" from DH. 

At what point do you know you need to get a professional opinion when your kids are sick?

[ttcintexas]

I would not have even thought about going to the doctor before the crying, ear pulling, and acting out-of-sorts. Even then I may not have. I work with a homeopath (over the phone in another state), and we do have a pedi we go to for well checks and diagnosis. Part of my decision would be based on what I planned to do with the info the doctor gave me. Would I want antibiotics (my almost 6 year old just had her first round and my 3 year old has never had any) for an ear infection or would I try and treat with homeopathy, natural remedies and treat pain at home? Am I worried about something very serious (when my DD was 3 years old she complained of symptoms that made us concerned about meningitis and we took her to the ER)? Do I want info from the pedi that I can then pass on to my homeopath for treatment?

I don't think it is wise to run to the doctor for every sniffle. They will likely do nothing if it is a virus. They may prescribe unnecessary antibiotics, in the case of many (most?) ear infections. And you are likely exposing your DC to countless other yuckies in the office.

Of course you need to trust your gut and if your child is not acting themselves and you are concerned, they by all means take them to the doctor. What did the doctor say/do when you took your DC in?

In your husband's case, does he find himself being helped by his trips to the doctor for a runny nose? Is the doctor able to "cure" him? Or is he often told to go home and wait it out?

Not sure it that is any help. Good luck and I hope your DC feels better soon.

[EVC]

Generally, speaking, I am not one to rush to the doctor. A fever, runny, and cough certainly wouldn't send me to one, unless the fever didn't go down after about 3 days OR was accompanied by a lot of vomiting OR accompanied by a severe soar throat OR accompanied by a concerning rash. Otherwise, normal cold and flu symptoms don't warrant a trip to the doctor. What would a doctor do about it anyway? 

If I were worried, the first thing I would do is call the advice nurse and discuss it with her. 

As for your dh's "I told you so"--that's just silly. You child likely had a cold that turned into an ear infection. Going to the doctor prior to the pain likely wouldn't have done you much good. Actually, I don't go to the doctor for ear infections, either, unless the pain continues for more than a few days. You can get antibiotics for an ear infection, but various studies have shown that they don't lessen the course of the infection, so we usually just ride them out. 

[GardenStream]

Back from the doctor.  It's a totally normal cold and an ear infection. 

I constantly hear it from Dh and MIL about not taking the kids to the doctor.  I guess they got to me and made me wonder if I really was making my kids suffer unnecessarily. 

Thanks for the reality check ladies.

[ttcintexas]

Glad your little one only has a run-of-the-mill cold/ear infection. Hope he feels better soon.