This cold that is going around - help with diagnosis and treatment!

[Galatea]

I feel like my 4 kids have been sick for two months.  I think it is b/c I started taking them to the gym daycare a few months ago so I could run on the treadmill.  Anyway.

It started with ds1 and dd developing ear infections with gooey eyes - yellow goo that crusts overnight.  They were prescribed amoxicillin which did seem to help pretty quickly.  Then ds2 and ds3 developed the eye crust and got antibiotics.  I got a terrible sore throat and ear pain like I get every year at this time and I got antibiotics.  Then two days ago, the baby started being gooey and snotty again, this time with a fever and dry cough, and now dd has a high fever and gooey eyes and dry cough.

I am at my wits' end.  I don't want to take or give antibiotics unnecessarily, but dh had terrible ear infections as a child which resulted in hearing loss, so if the kids ever have ear pain, he insists on getting an Rx.  I have no idea what is going on with these kids, but they have been sick for months, and the goopy eyes means that we have to cancel every single activity b/c other people freak out if a child's eyes are even slightly pink, even if it is not conjunctivitis and is just part of how they look when they are sick.  WWYD?

[PAgreenmama]

whatever is going around this year is super nasty!

have you tried garlic oil in the ears?  you should be able to find it at any health food store.  also, chiropractic is really helpful for ear infections.  other than that, i would just up the vit d, vit c and probiotics.  

i hope everyone is feeling better soon!

[Galatea]

Thanks!  Dd has mild viral pneumonia!  Doc thinks she will turn the corner tomorrow.

[Snapdragon]

I don't have any advice :( sorry you guys are going through this! Just wanted to agree that something tenacious sure is going aorund- and ds and I have it:( I don't usually catch those flues too often but whatever I got is big and sticking around- and ds has a chest cold and nasty cough- it sucks