ear fluid

I'm hoping you can enlighten me on this topic.This has been buggin me all week.
DH took dd to ENT dr Monday because the pedi told us she had wax build up in her ears and they needed to be cleaned out. After doing this the dr said that she had fluid in both ears but since she hadn't had a fever and wasn't unhappy to let it go for 20 days then put drops in her nose that would decrease her runny nose and also act as an antibiotic for her ears. After 5 days of that then we take her back. If her runny nose is yellow or green or she seems like she's in pain do the drops earlier. Dr also said that she now has about a 20-30% hearing loss due to liquid. Dh doesn't ask that many questions when he goes to the dr. I think this sounds so so so strange. Like why would you let something go for 20 days? Does she expect something different to happen on it's own because she cleaned out the wax? We decided to start the drops tommorrow and take her back after 5 days.
I know in the past the pedi diagnosed ear infection and she didn't have yellow or green mucus out her nose, didn't have a fever, and seemed happy. We totally didn't expect to hear she had an ear infection then.
Is there a difference between liquid in the ears or an ear infection? Do the drs recommendations sound strange to you?
Thanks so much.

 

Liquid in the ears (fluid in the ears) is different from ei's. Fluid is not supposed to be in the eardrum and many children just have fluid in their ears. An ear infection is when the ear drum is red or has pus around it. The fluid around the ear can get so bad that it is like glue (that was my dd's case). Usually when fluid won't go away (its not uncommon to wait a few weeks to see if it goes away) tubes are put in. My dd just had her 3rd set put in last week. Too much fluid in the ears can make the kids hearing sound as if they are under water trying to hear someone talk to them who is not in the water. I would suggest getting tubes in your dd's ears.

 

OK, from what I remember -

There are mucous type membranes in the ears, are kind of moist to begin with, and they constantly need to drain, but are made to do so. An ear infection is when the fluid does not drain out as fast as it should and gets infected. You can have some fluid in your ears and it not be infected. But the longer it remains or builds up, the better chance of getting an ear infection.

When you get ear tubes (one of my twins did) the tubes allow the fluid to come out through the ear drum and not drain as designed - but still gets the fluid out. That lessens the chance of ear infection. And once the fluid gets infected, I was told a lot of times it thickens up and is harder to get to drain out of the ear.

When DD3 had fluid in her ears, it decreased her hearing by about 50%, but was likened to her being under water. Once the fluid was gone (she did has ear tubes), her hearing returned.

Maybe they want to see if the fliud drains out on it's own or if she is going to develop and ear infection? I think the ENT is trying to get your DDs cold cleared up so she doesn't get an ear infection, but that's just me guessing.

(disclaimer - not a dr., but trying to remember what all we were told by the ENT for our DD3 - but someone more trained or with more experience might be able to help out more)

 

Thanks so much for your posts.
I have a question. Is it possible the fluid in her ears are due to her cold? like the mucus from the nose goes to the ears and when her cold clears up so will the fluid? We'll go back to the ENT on monday to have her rechecked but I'm thinking about it and trying to understand it better.
Thanks

 

QUOTE(axpan @ Jan 17 2008, 12:30 PM) [snapback]576773[/snapback]
Thanks so much for your posts.
I have a question. Is it possible the fluid in her ears are due to her cold? like the mucus from the nose goes to the ears and when her cold clears up so will the fluid? We'll go back to the ENT on monday to have her rechecked but I'm thinking about it and trying to understand it better.
Thanks

That's part of why it gets infected supposedly. The junk from the nose and sinus passages works it's way into the ear, gets the ear irritated, gunks up all the stuff in their ear (technical term, but best I could come up with) and then it gets too thick or too much to be able to drain out on it's own. Getting rid of the infection slows down the stuff that already drains in the ear from being produced in the first place, and allows what is in there to drain out better.

Good luck with your visit on Monday!

 

QUOTE(axpan @ Jan 17 2008, 05:30 PM) [snapback]576773[/snapback]
Thanks so much for your posts.
I have a question. Is it possible the fluid in her ears are due to her cold? like the mucus from the nose goes to the ears and when her cold clears up so will the fluid? We'll go back to the ENT on monday to have her rechecked but I'm thinking about it and trying to understand it better.
Thanks


As an audiologist, I think I can handle this one! The others were right about there can be fluid in the ears without it being infected. Often times, you will get this with colds, allergies, etc. The eustachian tube in children isn't vertical (it does so as they grow) so that's why kids are more prone to fluid in the ears because it doesn't drain out properly. The fluid can just clear up on it's own. There's no need for antibiotics unless it's actually infected. And, the presence of fluid can cause a hearing loss (usually temporary). It's not unusual to wait a few weeks because it often clears up on its own. If it's a persisten problem, then tubes are often put in.