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A Pain in the Ear
Ear Infections in Young Children
By Teri Brown
in. Controlling the more painful symptoms of ear infections with acetaminophen or topical anesthetics is generally helpful in making your child more comfortable.
Antibiotics are typically used for five to 10 days if the healthcare provider thinks the child has acute otitis media. Because many doctors are mindful of the amount of antibiotics they give, some experts have advocated "watchful waiting" for children over 2 years of age, a strategy in which antibiotics are not given unless there is no improvement in 48 to 72 hours.
If your child has recurring ear infections you may want to seek out a specialist. An otolaryngologist, also known as an ENT specialist (Ear Nose Throat doctor), will determine if infections are causing permanent damage to your child's hearing. If this is the case, your doctor may suggest tubes.
For Strahl, the trauma of the surgery was minimized by how efficiently it was done and by the long-term effects. "He screamed when we gave him to the surgeon, and we felt horrible," says Strahl. She went to call her mother, and before she knew it they were bringing him back to her. "Frankly, I fought tubes from the beginning, but wish I had taken that approach more quickly after the immediate relief it brought," she says.
To many parents, ear tubes are something to be avoided at all cost, but others find, as Strahl did, that the relief they bring is far better than constantly struggling with the reoccurrence of infections.
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