Tag Archives: ear infections

Ear Infections? New Guidelines May Make It Harder for Your Child to Get Antibiotics

It is a rare parent who is not familiar with childhood ear infections. While my own family has been blessed to have gotten off with relative ease (no chronic ear infections, tubes needed, etc), the fact is that I’ve administered my share of the refrigerated pink goo medicine that gave our kids much-needed antibiotics over the years. As a parent, you get to know the signs and symptoms, the crying and tugging in a young child, the complaining in an older one, sometimes each accompanied by fever or following a cold or respiratory illness. Now, newer guidelines to physicians may … Continue reading →

No More Ear Tubes

If you had a child in the past who has suffered from chronic ear infections, he may have been treated with a round of antibiotics (or several rounds of several different kinds), and perhaps even, ear tubes. I have a five year old who suffered from chronic ear infections and eventually we stopped all antibiotic treatment and we refused the ear tube procedure. At the time (remember this is less than 5 years ago), we were ‘rebels’. Now it seems that our concerns were well founded. Recently, the pediatricians have changed their response to ear infections from “treat it with … Continue reading →

Ear Mites

There are several types of mites that can invade the ear canals of dogs and cats. In fact, ear mites can live anywhere on an animal’s body! Although humans are not affected by ear mites, many other animals can be. Ear mites are extremely contagious and can affect dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, gerbils, mice, ferrets, and other furry pets. The most common ear mite seen in puppies and kittens is otodectes cynotis. Of course, that may only be useful information if you’re going to be appearing on Jeopardy. The symptoms of ear mites are pretty easy to spot. Animals with … Continue reading →

Ear Infections- Many Parents Are Taking A Wait and See Approach

When your child has an ear infection the standard procedure is to take them to the doctor for antibiotics. Many parents today and some doctors are taking a wait and see approach to this common childhood illness. Some parents say that using pain relievers and a warm bath works just as well. Some actually get the antibiotics but then don’t use them. Many doctors are also forgoing ear antibiotics, especially for kids under the age of 2. Most ear infections will actually clear up on their own without medical intervention. Antibiotics work on for bacterial infections but some of the … Continue reading →

Ear Infections – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

If there is good to be found in an ear infection, then it’s the fact that most ear infections are minor and come and go without complications. The bad part of ear infections is that they are so common that nearly all babies will have had at least one by the time they turn three years old. The ugly part of ear infections is that they can be very painful and cause a great deal of disruption in your household. Understanding Ear Infections: The Eustachian Tube This is a small tube that connects the middle ear to the back of … Continue reading →