Ear infection, or ear as a toy???

Silver Member Joined: Jul 01 2008 Posts: 678

my DS is playing with / pulling his ear ALL day long - ive been to the Dr twice in the last two weeks since he's also very kvetchy with a bad cold.... and the pediatrician said he can play all he wants but his ears are shiny clear - that some kids just play with them.

how do I know when it IS an ear infection?

he was so out of it all day today and I don't know what to do!!!

A lot of times a fever will accompany an ear infection, not always though.
My son does that a lot too. I'd say if your child starts not sleeping well and just doesn't seem to feel well, develops a fever etc. go back and have the doctor check again.
Sometimes the doc won't be able to see it in the first few days of infection.

Diamond Member Joined: Jun 09 2009 Posts: 3227

When dd played with her ears, it was a sign that they were not infected. Uswually, she did it whjen she was teething, but never with an ear infection.
I would worry about an ear infection if he seems to be in pain, especially at night, when laying down... or if he gets fever.

Posted: Wed, Dec 30 2009, 6:29 pm Post subject:

Not to scare you or anything, but I know a two-year old who passed away because she had an undetected ear infection. By the time she came down with meninginitis, R'L, it was too late.

So me and my entire family are neurotic about ear infections.

It might be nothing, but you can never be too careful.
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Diamond Member Joined: Jun 09 2009 Posts: 3227

My nephew was also Niftar from meningitis (not from an ear infection, though.)
I still think the baby will show signs of discomfort if there's an ear infection. It would only have a chance to end up becoming meningitis if the kid is in pain and you try to wait on taking him to the doctor.

As a side note, if a kid is going to die from meningitis, it will happen whether you take him to the doctor or not. Hashem has His plans, and there are millions of types of viruses and bacteria in the world that can all become meningitis. Even if a kid is on antibiotics for an ear infection, he could have a minor virus that can become meningitis. That's the type of virus my nephew had.

World's best mom, I agree with you a hundred percent, what Hashem wants, Hashem gets, but it goes back to the old argument: should we not use seat belts and just trust Hashem? Not use chemo?

I would NEVER EVER say to the mother of the child who passed away, well, even though you didn't make it to the doctor in time, Hashem must have wanted it anyway. But at the same time, if you don't make the keli, you don't get the bracha to put in it. Doctors are the keli. That they save lives is the bracha.

Diamond Member Joined: Jun 09 2009 Posts: 3227

Platinum Member Joined: May 06 2007 Posts: 8512

How is your baby sleeping? My baby tugs on his ear when he is tired.
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Platinum Member Joined: Sep 10 2006 Posts: 6561

No idea how to tell. My dd never complained about her ear or tugged on it. She just got a runny nose--which I don't generally run to the dr. about.

Basically at most of her checkups after 3 mos, the dr. found ear infections. I would kind of feel lame that I didn't bring her in, but really, she didn't seem so uncomfortable--and well, some kids just always have runny noses in the cold mos--and there's nothing to do but wipe them and fluids, etc.
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Senior Member Joined: Dec 19 2009 Posts: 247

My nearly 3 month old daughter has scratch marks on her ear no matter how short we cut her nails. She grabs it all day long. Her ears are clear as a bell, but she does have bad reflux and a stuffy nose. Dr. says she'sll just be Miss Upper Respiratory Infection for a while until the reflux gets better. And that ears can feel annoying/fluid trapped a lot with reflux babies.

Diamond Member Joined: Jan 19 2006 Posts: 4427

You do realize that many times ear infections are viral, and antibiotics are not prescribed? I also do not believe ear infections cause meningitis. Its easily contracted itself as a stand alone disease.

The same way one can have strept and Pneumonia, without the strept causing the worse infection.

Gold Member Joined: Feb 12 2008 Posts: 2386

DD is just getting over an ear infection.

How did I know? An entire night of non-stop screaming. I went to the doctor which is unusual of me and gave her the antibiotics and now dealing with backlash from side effects.

She is also an ear tugger but when she was in pain she wouldn't touch them. Ear tugging usually means tired. DD also always has bloody ears from the scratching.

I wouldn't investigate an ear infection unless baby seemed very sick. Otherwise it will go away by itself.