My Daughter Cannot Hear Too Well!!

[xenaprincess]

Thanks Jen for that advise! It's not the first time I heard mention of peroxide...I'm going to try it today! My father always told me to never use Q-tips in the ears...so I never have. I use them sometimes to clean the outer ear, but would never put it into the ear drum! My mother was TERRIBLE for using q-tips on us and if we didn't have q-tips, I remember her using bobby-pins!! She was always a little fanatical about clean ears! :rolleyes:

 

[Linda/NJ]

Sharon: Sending your daughter tons of speedy healing vibes~~~~~~~~~~

 

[xenaprincess]

Well, she had the hearing test and we know now that she has fluid in her ears and has substantial hearing loss because as a result. She could not hear anything at the front of the ear...only behind (in the back) the ear. I was listening to the tech tell her to repeat what she says and when my daughter remained silent, my heart sunk! Thankfully it is not permanent. The result will be sent to her doctor, and he will follow up. Usually this should correct itself, but the tech said that the doctor will more than likely drain the ear.
Thanks everybody for your care and concern!

 

[jmb9101]

I really hope she is feeling better soon!!!

 

[rog1006]

OK, so something we have tried is ear candles. This is a cone shaped material that you actually burn the end of and it somehow pulls the wax and gunk out of your ears. It's truly incredible. We got them at a herbal-type store. My husband gets a TON of wax in his head () so we use them once a month or so. I would check with the doc or maybe a holistic doc to see if it would be okay to try it. You just lightly sit it in the ear....


I wish I knew how it worked! :confused:

 

[2BoxersnOhio]

Having suffered from hearing problems ALL of my life.. I know what your daughter is going through. From the time I was in 2nd grade, I failed all of my hearing exams. I had tubes put in when I was very young. 1 came out on its own and the other had to be removed. In the last 14 years, I've had at least 3 or 4 surgeries on the right ear, and I believe 3 or 4 on the left. I had (not sure if it's spelled right but I'll try) Cholesteotoma in right ear diagnosed 14 years ago and in the left about 5 years ago. It's a cyst on the eardrum and can eat away at the drum. The first surgeries were to remove the cyst(s). The subsequent surgeries were to try and restore the hearing. It was explained to me by my last ENT that you have 2 bones that stand up side by side like | | and mine were more like / | (1 fallen over) so they tried to stand the bone back up. It didn't always work hence the going back in to restore it. Right now my hearing isn't TOO bad. But because I have gone half my life without the the best of hearing, when it is normal (like when it "pops" open), it's too loud for me and I can't handle it.

Hopefully they catch whatever is wrong with her now. Having crappy hearing really sucks. I've always been afraid of talking to people because if I don't hear everything they say, I feel like an idiot. To this day, I still find myself nodding and smiling when I didn't understand what someone said. Because I don't want to constantly say WHAT?

There are a few good points. I can lay down on my "good" ear and leave my "bad" ear face up and be able to fall asleep cause I don't hear my surroundings (or can drown hubby's snoring out) Or I can ignore people and say Oh I'm sorry I didn't hear you :D

GL to her.. let us know what they said

 

[xenaprincess]

So Jessica saw the ENT today and bottom line is she will have tubes put in both her ears!! She is hearing at 60-65% right now as her ears are full of fluid! She was also put on another antibiotic, Cefprozil, as both ears are infected again! :( She had x-rays as well on her adnoids because she is showing symptoms of enlarged adnoids (drooling, dark under the eyes, snoring, speech). My teenager had the same when he was her age and had his adnoids removed 4 times as they kept growing back!! :eek:
She was a real trooper today with the ENT! She is absolutely terrified of tongue depressors because the pediatrician gagged the poor kid the last time he saw her! She was laying on the table and he had the nurse hold her hands above her head and when he stuck that depressor into the back of her throat, her foot came up and connected the doctor upside his head!! :p He was not impressed at all and gave her heck! I told him it was his own fault..I warned him. Anyway, the ENT was GREAT! He had her hold his hands while wearing the light on his head (on a headband) and told her he had no hands left to stick a depressor in her mouth! She laughed! Then he gave her a toy depressor to take home that is candy flavored! When we were leaving she told the ENT that she loved him! lovicon awwwwww!
She will have the surgery once the x-ray results for the adnoids are in. Wish her luck!

 

[Evie&Adam]

He had her hold his hands while wearing the light on his head (on a headband) and told her he had no hands left to stick a depressor in her mouth! She laughed! Then he gave her a toy depressor to take home that is candy flavored! When we were leaving she told the ENT that she loved him! lovicon awwwwww!

That's cute! and it will make her treatment that much easier!! I'm glad you have a treatment plan now.

Now, maybe you guys can take a (much needed) break?

 

[BoxerS.C.]

I had a bad ear infection about ten years ago in one ear and when it cleared up it went to the other ear.

Now I have some hearing loss in both ears.
When someone is'nt looking in my direction when they speak or there is alot of background noise(loud radio or t.v.) I cant hear.

I hope all goes well.

 

[Putermom]

((((((hugs to you and Jessica))))) I can totally relate to what you're going through. My DD is now 8 1/2 and 7 weeks ago went through her 3rd surgery. She had her first set of tubes when she was only 11 months old. Then, her second set went in, had her adenoids taken out and had a perforated eardrum (that wouldn't heal on it's own) patched at 5 yo. Then 2 years ago, she had yet another bad ear infection that perforated her patched eardrum again. We gave it 2 years to try and let it heal on it's own to no avail. She went through her 3rd surgery mid-November 2004 to have cartildge taken out and used as a patch on her eardrum.

All through this...since she was an infant until now...8 or so years...she has had on and off hearing problems. Very minor...but when the fluid build up was at it's worse was when her hearing problems were worse. The tubes were miracle workers in her case. I truly believe that they actually saved her hearing from permanent damage. The tubes allow air and fluids to pass through, so no build up and better hearing.

We just went for a hearing test with the audiologist in the sound proof room and they ran a bunch of tests...and her hearing is now within normal range!! You don't know how happy we were to hear this. We were so afraid that she would have some hearing loss...abeit minimal.

Please hang in there...she will outgrow this and trust your gut feelings with the ENT...esp if Jessica loves him!!! Don't be afraid to get second and third opinions. I know it's a scary journey but it's possible with all the problems she is having now...that it can have a happy ending. My DD is living proof of that!!!! It was a long journey to get there but we had faith in God and our ENT. He's been with her since the beginning. He then referred us to another ENT who specializes in the cartiledge patches in children (new technology and advance in medical field). We went with his recommendation b/c we knew he had Amanda's best interest at heart. He wasn't as familiar with this technique as this younger doctor...who has done tons of these procedures. This new ENT is over an hour away but we love him too! We are now back to our original ENT and we are all very happy.

Good Luck. and feel free to pm me if you have any questions!
Cathy