About to not book - 22 month old - flying w/ fluid in ears -

We were just about to book our Disney trip for early June %26amp; we found out from the audiologist that our son has fluid in his ears, so now I鈥檓 thinking of not going. (Our son will be 2 in July, we were getting his hearing tested for Early Intervention because he is having a language delay). The audiologist said that he will most likely be one of those kids screaming in pain on the descent. He has no ear infection, but he has fluid in his ears that is affecting his hearing. I was so excited to go on this trip, but I don鈥檛 want to put my son in pain. My pediatrician said we could absolutely fly, but I鈥檓 apprehensive. (I am having fears of his poor little eardrum burstig, the doctor said there is a very small chance of that happing)

The trip would be 5 weeks from now, has anyone had an infant fly with fluid in their ears? I would really appreciate any advice.

Thanks for any help,

Marina

About to not book - 22 month old - flying w/ fluid in ears -

Did you ever try dropping a couple drops of alcohol in his ear that%26#39;s what I do for swimmers ear and that will dry up that water or even waving the hairdryer pass his ear a couple times that works for us to while were on vacation cause my sons ears fill with water and he can get a ear infection like that and that is very painful

About to not book - 22 month old - flying w/ fluid in ears -

We%26#39;ve done the whole ear-infection thing so many times... Here%26#39;s our story...

The first time our little guy flew he was 9 months old, at his nine month check he had fluid in his ear but no infection so they gave us some ';numbing drops'; to put in right before take-off %26amp; landing, %26amp; told us to have him suck on a bottle or pacifier, and use Tylenol. We had no problems.

The next time he was about the same age as your little one. When he was about 15 months old he started having ear infections that wouldn%26#39;t clear up even with antibiotics, so they put tubes in. We went through three sets of ear tubes, and he also had his adenoids removed to help cut down on the infections. He%26#39;s almost six now, and hardly ever gets an ear infection. The tubes have fallen out, and hopefully we%26#39;re done with all that. His hearing and speech are good, and he%26#39;s flown on 11 vacations, with and without tubes. We still give him Tylenol and now Benadryl before we travel, and have him chew fruit snacks on landing and takeoff. One time he threw up, other than that we%26#39;ve never had screaming. He often has fluid in his ears or a slight ear infection (last month we flew to Mexico and he had an ear infection, with fluid in one ear, he was on antibiotics), and he had no pain.

Travel, don%26#39;t worry about it. Even if he is the one screaming on takeoff and landing, others have done it, Lord only knows how many times we%26#39;ve been sitting next to them! If people give you trouble, just explain the situation. Don%26#39;t let it make you cancel your vacation! Ask the doctor for the numbing ear drops!

pokerolls - the water is behind his eardrum, so there%26#39;s no way to dry it out like swimmer%26#39;s ear.

I presume the doctors are going to insert grommits in his ears to remove the fluid (2 of my 3 boys had this same prob-glue ear and one had the op twice)? If so, can%26#39;t you get it scheduled before your trip?

Anyway, I have to say that my 20month old who had this done, was already talking better on the way home from the hospital that night! He was listening to the car radio and singling along- it really helped him. He had to have it again a few years later, but his older brother only needed it once.

the best way to help is keeping him awake for take off/landing. Make sure he is thirsty (don%26#39;t give him a lot of luids in the hours leading up) and give him a bottle or sipper cup after takeoff, before landing as it helps. But if he has glue ear, the only thing that really helps is the grommits.

She didn%26#39;t say the water was behind his ear I have 5 kids I think I know alot about those type of things sometimes the water just sits in there my yougest son us to just let the water run in his ears thinking that was cleaning it and it wasn%26#39;t I try home remedy book first before I put my kids in much more pain at the doctors with needles and things get a home remedy book first and if that doesn%26#39;t work then see what the doctors says but ever time my kids got water in the ears I did home remedies first and they always worked

The language differences here are SO funny! Grommits! They do kind of look like grommits, don%26#39;t they? And, glue ear? I guess the infection is kind of sticky like glue! That%26#39;s why this forum is so fun!

Yikes, I%26#39;m sorry pokerolls, I didn%26#39;t mean to offend you. It%26#39;s just that it%26#39;s two different things, and the way that she said ';fluid in the ear'; and ';fears of his poor little eardrum bursting';, I assumed it was behind his eardrum.

Please don%26#39;t take offense, that%26#39;s the last thing I meant.

When we visited in March my daughter got an ear infection while we were there. Going to the clinic was a nightmare and I was so worried that she would be in a lot of pain flying home. I gave her motrin an hour before take off and she chewed gum and was fine. We visited the pediatrician the day after we returned and she did still have an ear infection and fluid in both ears. I kept asking her and she just had no pain. I wouldn%26#39;t cancel your trip. If your pediatrician said it would be fine then I would still go on vacation.

Marina,

The numbing drops work wonders and are prescribed by your doctor. Our 4 year old had the same problem with fluid behind her eardrum and we just had tubes put in 2 weeks ago and everything is wonderful. The pressure that they feel is awful. I am an ER nurse and we see so many late night visits from kids with ear pain, not necessarily an ear infection, but the fluid behind the eardrum is so painful. It is good to keep him upright while taking off and landing and to have him drink something at the same time. It really helps to not have him lying down. Take a sippy cup and fill it with his favorite drink and bring along a snack and just have him drink during takeoff and landing. Our daughter was having weekly trips to the doctor for ear pain and finally he just said he would put the tubes in and she is so much better. I don%26#39;t know if this is the EXACT same situation that you are in, but it is worth a trip to the ENT to see if this would relieve the pain. Hope this helps and you go on your trip. Have a great time!!!

Donna

Hi, i%26#39;m an audiologist here in Brazil. Ask your kid%26#39;s pediatrician about giving Dramin (I don%26#39;t know if you have this kind of medicine over there) for motion sickness and to relax on the flight or Tylenol (for the pain).

Just do not drop anything like alcohol, oil, etc in any case. Here people also do that, but as professionals we definitively do not recommend.

I agree with %26#39;Sand%26#39;, travel and don%26#39;t worry about this. In the take-off and landing, give him water, juice, chewing gum, pacifier...You won%26#39;t have any trouble.