Is it normal for young children to have recurring moisture buildup in the ear behind the eardrum?… by Mat
My 6 year old daughter keeps having moisture buildup in her middle ear behind her eardrum. It's an on and off thing. I'd like to know what causes it. Is it caused by allergy? Should we keep her from activities like swimming or cover her ears when she bathes to avoid water getting into her ear? At the moment the GP prescribed ear drops, nasal sprays and various medicines (cough medicines, antibiotics etc.) but she's been on them for some time now (on and off for 2 years +) and we're afraid of any side-effects. We're also afraid that her hearing may be affected due to the eardrum and 3 bones being continually submerged in moisture.
Can anyone help?
Thanks KB my daughter had grommets put in her ears last year and they have since fallen out but after that the problem keeps recurring.
Best Answer:
There are a number of things that don't help this. Antibiotics are of no benefit in reducing the fluid, and ear drops of course are no use, because they are on the wrong side of the drum. On the plus side, this is almost exclusively a child problem and she will most likely grow out of it. Other than grommet insertion, which is also temporary and has the risks of surgery and anaesthetic, steroid nasal sprays are the best medical treatment. Since she is just 6 years, she probably has not yet had the one which in my view is the most effective, as it is only licenced from 6 years.
I have seen Nasonex work wonders, despite the fact that other similar sprays like Beconase, which to be frank is getting a bit old as a drug, and is not very potent, have failed completely. This might be worth a try.
Another option is a tablet called Singulair, ( montelukast ). This is licenced primarily for asthma in the UK, but in the US it is marketed and licenced for rhinitis. It is one chewable tablet at night, is not a steroid, and some specialist GPs and ENT surgeons will prescribe it in UK for this indication. It is a very safe drug, and for asthma can be prescribed for infants as young as 6 months,
Hopefully your GP would not mind chatting about these 2 options with you.
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