These comments are made for the purpose of discussion and should NOT be used as recommendations for or against therapies or other treatments. An individual patient is always advised to consult their own physician.
Ear Infections
Question: My son (15mos) has chronic otitis media, already has tubes in both ears. Our physician keeps mentioning allergy as a possible cause. Are allergies common in 15 mos. olds? Are there allergy treatments available for children his age?
Answer: Chronic otitis media is diagnosed after several ear infections or inflammations. It is usually not responsive to antibiotics. Placement of “ear tubes” is the usual treatment if antibiotics are not effective. However, tube placement is ineffective in about 15-20% of children. At that point the usual explanation is allergies although medical science has not clearly defined the cause/effect of chronic ear inflammation not responding to “tubes”. It is then common to get an allergy evaluation. Allergies in a young child are less frequent than at a later age.
