Is there a Doctor in the house ?

[Tron[ADS]]

I took my 4 year old to the GP last Monday for an inner ear infection/fever. The Dr prescribed Amoxycilin, which seems to have worked quite nicely, the infection has been draining nicely all week (aparantly thats a good thing), and now the course of antibiotics has come to to an end and she seems fine now.
However, i forgot to ask the GP if I should be keeping her off swimming for any period of time.....I was going to miss it this week (thursdays), but take her back next week, but now im wondering if its too soon.

Anyone had a child with a similar problem ?

 

[disneyholic family]

I took my 4 year old to the GP last Monday for an inner ear infection/fever. The Dr prescribed Amoxycilin, which seems to have worked quite nicely, the infection has been draining nicely all week (aparantly thats a good thing), and now the course of antibiotics has come to to an end and she seems fine now.
However, i forgot to ask the GP if I should be keeping her off swimming for any period of time.....I was going to miss it this week (thursdays), but take her back next week, but now im wondering if its too soon.

Anyone had a child with a similar problem ?

what do you mean when you say that "the infection has been draining nicely"?
do you mean that her ear drum ruptured and it's actually draining out that way?

If her ear drum ruptured (when my daughter was young this happened every time she had an ear infection) then the only way she should swim is with special ear plugs in her ears......if the ear drum didn't rupture, then there shouldn't be any reason for her to not swim...

but i suggest you call your doctor..

 

[Tron[ADS]]

what do you mean when you say that "the infection has been draining nicely"?
do you mean that her ear drum ruptured and it's actually draining out that way?

Well Im not really sure about this, but since the anti-biotics kicked in, shes been having a discharge of clear (or maybe yellowish) liquid from her ear. This was quite a shock after the first night when she woke up and found her hair all clotted with it. However I mentioned it to a colleague at work shos child had persistant infections and had to have grommets fitted....he said that its the just dead infection coming out, and that it was a good thing, as if it didnt come out, then it would just reinfect persistently and grommets have to be fitted to allow the draining.

Im kind of annoyed with myself for not asking the doctor more about it, all she really told us was "yes, theres a cracking infection there", and I was more bothered about my daughter as she was terrified of going to the doctors for some silly unknown reason.

 

[gilld]

If she had lots of fluid draining, then she probably had Otitis Externa, which means the infection was outside the ear drum - if it was beyond the eardrum and it had perforated she would have been in considerable pain.

Provided she's better and all the seepage has stopped, I'd give her another week and then let her swim. If in doubt, your Dr will be happy to speak to you by telephone - though you might have to leave a number for him/her to call you back at a time convenient for them.

 

[disneyholic family]

Well Im not really sure about this, but since the anti-biotics kicked in, shes been having a discharge of clear (or maybe yellowish) liquid from her ear. This was quite a shock after the first night when she woke up and found her hair all clotted with it. However I mentioned it to a colleague at work shos child had persistant infections and had to have grommets fitted....he said that its the just dead infection coming out, and that it was a good thing, as if it didnt come out, then it would just reinfect persistently and grommets have to be fitted to allow the draining.

Im kind of annoyed with myself for not asking the doctor more about it, all she really told us was "yes, theres a cracking infection there", and I was more bothered about my daughter as she was terrified of going to the doctors for some silly unknown reason.

well that sounds as if the ear drum has perforated..... (when the eardrum perforates, it does not cause pain...the pain is caused by the pressure of the infection itself before the eardrum perforates)...

your friend is wrong - this is not a "good" thing, though it's not a bad thing either....it sometimes happens.....but it doesn't always happen and it wouldn't be bad if it didn't happen...
however it does happen (as it did to my daughter every time, but never to my son).....

in any case, you should call your doctor and tell her about the discharge and ask whether your daugther can swim......only a doctor can tell you what to do in this case...do not listen to friends or posters like me.....only a doctor is qualified to give advice in this area......

 

[Merylj]

There`s also the National Health phone number thingy, they will give you advice. I`m always forgetting about that. My sister (who is a very senior nurse!) often phones them for advice for her kids.

 

[vicky1bfc]

I think i would call nhs direct or just call your doctors and ask the receptionist.

 

[alisonbestford]

I agree with everyones' post

I'd call your GP, or NHS Direct (preferably your GP as he/she will know, precisely, what the problem was) and then, if all's ok, give your DD another week off swimming

As Gilld says, I'd doubt that her ear-drum had perforated as, pain wise, I'm pretty certain you'd all know about it

 

[Tron[ADS]]

I think its probably best I do speak to the doctors, as the diagnosis seems to be needed to be known. I have therefore just send a message to worr lass asking her to do it

 

[gilld]

in any case, you should call your doctor and tell her about the discharge and ask whether your daugther can swim......only a doctor can tell you what to do in this case...do not listen to friends or posters like me.....only a doctor is qualified to give advice in this area......

Perhaps I should have added that I spoke to DH about this - a Doctor!

 

[Tron[ADS]]

I cnat believe it. I just cant seem to get both children healthy at the same time. Spent yesterday afternoon in A&E with my 2 year old on the advice of the GP, due to her showing some symptoms of meninjitis. I met them there to find her alert and wanting to play. She has spent the night being sick though, not fun, but she can be sick all she likes rather than have meninjitis !

 

[wils]

She has spent the night being sick though, not fun, but she can be sick all she likes rather than have meninjitis !

Totally I hope she is feeling better soon though

Before I became a Mum I wondered what on earth my S-I-L did/didn't do to her kids as they were always at the Drs or A&E. Now we practically have NHS Direct on speed dial, book Drs over the internet and when we go to the hospital they recognise us!