New Symptoms.

It's like there is a new symptom every night.

 J is on day 4 of fevers.  She didn't wake us up last night so that was a good thing. E on the other hand woke up yelling and in pain because her ear hurt.  First time every for my kids to have earaches.  Fortunately we had some of that polysporin ear/eye medicine from when J had an eye infection and we were able to use that on her.  But still there was the pain factor and you know when you are in pain that waiting for that 1/2 hour for tylenol to kick in might as well seem like days.

It doesn't help to explain to her that crying and groaning only makes the pressure on her ears worse so I did what any good mom would do.. I read to her.  I grabbed the longest book we had in her room which happened to be The Nutcracker library book she had brought home with her that day.   It's amazing what the power of distraction can do.  Within a few minutes she started to settle down and lay back on her pillow and while she fidgeted this way and that, pressing her blankie to her ear, she listened and gradually she got comfortable and by the time I finished the story, she was ready to turn out the lights and try to go back to sleep.

Of course, never having had to deal with an ear infection in my kids, I wasn't very prepared.  So I quickly googled it before going back to bed in case I was called upon in the middle of the night to help her.

Here are a few suggestions I discovered:

1.  Fill a sock with salt and warm it up in the microwave.  Press to Ear.

2.  Do #1 and add a small amount of vicks vapo rub and then press to ear. 

3.  Stick a small clove of garlic in the ear and wrap head with a towel or cloth. Leave overnight.

4. Take a small piece of onion, place in pot.  Take a small amount of vicks vapo rub and put in pot with onion, when it starts to melt, syringe it and add a couple of drops to ear.

5.  Take an antihistimine, opens up vessels in your sinuses etc. 

The biggest tip I found overall and was supported by a doctor, was heat.  That soothing heat on and around the ear was best.  Also, some one mentioned that a drop or two of the vicks actually instantly takes away the pain.

What I learned from Dr. Oz is that a drop or two of hyrogen peroxide is a great way to test if you are infected.  If it starts to bubble, you have an infection.  Dr. Oz does say the garlic works but they never covered on the show about the vapo rub.

So there you are.  You now know what I know.  Hope it helps.

As for E.  She got up this morning pain free.  Told me that she still  felt a little pressure but other than that she was fine.  We used drops again and sent her off to school.