I posted under General Discussion as I am going out of town this afternoon, and would like some advice quick. My 4 year old ds has a strong, smelly odor coming from one of his ears. There is no drainage. No visible difference from the other ear, i.e. no redness, swelling, etc. When I press on his ear, he says it doesn't hurt. He takes a bath every night, so it's not from poor hygiene. Anyone had a similar problem with either a child or yourself? Thanks so much in advance for any help you can offer.

By Mommyathome on Friday, February 27, 2004 - 12:32 pm:

Hmm, that is weird. No advice here. Hope someone else has some ideas.

By Kate on Friday, February 27, 2004 - 12:32 pm:

The only thing I can think of is that he put something in his ear??

By Texannie on Friday, February 27, 2004 - 12:37 pm:

I had the same thought as Kate. Call the phone nurse at your pediatrician and see what they say.

By Eve on Friday, February 27, 2004 - 01:20 pm:

Everytime my DD has had an ear infection, I smell it. Everyone thinks I am nuts, but I recognize the odor even before the Dr. will say she has the infection.

Could this be possible? Has your DS gotten over a cold recently? That's usually when my DD gets one. I would have your Dr. take a peek and see what's going on.

By Missymelissy on Friday, February 27, 2004 - 02:09 pm:

First thing I thought of was an ear infection -- could the ear be plugged with wax buildup? Have it checked out just to be safe. I used to suffer from many many ear infections and they would stink, it's not the most pleasant odour. Try some warmed ear drops incase there is a build up, I used to use Aurelgin (sp?), I think you could even use cooking oil (not sure if it's olive or vegetable) or it could be mineral oil.

If your little one will stay still have him lay on his side while you look in his ear with a flashlight, you may be able to see something. I'm always checking my ds's ears - I don't want him to go through what I did with all the ear infections.

By Sue3 on Friday, February 27, 2004 - 03:37 pm:

yes, I would call the nurse also.

By Bellajoe on Friday, February 27, 2004 - 04:44 pm:

Could it just be some wax in there? I'm not sure if ear wax smells or not. My dd is a major wax maker! Her dr. always has to pick wax out before he can look in her ear. He tells me to use Debrox ear drops to dissolve the wax.

I would call the nurse too.

By Yjja123 on Friday, February 27, 2004 - 04:57 pm:

Found on the web:

An infection of the external ear typically begins with itching. As it progresses, it can cause ear pain and tenderness. If your child's pain gets worse when she chews or if you gently tug on her earlobe, she probably has swimmer's ear. (Moving the outside of the ear doesn't bother children with infections of the middle ear.) Check the entrance to her ear as well: You may see redness and scaling. Other symptoms include temporary hearing loss and a yellow, watery, or smelly discharge from the ear.

What are the treatment options?
Although it's wise to have your pediatrician take a look at your child's ear, swimmer's ear usually goes away on its own and responds well to home treatment. Keep the infected ear dry, and put in some antiseptic eardrops from the drugstore (or make your own by diluting white vinegar with a little water). Leave them in a couple of minutes, with your child lying on her side so that the affected ear is up, then let the ear drain. Hold warm compresses against your child's ear to ease the pain. (You can also give her acetaminophen, but never give aspirin to a child or teenager, as this can sometimes lead to Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially life-threatening illness.) Your child's doctor may prescribe eardrops that contain a combination of medicines to bring down the inflammation and to kill the bacteria. If the infection is advanced, your child may need to take antibiotics. Depending on her level of discomfort, she may also need another prescription for pain.

By Amy~moderator on Friday, February 27, 2004 - 05:06 pm:

Thanks everyone. I have gone to the doctor and am back now. I just couldn't take the risk of leaving town and him having an ear infection. And...he does! So he is on antibiotics and he has ear drops. Thanks so much to everyone!

By Sue3 on Friday, February 27, 2004 - 09:48 pm:

Glad you went to the Dr.`s. Amy . Sorry though that DS has an ear infection..
It could have been so much worse though if you had not brought him in.
Poor Ds hope he isn`t in a lot of pain.

By Missymelissy on Monday, March 1, 2004 - 01:25 pm:

Amy,

How's your DS feeling?

By Amy~moderator on Tuesday, March 2, 2004 - 12:11 am:

Thanks Sue and Melissa for your concern. He has been on the antibiotics all weekend and will continue them through the end of this week. He says it hurts "a little" but not too bad. Once again, thanks for thinking of him.