Can Ear Infection Affect Your Breathing?

[stilltrying2]

Can An Ear Infection Affect Your Breathing?
MY SON HAS HAD RECURRENT EAR INFECTIONS FOR THE LAST 5 MONTHS. Whenever he starts having more trouble with shortness of breath I know he has to have an ear infection even though he doesn't complain of his ears bothering him.
I took him back to the doctor today and he has 2 ear infections! Once again they have put him on an antibiotic, and I am sure that within a month it will start all over again. I am also plagued with a recurrent sinus infection that has been coming back for months now.
The allergist tested him and showed a dust mite allergy, so the pillows and mattresses are all covered and we already had linoleum tiles in every room, so I doubt this is the problem as even after covering everything possible and not having any clutter of things sitting around to collect dust we are still having problems.
He has been to several specialists and no-one can figure out what the problem is.  He has seen an allergist and she doesn't think it is asthma because he has no wheeze or cough. We have covered bed and pillows but he is still having these episodes. The cardio. doc. did an EKG but found nothing. He does have a murmur but it was said to be harmless. All of this started with an ear infection, which has become recurrent for the last 5 months!

[Enoch Choi, MD]

A CT scan of your sinuses can tell if the ostia (holes that drain the bottom of the sinuses) are clogged up that could be the reason for infections in your sinuses.

I'd have your son try the PFT again if he's old enough to give it a good try.  The breathlessness after exercising do sound possibly like asthma.  An allergist is the best person for this.

An ENT is reasonable if you think he needs tubes, but otherwise it doesn't make that much sense.

Ask your pediatrician if they think a GI doc is necessary.  It's better to have 1 person coordinating the care.

[stilltrying2]

Thank you for all of the great information. I have asked my doctor if my recurrent sinus infection could be fungal and he said "I've never heard of a fungal infection of the sinuses" I then saw an allergist who said they could not even tell if I had an infection without me having a sinus CT scan!  I tried alkalol for a few days but it seemed to aggravate the sinus pain. I really believe it could be fungal!

As for my son, I do think he has asthma...but not really sure that this is what is causing the trouble. The allergist attempted a pulmonary function test but he did not do it correctly. He coughs and is very short of breath whenever he plays and runs outside, but this constant shortness of breath and taking deep breaths seems to be related to his ears, because he only seems to have the problems breathing when he is diagnosed with yet another ear infection. I think I will take him to an ENT and possibly a gastroenterologist depending on what the ENT says?
Thanks again!

[Enoch Choi, MD]

katseye is right about the nasal saline rinses, but i'd be suspicious of any health food herbalist's promises to clear out a fungal sinusitis.  That's a serious kind of infection that is not likely to be cleared by an herb.

katseye is also right that many people have acid reflux (GERD) that cause many of these symptoms.

[katseye]

I don't know how you feel about alternative medical healing, but I have heard that ear problems and sinus problems can also be related to fungal infections and not necessarily bacterial. If you have a health food store near you, you can go to it and ask one of the herbalist what you can do to see if it is fungal and what to get to take care of it or look up online about help for fungal infections of the ears and sinus'. I have the dust mite allergies and did the same that you did with the pillows and bedding, etc.......and I am finding out that my breathing issues are more silent reflux related rather than dust mite related. Reflux, from what I understand, can make allergies worse cause it can back up into the sinus cavities and lungs while you are a sleep. Also, saline rinse helps clear the sinus' as well. These are options that you may want to look into...........hope it helps and God bless you!

[Enoch Choi, MD]

Even if your son was not wheezing when the allergist examined him, he may wheeze at other times.  Ask for spirometry to test for his lung function.

If you have recurrent sinus infections, you may need more prolonged antibiotics, or the addition of nasal steroids or other meds.  See your doctor!

[Wear/a/Jimmy]

It is the opposite.

Please read the link:

http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/otitism.asp