[OldSpice]

It's probably a very good decision that you made by not allowing the doctors to place tubes into the ears (if I recall correctly, the procedure requires the tearing of the eardrum to facilitate the small stents that allow air passage). I am neither a doctor, nor a nurse, but I value the sense of hearing very, very much. I don't know how adversely hearing will be affected by tearing up one of the most delicate, balanced membranes in the human body.

I have done some research on high-end earphones and microphones. When the membranes in them are slightly scratched, scarred or damaged, their performance degrades exponentially.

[TheArizona]

The main point was that the Alive might be effective in avoiding getting sick or at least a less severe experience with flu while still being exposed to build immunity.

I was born with altresia/microtia (a deformed ear) so I live with reduced hearing every day. The military would not take me because I am deaf in one ear. I could have surgery to restore my hearing but it is risky and could make things worse. I have had 5 ear operations when I was 10-12 years old to make it look more normal. I wish I never did it though. At night when it is silent I get a sound that I hear in my left ear that sounds very similar to bacon frying in a pan. I have learned to live with it but it is annoying and has caused me frustration and even anxiety in the past. I turn on a noisy fan at night on high to kill the sounds in my head when it is too silent.

TheArizona

[nikos1121]

Well, here we go again playing doctor.

There are many reasons for recurrent ear infections, but I can tell you that I’ve seen dozens of adults who are deaf because of untreated ear infections as children.

The tubes fall out over time, and the hole closes up and scars over. Hearing is not affected.

I do agree that one should let the body fight off infection rather than jump at an antibiotic at the first sniffle.