EAR INFECTIONS ~ A Natural Approach
In my last post I spoke of our kids going back to school and coming home with allergies and colds. Another problem we see in kids, usually the younger ones, is ear infections. If you have kids, you know what I am talking about when I describe the blood curdling screams from your child's bedroom in the middle of the night. You rush in there to find your child screaming and fussy and not really sure what is wrong. They may or may not have an elevated temperature and no matter what you try, they are still in pain. So, to get your child relief you reach for the OTC pain killer in hopes of relieving their pain.
The pain killer has worked temporarily, now it is time to find the cause of the problem. In cases such as these there are a couple of devices that can help you find the cause. I recommend that my parents have a home otoscope to look in the child's ear to determine if there is any redness or swelling of the ear drum. If you are not comfortable with that device, an ear check monitor, helps to determine if there is an ear infection or not. Both of these devices are easy to use to detect a problem, now lets look at how to treat it, naturally.
Most ear infections do not need antibiotics and yet that is the first thing parents ask for when their child is sick. The infection is an organism that is has taken up residency in the ear canal(usually middle ear). It may be bacterial, viral or even fungal. If you jump to antibiotics and it is not a bacterial infection you could make the infection worse(especially if it is fungal). Monitor their temperature,(the bodies natural response to a foreign invader) if it is between 101 and 102 degrees let the body do its thing. Which is raise the temperature to kill the organism. (If the fever persists or the child is not responding to home care, it is time to call your doctor)
Here are a few things you can do with a child with an ear infection:
1) Warm herbal ear drops and place in the ear canal to relieve pain and inflammation
2) Ice compress around ear can help decrease pain and inflammation.
3) Use natural preparations made for ear infections from your Natural Health care Provider.
In Chinese Medicine, the ear relates to the kidneys, so keep them very hydrated. I find that there is a correlation the large intestine and ileo-cecal valve(right lower abdomen above the appendix). So getting them to eat watermelon or other fiber rich fruits can help.
Acupuncture needle and non-needle are very effective when treating ear infections. Chiropractic manipulation is also beneficial as it restore the flow of nerve energy to the head and ears. In my office this is a non-force technique so kids do not mind it at all.
One more thing, sugar in the diet feeds the bacteria in the body, so if a sweetener is required use xylitol as it has antibacterial properties to it.
As always Prevention is the Key here, so that you avoid being woke up in the middle of the night with a screaming child. Give your a child a good child's multivitamin, and a omega 3 oil(children's flavored) daily and be sure to feed them a diet rich with fruits, veggies and lean meats. Avoid the excess sugar and fat foods that weaken their little systems.
Good Luck and as always if you have any questions you can post them here or email me.
Blessings,
Dr.T.
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