Next to the common cold, ear infections rank on top as far as childhood illnesses in our country. By the age of 3 years, three out of every four children will have suffered at least one ear infection.
For kids, these infections also rank on top for prescribed antibiotics. As most of you understand, this is where the danger comes in. We must remember that the "good bacteria" in our bodies hold more than 75 percent of our immune system. Sadly, antibiotics do not know the difference between good and bad bacteria. They happily kill off both, leaving your child with an extremely compromised immune system.
Did you ever wonder why most of the time when a child suffers an ear infection and takes an antibiotic for it, that weeks or even days later, another infection surfaces? This is simply because the child’s immune system has been destroyed, and whatever common cold, infection, bacteria, etc. he or she comes in contact with easily settles into a cozy home in your child, as there is nothing left to fight it off.
The next very real danger with these highly over-prescribed medications is the fact that we now have to deal with "superbugs" – the super resistant bacteria that have developed their own immunity to the stronger and stronger antibiotics being produced. Back to scenario 1, your child contracts another middle ear infection and receives an antibiotic, but this time it doesn’t seem to help at all. You take your child back in, and sure enough, the antibiotic wasn’t strong enough. A new, stronger antibiotic is then prescribed. This stronger version seems to do the trick (this time), but now even more of your child’s good immunity is killed off.
Incidentally, good bacteria are not only for immunity, they are also extremely important for proper growth and digestion, and for help with shunting the proper nutrients to the right organ systems, among many other things. In an otherwise healthy child, it can take more than six months to replenish what was lost with a single regimen of antibiotics.
Now, I need you to understand something very important – there are cases when antibiotic use is most definitely necessary. However, it is my goal to make sure that you are an informed consumer. You should know the risks involved and you should also know that in most cases there are alternatives that in my experience work much better and even faster, and can only boost the immune system.
Step 1: If you are unsure of your child’s diagnosis or would like more information on how the body can work to heal itself, don’t be afraid to ask your doctor or to get a second opinion.
Step 2: If you are sure your child has an ear infection, or is starting to get one, start to manually unclog the Eustachian tube (that little tube connecting the middle ear to the back of the throat). In nearly all Otitis Media cases, this tube seems to be the problem. As it is shorter and straighter in children, bacteria like to settle in it and cause problems. By applying moist heat (a heated rice pack or just a hot damp towel) to the ear and neck area just behind the jaw, this built up fluid will soften.
Next you can manually (first two fingers or thumb) run your fingers from the back of the ear down the back of the jaw to the throat area. Always from ear down and never back up the neck. This helps to move the fluid out of the tube so that the body’s lymph system can pick it up and carry it out of the body.
Step 3: Always replenish the body’s good bacteria. There are several different "Probiotics" on the market today, so you have to be careful not to waste your money on ones that are full of fillers, or just plain don’t work. I have two favorites – Ultra Flora Plus Dairy Free by Metagenics, and if your child has been on antibiotics in the past, Lact Enz by Standard Process. They are not available over the counter, but are very affordable. Talk to your natural health care provider.
Step 4: See your chiropractor. Remember how your brain and spinal cord send out nerves to every body part? If there is as much pressure as the weight of a dime on one of those nerves, that nerve will function at 65 percent less than it is supposed to. Every child I check with ear infections has a spinal misalignment in the neck, causing some of this pressure on the nerves going to the ear and Eustachian tube. With this interference, do you think that ear and tube will function properly? If you’re nervous about bringing your child to a chiropractor, do a little research on the internet first. You will notice that a chiropractic adjustment no longer consists of "cracking" the bones. There are many very gentle methods of removing nerve interference, especially in children.
Step 5: Remove the dairy. I am sorry to say that if you or anyone in your family is suffering from ear troubles, or sinus infections, dairy must be eliminated from your diet. There is much more useable calcium in leafy green vegetables anyway, so eat those instead. It is my guarantee that you will be instantly amazed at what removing this one component will do for you.
As always, be sure to keep your doctor informed of what you are doing should you decide to go the alternative route, and remember I am here to answer your questions if you have them.