How to cure an Ear Infection naturally.
“My child just had her ears checked and they are CLEAR!”
This is a statement that I never get tired of hearing from the parents in our office! Chiropractic has been known throughout the century as a safe and effective way to clear the fluid in a child’s ear and restore better overall health. First, I would like to discuss the other options out there for treatment of otitis media.
What are the conventional options for Ear Infection treatment? Antibiotics: Are we antibiotic resistant?
When a child has an ear infection, the conventional allopathic approach is antibiotics and then tube surgery. The problem with antibiotics is that humans have over-consumed antibiotics. Because of the overuse of antibiotics in conventional medicine and in our food, most of our bacterial invaders are now resistant to the medication. If the bacteria are resistant, the antibiotic will not work and in turn create other problems within the body. We are very dependent on the good bacteria in our body for a stronger immune and digestive system. Antibiotics kill both good and bad bacteria in the body so if the bad bacteria is resistant, only the good bacteria will be killed in the process. The medication will essentially decrease immunity in the body due to the elimination of the good bacteria. Children, who are just barely building their immune system need these healthy bacteria colonies for immune support. The antibiotics are literally wiping out the good bacteria in their bodies especially when taking multiple doses. The good bacterial colonies, also called probiotics, are crucial for a healthy immune system. It would be like burning down your entire house to eliminate a pest problem and not killing the pests!
Ear Tubes for Fluid in the Ear:
Surgical tubes for Ear Infections in children are very popular. It is estimated that 700,000 ear tube insertions are done every year in the US. Parents are told that a variety of problems can occur like hearing loss if this surgical procedure is not performed. The problem with tube surgery is that it is usually a procedure that has to be done repeatedly because the tubes fall out. Also, the child needs general anesthesia which has side effects of its own. Parents are afraid of the long-term potential damage that fluid in the ear may cause so they elect to having the surgery.
Although, how factual are these claims of long-term damage? In a long term study published in The Archives of Pedatric and Adolescent Medicine (2005), Dr. Stenstrom and collegues demonstrated that children with tubes suffered more damage to hearing later in life. A study from the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh showed no long term effect of lingering fluid in the ear. There have been more recent studies showing that surgical tubes are no longer necessary for children with ear fluid unless loss of hearing below 40 decibels is noted. Why put your child through this surgery if there are other safe and effective treatments to try first?
How Chiropractic helps Ear Infections in Kids:
I see a huge clinical link between upper neck subluxation and ear infections. The majority of children in our office who had chronic ear infections have also had severe immobility and misalignment in their upper cervical region due to a traumatic birthing process (C-section, forceps, or vacuum) or a fall impacting their head. When a child has upper cervical subluxation, or misalignment, the nervous system is interfered with and the child’s health is compromised. The upper cervical region is extremely important because it has the most stimulation to the brain for growth and neurological development called proprioception. When the healthy signaling from the upper cervical region gets compromised, the body elicits a stress response and the health of the child decreases significantly. Thus, misalignment of the upper cervical region can cause a decrease immune response in the child by increasing that stress response in the whole body. By correcting the upper cervical subluxation, children will have a healthier nervous system preventing them from further illness and ear infections. When upper cervical subluxation is not corrected, even if the ear infections resolve, problems can occur later on in life such as allergies, migraine headaches, and other neurological disorders.
It is so wonderful to see hear parents proudly state that their child no longer has fluid in their ear or chronic ear infections due to the chiropractic care they receive in our office. Our parents also love that their child is getting sick less, sleeping better, and has better digestion. I want the same for your child! It is so important to start them off with good health. Call today for a free consultation with the doctor to find out if subluxation is blocking your child’s innate ability for optimal health and healing!