Natural Help for Middle Ear Infections
Otitis media (middle ear infection) is the leading reason for visits to pediatrician’s offices. From 1975 to 1990, office visits for otitis media increased by 150 percent to 24.5 million visits, or 81 percent of the pediatric profile for children under the age of 15. The leading age group for otitis media is children under the age of two. The usual treatment in most pediatricians’ offices is a regimen of antibiotics. I’ve seen this history in children who have come to my office, including a four-year-old child who had taken antibiotics more than 20 times for ear infections in his short life.
In 1994, George Washington University and the University of Minnesota reviewed 33 studies evaluating the efficacy of different antibiotics in treating acute otitis media. They concluded there was only about a 14 percent advantage over the body’s own immune system.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published recommendations for the management of otitis media with effusion (fluids) in the July 1994 Clinical Practice Guideline. It said this type of otitis media should be observed first. In 14 percent of children, it will go away without treatment in three months, and in 85 percent, it goes away in six months. This report also said that some increased risks for otitis media include infants who were bottle fed, those subjected to passive smoking, and children attending group child care facitilities.
Another important study released by the Journal of the American Medical Association concerning children taking antibiotics should be mentioned. It said children who took amoxicillin for chronic ear infections were two to six times more likely to have a recurrence of their ear problem than those who received a sugar pill. The lead author of the study concluded, "Children are being abused by the antibiotic treatment in this country."
Studies are now showing us more than ever that otitis media is a big problem and also big business in our country. We’re finding more and more evidence that alternatives to drugs should be considered to help prevent otitis media the first time or to prevent recurrences. Chiropractors can help in this prevention through the treatment of vertebral subluxation. Subluxations cause pressure, sometimes severe, on a nerve or nerves exiting the spinal column. Not only can this cause pain in severe stages, but it can also cause our body to decrease in function.
We know there are nerves that control our immune response and may hinder our body’s ability to fight infection on its own. Children who are normally treated for subluxation are usually able to fight these infections at a higher level. We also know part of the nerve associated with the Eustachian tubes in the middle ear is located in the neck. Often, a subluxation can be detected in these areas of the neck when a middle ear infection is present.
Subluxations may not be causing pain in your child, but they may be causing one or many problems that aren’t accompanied by pain. Removing subluxations in your child’s spine may just save your entire family pain and even a little money. Have your children checked by a chiropractor who treats subluxation in children and give them a healthier life today. TPW
In 1994, George Washington University and the University of Minnesota reviewed 33 studies evaluating the efficacy of different antibiotics in treating acute otitis media. They concluded there was only about a 14 percent advantage over the body’s own immune system.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published recommendations for the management of otitis media with effusion (fluids) in the July 1994 Clinical Practice Guideline. It said this type of otitis media should be observed first. In 14 percent of children, it will go away without treatment in three months, and in 85 percent, it goes away in six months. This report also said that some increased risks for otitis media include infants who were bottle fed, those subjected to passive smoking, and children attending group child care facitilities.
Another important study released by the Journal of the American Medical Association concerning children taking antibiotics should be mentioned. It said children who took amoxicillin for chronic ear infections were two to six times more likely to have a recurrence of their ear problem than those who received a sugar pill. The lead author of the study concluded, "Children are being abused by the antibiotic treatment in this country."
Studies are now showing us more than ever that otitis media is a big problem and also big business in our country. We’re finding more and more evidence that alternatives to drugs should be considered to help prevent otitis media the first time or to prevent recurrences. Chiropractors can help in this prevention through the treatment of vertebral subluxation. Subluxations cause pressure, sometimes severe, on a nerve or nerves exiting the spinal column. Not only can this cause pain in severe stages, but it can also cause our body to decrease in function.
We know there are nerves that control our immune response and may hinder our body’s ability to fight infection on its own. Children who are normally treated for subluxation are usually able to fight these infections at a higher level. We also know part of the nerve associated with the Eustachian tubes in the middle ear is located in the neck. Often, a subluxation can be detected in these areas of the neck when a middle ear infection is present.
Subluxations may not be causing pain in your child, but they may be causing one or many problems that aren’t accompanied by pain. Removing subluxations in your child’s spine may just save your entire family pain and even a little money. Have your children checked by a chiropractor who treats subluxation in children and give them a healthier life today. TPW