Childhood Ear Infections with Chiropractic Care

ear infectionsWith the onset of ear pain, sometimes evidenced by your child pulling on the ear early on. Most of the time accompanied by crying out. It can be traumatic to wait to treat this condition with antibiotics due to the pain involved.

But most often the ear infection is caused by a virus, studies have shown, and not bacteria so antibiotics do lessen pain, but then you are on a spiral of having to repeat them.

Antibiotics do weaken the immune system because they cause leaky gut in the microbiome of your child. And if given before the age of 2, studies have shown it causes atopic dermatitis, eczema and asthma.
See Studies below (3.).

The one probiotic that should be started after the course of Antibiotics for the ear is saccharomyces boulardii. (Do not give Probiotics during the course of Antibiotics because it will interfere with the effectiveness of the drug.)

Offer probiotics after any course of antibiotics for good digestive health and to help the immune system function well. (1.)

These have been found to be helpful from experience:

  1. Switch from fruit juice to water flavored by a very small amount of juice (this prevents bacteria from growing well)
  2. Gently pull the child’s ear in 4 different directions, 3 times a day to prevent pooling of fluids in the eustachian tube.
  3. Don’t allow your child to drink milk or juice while lying down as this causes pooling in the ear.
  4. Buy mullein oil or take a piece of onion, microwave it and let it cool, squeeze out the oil of the onion and put the drops in the child’s ear.
  • Build your child’s immune system: give them multivitamins, children’s trace minerals and a diet free of fast foods. If they do not eat fruits and vegetables offer Juice Plus Gummies.
  • Get your child’s spine checked for misalignments in the neck area. This in no way replaces standard medical care for ear infections. C2 vertebrae rotations have nerve connections to the inner and middle ear. Cranial-Sacral Technique and gentle instrument adjustments have been found to empirically clear up ear infections and diminish their return. I have seen it take 2-3 visits a week for two weeks to clear up acute or chronic ear infections. (2.)
  • Avoid crowded day care centers if possible.
  • Notice if the ear infections seem to occur after weekends of staying up late or no naps.
  • Use good hand washing around sick family members.

(1.) Little, Gould, et al; Predictors of poor outcome and benefits from antibiotics in children with acute otitis media: pragmatic randomized trial. BMJ 2002; 325:22 (6 July)

(2.) Fallon JM. The Role of the Chiropractic Adjustment in the Care and Treatment of 332 Children with Otitis Media. Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics, 1997: 2,2:167-183.

(3.) Multiple population and cohort studies show that receiving antibiotics within the first two years of life is associated with an increased risk of developing asthma, atopic dermatitis, and eczema. These studies indicate that early exposure disrupts gut microbiome development, which can alter normal immune system maturation. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Key Clinical Studies
  • Swedish Population Register Study: A large-scale cohort study published in PMC tracked over 14,000 children and reported that “early antibiotic exposure was associated with an increased risk of childhood onset asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis”, with cumulative risks rising alongside multiple prescriptions.
  • Neonatal and Infancy Analysis: Research detailed in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) archive demonstrated that “antibiotic treatment before six months of age is associated with atopic dermatitis, asthma and inhaled corticosteroid use.” [1, 2, 3, 4]

Chiropractic Care for Marin County – Novato Chiropractor
250 Bel Marin Keys Blvd, Ste D1, Novato, CA 94949
Sheehan Chiropractic | (415) 681-1031

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