Ear Infection – What Can A Parent Do? – Part 1
After three nights of my 2-year-old daughter Zen waking up in the middle of the night wanting to get out of bed – or wanting to nurse all night long, I knew something was going on, but I wasn’t sure what. I thought it was probably teething, since we had been through a stretch like this about a month ago and two big molars popped out. It wasn’t until the fourth night of no sleep that my little one woke with a fever saying “Owweee….owweee” complaining that her ear hurt. Ah, the dreaded ear infection caught me by surprise. I had missed the early signs. She had only been mildly congested, but the mucus coming out of her nose was green, she was waking frequently, and sitting up in bed, which I’ve learned is a classic symptom. My daughter was now clearly in pain and neither of us had slept much in days, so I opted to give her children’s Advil – it was the first time I had given her any kind of drug. I also put a couple eardrops in her ears that contain grapefruit seed extract and tea tree oil, two powerful antibacterial agents, and we went back to bed. Babies can withstand much higher temperatures than adults and if possible, it’s best to allow the fever to do its job, which is to kill the infection, but in this circumstance, with Zen so clearly in pain and both of us desperate for sleep, I decided to go with the Advil. I think we may have managed a 3 or 4 hour stretch of sleep after that, which was more than the 1- to 2-hour stretches we had been getting! The next day, I took her to the pediatrician who confirmed it was an ear infection and prescribed an antibiotic. I asked if I could wait a couple days before giving it to her to see if the infection would clear on its own. She said I could, but if she got any worse that I should give it to her. I was reluctant because much of the latest research shows that if given the chance, many ear infections will clear without antibiotics, which have been heavily overprescribed in this area. I’ve also heard that using antibiotics can cause the infection to come back worse. I wanted to give Zen a chance to build her immune system and fight it on her own. Nonetheless, I got the antibiotic to have on hand if needed. Overall, she was OK during the day – subdued but still eating and playing with her toys. Her fever would be high one day and down the next. I thought we’d be in the clear, but after two days she wasn’t getting better. She was also complaining that her stomach hurt, which is a typical side effect of ibuprofen and she wasn’t eating much. Zen’s uncle is a chiropractor in Florida and has raised three girls of his own, so we put in a call to him to see what advice he might have. He described his protocol that has helped his own children and many of his patients. Here’s a summary of his protocol, and his suggestions for preventing infection:
Natural Home Remedy Routine for Otitis Media (middle ear infection) in Toddlers
by Dr. Eric L.Seiler
At the first sign or suspicion that your child may be developing an ear infection, the following routine has worked well for my children as well as those of my patients who have followed this to the letter. This works particularly well at night when you have a crying and irritable child. Often times following this procedure, the child will go to sleep.
1. Hot bath…hot as the child can stand without scolding or upsetting. The water should be warm enough to cause a mild reddening of the skin…but again, not scolding or upsetting. The tub should be filled to a depth that will allow your child to lay back and allow the water to cover the ears while you support the head and keep the nose and mouth above water … if the child is willing. Spend periods of time laying your child back and allowing the warm water to cover the ears for a minute or so each time. Keep this up intermittently for 20 minutes. Continue to adjust the water temp as it cools down. If the child will not lie back, repeatedly hold a wash rag soaked in the warm water gently on the affected ear. *Make this into a game with your child. Try to have fun with it and the child will more likely be compliant. Raising your child’s core temperature his way will help the immune system fight the infection.
2. After about 20 minutes, remove the child from the tub and scrub him/her down well with a coarse, warm, dry towel. Having a towel fresh from the dryer so it is warm is a good idea. Go over every bit of skin, minus the affected ear. Rub the skin well and bring up a little redness. This activity stimulates circulation and lymphatic drainage…two things you want working well when fighting infection.
3. Once toweled down well, immediately dress the child in a warm jumper with booties. Your child must retain the warmth you are generating.
4. Once dressed, immediately start blow-drying your child’s hair…but concentrate the warm air on the affected ear. Make a game out of this and prolong the exercise as long as you can…even for a while after the hair is dry. Be sure to spend a good portion of this drill with the warm air on the affected ear.
5. Next, if you child has started eating “regular” food…heat some chicken broth on the stove. Add the broth to a bowl and then add in a half a clove of finely smashed, fresh raw garlic. Get the child to eat as much as possible.
When you’ve completed all of this, your child should be able to sleep comfortably…hopefully through the night. The procedure can be repeated twice day and for multiple days until the episode has subsided.
Middle ear infection has been proven to respond favorably to chiropractic adjustments of the cervical spine for infants, toddlers and children. Subtle forms of birth trauma as well as the typical jolts and bumps experienced by infants and toddlers can cause “subluxation” or misalignment of the upper neck vertebrae. This in turn can compromise the way the ears drain and set the stage for infection. A chiropractor skilled in pediatric adjusting can safely and effectively re-align these vertebrae. Periodic chiropractic care for your child can be of benefit in reducing and eradicating recurrent ear infections.
Preventing Ear Infection and Upper Respiratory Infection in Children
Infections occur for both children and adults when the immune system is compromised. Immune system compromise can occur as a result of physical, chemical and emotional stressors.
Physical Stress
One of the primary physical stressors for small children and infants when it comes to ear and respiratory infection is dropping temperatures. As it get colder outside, little people are very susceptible to losing their normal core temperatures…much more so than adults. As the seasons change and the temperatures drop, take extra care to keep you kids warm and properly clothed. Be sure at night that they have socks, booties, or a jumper on that will keep their feet covered. A lot of body heat is lost through the feet.
Chemical Stress
The primary chemical stressor for small children and infants when it comes to ear and respiratory infection is improper diet. The average American diet is too high in starchy and sugary foods and this often goes double for children. Feed yourself and your child a diet composed primarily of high quality free range or grass fed animal proteins, and organic vegetables and fruits. Limit all grain-based foods and white potatoes. Vegetables and fruits that are highly pigmented are the most nutritious. Try to get your child accustom to a diet where the fruits and vegetables are provided raw as well as cooked. Avoid all processed food. Avoid fruit juices—even when all natural or organic, as these are also too high in sugar. If your child is still on the breast, it is just as important that you eat right as your child. If you know that the thing you are considering putting in your mouth is not optimal for your health, understand that you will also be imparting that to your child.
Emotional Stress
Emotional stress is a proven immune system suppressor. Strife in the home among the patents can be sensed by the child. We living in trying times, and there is a lot of pressure on couples that can erupt in the presence of your child. While there is no simple solution to ending the world’s problems, or the ones that spill over into our relationships, one thing we can definitely do is shield our children from such conflict. Make a pact with your spouse or significant other to speak in civil tones in the presence of your child. Take your arguments to another room or outside and away from your children. Make time to laugh and play with your child. They say laughter is good medicine? Laughter is the only good medicine.
Dr. Eric L. Seiler is a graduate of Boston University and Palmer College of Chiropractic. He has operated a family chiropractic practice for 25 years. He has raised three daughters, none of whom have ever taken antibiotics, vaccines or any other pharmacological agents. He practices in Palm Harbor, FL.
Following Dr. Seiler’s advice, I took Zen to get adjusted by my friend Dr. Michelle McCoy, who practices nearby. She is a chiropractor and board certified in Pediatrics and Pregnancy. I will follow up with Dr. McCoy’s advice and let you know what happened in Part 2 of Ear Infections : What Can a Parent Do? (click here to continue to Part 2)