Ear Infection – What Can A Parent Do? – Part 2
Following Dr. Seiler’s advice (see part one), 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. She gave Zen an upper cervical adjustment to help drain the fluid from the ear. The adjustment only took a few seconds. She suggested requesting Benzocaine drops (by prescription), which numbs the ear much the way Ambesol numbs the gums. She also confirmed that eardrops, like the garlic oil drops I used, do not reach the inner ear, but said they are helpful in soothing the itch that can accompany an ear infection. Here is more information from Dr. McCoy about ear infections:
Understanding Ear Infections: (Otitis Media) by Dr. Michelle McCoy
My child has an ear infection!? Now what!
It is better to try to prevent ear infections than to treat them. Even still, they may occur. Ear infections are more prevalent when a child is trying to fight some other infection, such as a cold.
Children go through a growing stage that makes them more likely to develop ear infections due to the angle of the ear canal (usually around 2-5 years old). Some children may develop ear infections due to second hand smoke, allergens (food – especially gluten or dairy, or environmental), or anatomy (a narrow or short ear canal).
An acute ear infection usually has symptoms, but a chronic infection may not.
Children will usually grow out of ear infections by 6 years old.
You need two triggers at the same time in order to get an acute ear infection:
Infection/pathogen (cold or flu virus)
Fluid
Symptoms:
Pain in the ear (child grabbing or pulling at ear)
Fever (possible)
Temporary hearing loss (possible)
Vertigo or dizziness
Diagnosis:
Otoscopic (ear) Exam – Fluid, puss, red, bulging tympanic membrane (ear drum), Excess wax
Blood Test: Complete Blood Count (CBC), High White Blood Cells (WBC) indicate a severe infection, High neutrophils may indicate a bacterial infection
Tenderness under the ear
Treatment:
Medical
Anti-inflammatories: (Motrin/Tylenol) for pain
Prescriptions:
Ear Drops: Antipyrine & Benzocaine: for pain and inflammation, also contains glycerin for wax removal
Antibiotics: Amoxicillin or Augmentin (first round)
Natural
Chiropractic adjustments: (neck and ear), Helps ear canal drain fluid by decreasing muscle spasm (manually), Boosts immunity (shown in studies)
Ear Drops: Allicin (garlic oil), Tea Tree Oil, or Wally’s Ear Oil, Allicin is a natural antibiotic and fungicide
Probiotics: promote good bacteria and absorbs toxins
The American Pediatric Association (APA) along with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) no longer requires or recommends antibiotics as treatment for a middle ear infection. It has been shown in many studies that antibiotics:
are ineffective (most ear infections are viral, and not bacterial in origin)
may cause the infection to last longer
may make the infection more likely to reoccurdamage good bacteria in the gut required to fight infections (immune function), digest food, and absorb vitamins
Instead, they suggest a “wait and see” approach. This includes making the child comfortable while fighting the infection.
Risk factors include the following:
Not being breast-fed
Recent ear infection
Recent illness of any type (lowers resistance of the body to infection)
Day care (especially with more than 6 children)
Pacifier use
Genetic factors (susceptibility to infection may run in families)
Changes in altitude or climate
Cold climate
Did you know?
Recurrent bilateral (both ears) ear infections in both ears in a child under 3 years old usually indicates some type of allergy or sensitivity (food, environment).
After an acute ear infection, it can take 3 months for fluid in the ear to drain.
Eczema and/or skin rashes indicate allergies or a reaction to antibiotics.
After a course of antibiotics, the body has resistance to that antibiotic for 12 months. That means a stronger antibiotic must be given for every subsequent round.
It takes 16 months to build the stomach flora back up after a round of antibiotics.
Hearing loss due to recurrent ear infections has not been proven to permanently delay learning or speech in any study!
Supplements every child should take to enhance the immune system:
Multivitamin – Liquid or chewable
Fish Oil – Liquid or chewable capsules, Aids in inflammation and is essential for healthy cell membranes
Pro Biotic – Liquid, powder, capsules (Promotes good stomach health that boosts immunity)
Vitamin D – Boosts immunity, especially in the winter. Has been shown to be just as effective as the flu vaccine for preventing the flu! Most people don’t get enough, for children, 1000 IU daily is safe.
Colloidal Silver – Also effective at killing virus and bacteria by breaking up their cells on contact.
Dr. Michelle (formerly O’Connor) McCoy, DC, DICCP who grew up locally in Mahopac, is the only chiropractor in Westchester County Board Certified in Pediatrics and Pregnancy and one of approximately 180 in the world. She is also Webster Technique Certified, a technique that addresses pelvic dysfunction during pregnancy. She enjoys lecturing to birth professionals and pregnant women about the conditions associated with pregnancy. She is a graduate of New York Chiropractic College and lives in Cold Spring with her chiropractor and business partner husband Gregg and their two children, Matthew and Kirra.
After meeting with Michelle, Zen’s ear was no longer sensitive to the touch. I was feeling hopeful. That evening, I followed the protocol Zen’s uncle described (see part one). The first step was to put her in a hot bath. She seemed to enjoy it and withstood the hot compress. I sang songs to her as I held the hot wash cloth to her ear and I was surprised she didn’t object. The next step was skin brushing. She didn’t tolerate a whole lot of it, but I brushed her head to toe, first with a towel and a little with a natural brush. Next, I tried the hair drier, but she didn’t like it much and I didn’t want to upset her, so I moved on and got her dressed in her warmest footsie pajamas. While she was bathing, I had steeped some ginger tea with a crushed piece of garlic in it. I added a little honey to it to make it more palatable – I thought she would accept this more readily than broth. After the bath we had our tea. She only had a few spoonfuls, but I drank the rest knowing that whatever I had would be passed to her through breast milk. She really perked up after the bath and I thought she had turned a corner. We both slept a long time that night.
The next day, much to my dismay, she woke up extremely cranky and her fever really shot up. I was disappointed because she had seemed so much better the night before. As the day wore on, it was clear that she still wasn’t better and in fact was getting worse. She just wanted to nurse and was refusing to eat. That’s when I decided it was time to go with the antibiotic. It was a tough call, but I really felt I had done everything I could. I want to be clear – it’s not that I believe the other methods I tried aren’t effective; I think I missed the window. From what I understand, it’s most important to use any natural methods at the first sign of symptom and unfortunately, it was several days before I figured out exactly what we were dealing with. The infection had settled in. Ah, parenthood – it truly is a learning experience. In the future, I will know what to look for and apply these methods as described, at the first sign of symptom. Thankfully for us, the antibiotic worked, which means the infection was bacterial, not viral. She was markedly better within 24 hours. Now, I must offer Zen healthy probiotic supplements and fermented foods like raw kefir to restore a healthy balance of friendly flora in her gut. It has been said that kefir has the ability to colonize the gut with healthy bacteria. http://www.drmercola.com/fermented-foods/the-benefits-of-eating-traditionally-fermented-foods/ Things didn’t work out the way I had hoped this time, but I’m armed with new knowledge for the future.