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November 7, 2007

Jody Godfrey: Ear infections are a common ailment

In this article I’ll be investigating infant and juvenile ear infections. Much of what I found isn’t real encouraging as far as a quick, natural for-sure solution, but a part of it does lend a little more hope to a condition that literally wears us all out!

There’s no telling how often moms and/or dads have to miss work and remain home with a little one who is running a temperature and is, no doubt, extremely cranky.

Next to a cold, an ear infection is the most common childhood illness. Middle ear infections are one of the top reasons for a visit to the doctor. This common ailment plagues kiddos from 3 months to 3 years.

Symptoms of an ear infection include earache, fullness/pressure in the ears, fever, irritability/restlessness, decreased appetite and nasal discharge. Neglecting these symptoms could lead to a ruptured ear drum, then ultimate hearing loss.

Causes

If the ears aren’t working just right, they can be very much like a petri dish in which a scientist grows bacteria strains.

The majority of ear infections are caused by viruses, which antibiotics are useless against.

When antibiotics are repeatedly used for middle ear infections in children, it increases the chance of further infection by 200 to 600 percent, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Ninety percent of children get better just as fast whether or not they take antibiotics. There is no significant difference in the speed of pain relief, how quickly temperature returns to normal or how quickly the discharge stops.

Recommendations

* Try to make certain that your child’s ear infections aren’t from a food source. Believe it or not, it’s relatively easy to determine if an allergy is the culprit. Just type in your search engine “how to check for food allergies” and you’ll discover many ways you can go about making this important determination.

* Adopt a natural-living lifestyle. Even though ear infections seem to be the norm, it doesn’t have to be so with your children. The natural-living lifestyle is comprehensive in its approach to diet, supplements and natural medical care. Eat organic foods; avoid meat, dairy and processed foods; and just browse in a natural-food market or health-food store, as well as consult a naturopathic doctor.

* Vitamin/mineral deficiencies affect the immune system. Follow label directions for children’s doses. Too much vitamin C can cause diarrhea.

* Gargling with salt water can help clear Eustachian tubes.

* Essential fatty acids are important for treating ear infections. They help control inflammation anywhere in the body, especially swelling in the ear tube. Evening primrose oil is an excellent source, as well as flaxseed oil.

* Take vitamin C with bioflavonoids.

* Zinc lozenges quicken the immune response and aid in reducing infection.

* Check with your doctor or pharmacist about colloidal silver in infants and children’s doses. It’s a natural antibiotic.

* When using eardrops, be sure to treat both ears even if the infection is only in one. Try garlic and mullein drops found at natural-foods stores.

* Have kids sleep with their heads propped up, if possible.

* Daily eucalyptus inhalation can loosen mucous. Add 3 drops to steaming water and have the child lean over steam with a towel covering his or her head.

* Give only spring water to drink.

* Every mom should read Dr. Lendon Smith’s book on food allergies. It’s astonishing.



Address correspondence to Jody Godfrey, c/o The Joplin Globe, P.O. Box 7, Joplin, MO 64802.

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