There is nothing more miserable than having a child with an ear infection. Not only are they painful for your child, their standard treatment protocol involves taking one or more courses of antibiotics, leaving your child with unpleasant side effects and the risk of antibiotic resistance. Parents of children with recurring side effects are often faced with a choice between continuing to give their child antibiotics and surgery to place tympanostomy tubes (tubes placed in the ear drum to allow fluid to drain on its own). Fortunately, there are other options for treating ear infections without resorting to multiple courses of antibiotics.
Wait it Out
Contrary to popular belief, not all ear infections require antibiotics. Viral infections will not respond to antibiotic treatment while ear infections due to bacteria will. Even in kids with bacterial ear infections, more than half will feel better within 2 days while 75% of children with ear infections will feel better within a week without treatment. While many pediatricians can tell if a child has a bacterial or viral infection by the presence of other symptoms, some resort to prescribing antibiotics for all ear infections in order to help parents feel better.
Chiropractic Care
Multiple studies conducted by members of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association report success with using chiropractic care to treat acute and chronic ear infections. The idea behind the science is simple. A child’s Eustachian tube, the tube that runs from the middle ear to the soft palate where fluid often collects, is not slanted like an adult’s. As a result, allow any fluid that backs up into this tube will not drain properly unless the body’s immune response is triggered. It then stays in the Eustachian tube causing pain and discomfort to your child. Fortunately, if the body’s immune system is functioning the way it should, muscle contractions around the Eustachian tube can push the fluid out, even in small children. Chiropractic care removes any obstacles to the body’s nervous system by correcting misalignments in the spine and gently treating the affected area. As a result, children who have had chronic ear infections, sometimes for years, find relief without antibiotics.
As a parent, the best thing you can do for your child is evaluate all of the options for their medical care. For more information on how chiropractic care can treat ear infections without medication, Call Sandstone or schedule your comprehensive exam with online.
