Ear Infections in Kids
‘Tis the season for ear infections. Yay. I get so many patients and friends talking to me about their child needing another doctor's appointment or another round of antibiotics because of an ear infection yet again. Ear infections are the number 1 reason for pediatric doctor visits every year in the United States; let's work on changing this! I am going to give you a little info into what exactly an ear infection is, and other, more natural, ways that you can help treat it.
So to start, why is it you see so many ear infections in babies and children, but not as much in adults? It is all stemming from our Eustachian Tubes, and how they are positioned. A child’s Eustachian tubes are not slanted down like ours are as adults. They appear horizontal, meaning that gravity has a harder time removing fluid from the lymph nodes, ears, and throat. When fluid/congestion builds up in the lymph nodes because of the inability of the Eustachian tubes to drain, that fluid can cause pressure on the ear drum that leads to swelling and pain. This can progress to an actual ear infection, but many doctors will medicate children without really knowing whether an infection is present or not!
Are antibiotics or ear tubes a good choice to treat ear infections? Unfortunately, most likely no. 80% of uncomplicated ear infections resolve on their own within a few days (Journal of American Medicine). A middle ear infection may be viral, bacterial, or both. If viral, antibiotics will do nothing to kill the virus, but they can cause adverse effects when taken unnecessarily during a viral infection. Overuse of antibiotics has contributed to an epidemic of superbugs that are resistant to drugs. That means that, if your child gets multiple ear infections in one year, each time you give them an antibiotic, it is actually less beneficial with each continued round. They can also be harmful to our gut flora and create other negative side effects such as rashes, vomiting and diarrhea. A study was done (listed below) in Vancouver that showed young children randomly assigned to receive ear tubes experienced significant damage to their eardrums. Additionally, tubes were connected to poorer hearing 6 to 10 years after they were removed.”
Here are some ideas for more natural remedies to help fight ear infections:
Garlic Mullein Oil:
Garlic has natural antimicrobial, antiviral, and antifungal properties, as well as helps relieve pain. A couple of drops in the ear 2x a day. (Yes, it smells very garlicky, so your kid will be going around town smelling like a cute piece of garlic bread lol).
You can purchase Garlic Mullein Oil
Essential oils
Basil, melaleuca (tea tree) and lavender may be diluted with a carrier oil and rubbed around the outside of the infected ear. (Read about essentials oil for helping ear infections.)
Essential oils can be purchased here: my.doterra.com/DrJaclyn
Moist heat
Take a warm, wet washcloth and place it over the ear and down that side of the neck to increase circulation to the ear canal.
Colloidal silver
A couple drops in the ear canal will kill bacteria IF the ear infection is, in fact, caused by bacteria.
You can purchase Colloidal Silver
Nursing
If breastfeeding, continue feeding on demand. Your milk will actually help boost your child’s immunity due to receiving antibodies from it. Nursing (or any sucking sensation) also increases circulation to the ear canal.
Diet
Avoid allergens and inflammatory foods (processed foods, gluten, added sugar, conventional dairy, etc.)
Probiotics
Do you have any tried and true home remedies to fight ear infections? I’d love to hear them!
Here are articles that go a little more in depth about antibiotics and ear tubes:
https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/te6203
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/16/antibiotics.ear.infections/index.html
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/486068?resultClick=1
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatics/fullarticle/486196
https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/15brody.html
Disclaimer: I am a doctor, but I give this information based on the research I have done. It is not presented there as medical advice or intended to shame anyone who has chosen medical intervention (i.e. antibiotics or tympanostomy tubes) to treat ear infections.