Ear Infections and Chriopractic vs Medical

My 4-year old was experiencing similar ear infections. This last treatment worked really well! The Dr. put her on an antibiotic, a solution called Mucosolvan to drain the fluids (albeit very thick) and a nightly does of Benedryl for a week. Her philosophy was that the infection wouldn't heal as long as all that "gunk" was in there and she wanted to 'dry her up'.
It worked like a charm!!!
Good luck!

My son also had ear infection after ear infection. We took him to the ear nose and throat doctor and he recommended tubes. I decided to try my chiropractor first. I'm glad I did because he hasn't had an ear infection since. My chiropractor said they can help about 90% of children with ear problems.

My first son had reoccurent ear infections- and they'd always come with a high fever and lots of screaming. The chiro's office was right across from the dr's office and one day, walking out of the dr's office the chiro invited us over to see what he could do for my son. With in 5 minutes of the adjustment my son was ready to eat and happy. I know it was the chiro, because we hadn't even had a chance to pick up the prescription yet.

With an adjustment every month or two he almost never had another ear infection again ( I saw almost because he had one when he was 5)- I also had my other adjusted regular since birth and we have been ear infection free for years.

Mother of 5 :)

GO to a chriopractor ASAP, increase H2O, look into allergies- many times they can cause ear problems. Check with a health food store for a homeopathic remedy for allergies/congestion. I wish I would have know this 20 years ago. I have a 20 year old son with so much damage from repetted tubes and ear infrection. We found out when he was 15 that he has allergies!! I have some great info on aloe in a drink form that has done wonders for us.
Good Luck
K. B

My father is a chriopractor. I had tons of ear infections. My parents wanted to go the natural/homeopatic route. I remember have lots of stinking garlic oil drops but I still had a hole in my ear for pretty much of my childhood. As a result during my teenage years/early 20's I had to have surgery 3x to fix the hole and in the last one that finally held I had to have my mastoid bone scraped because the infection had spread and never totally went away. I also had to have my tonsils out. I always had treatments, so I think it has more to do on the child and how the ears develop. I am closely watching my kids so they don't have to go through the pain I did. I also have a partial hearing loss in one ear that I've had ever since I can remember.

I have a friend who swears by the chiropractic method. I tried it and it didn't work for my youngest child. He for some reason was just prone to ear infections. My doctor suggested the tubes and although I cried when they had to put him under anasthesia it was the best thing we could have ever done for him. He went from having constant ear infections once a month to not a single ear infection for 2 years. I highly recommend the tubes! My son didn't have anything removed though so I don't know what to say about that. The tubes are a more permanent solution to taking your child to the chiropractor once a month or so to keep the infections from happening. I don't regret it what-so-ever and if asked to do it again I wouldn't hesitate. Your child will eventually outgrow the tubes and they will just fall out on their own while giving her a bath or cleaning her ears and neither you or her will ever know it. But they do last for years. Good luck and I'll pray for you. S.

My vote is for chiropractic care also. Besides, just last week my husband was reading a book published in the 1970's by the people from Prevention magazine. The book was great! They seemed to know much more about health than we do now. Anyway, it talked about how removing tonsils is NOT good (forgive me if adenoids are any different). Removing glands from the body puts you at a higher risk for disease later in life. My husband read that having your tonsils out doubles (maybe triples?) your risk for Hodgkins disease.
(Quote: Hodgkin's disease is one of a group of cancers called lymphomas. Lymphoma is a general term for cancers that develop in the lymphatic system.)
That makes sense, doesn't it? We were born with our glands (part of our lymphatic system) to help cleanse us from disease! Rather than taking them out, I'd try to find a way to make them better so that they can function in the future. I'm sure there are many alternative practitioners that would help you achieve that. I know that my husband was not happy that he had his tonsils out when he had no choice in the matter. He still gets ear aches when it's really cold out and he thinks it's because of that surgery.

Anyway, I applaud you for seeking out advice on all your options. I'm sure someday your daughter will thank you. Best of luck.

Brandi-

I highly recommend chiropractic care. My son
had 2 ear infections before I started taking him
to the chiropractor. We haven't had one since (knock
on wood)

We go to Yost Family Chiropractic and I highly recommend
them, because they have certification in pediatric
chiropractic care.

You can find them at www.yostfamilychiropractic.com
Phone: 278-Yost

Tell them that A. Dumdei recommended them and your
consultation will be free.

Hope this helps.
A. Dumdei
www.mygreenhealth.com

My daughter had tubes in her ears at age two and they were a God sent. They releived all of her pain!! I highly recommend them.

Chiropractic works wonders, but our best remedy is putting garlic oil in their ears. It works like a charm. Takes care of the pain and redness. Garlic is a natural antibiotic. If you need a place to get some, contact Jodi at www.joannsnp.com

Hell0-I have a son that is now 3 1/2 and when he was a baby he was always sick. Hospitalized with asthma at 6 months, tubes in ears before he was 1. He was on the nebulizer several times a day for his asthma and medications & drops for ear infections. In November of 2006(he turned 2 in November 2006) he got sick. I took him to the doc and they gave me antibotics. And I thought, here it goes. I thought the rest of the winter was gonna be horrible. I decided to try something different, the chiropractor. It was a miracle for us. Ryan has not been on antibiotics, nebulizer, or anything since that November (1 1/2 years now). When he gets sick we take him to the chiropractor. They taught us how to help his body get rid of sickness naturally with our help. We massage certain parts of his face when he gets a stuffy nose, we tap his chest and back when he gets cough to keep things loose,and we rub the sides of his neck in a downward motion when he starts to complain of his ears hurting. This keeps the fluid from building up or help it drain. Sorry to make this so long but I know how hard it is to make these medical decisions when it comes to your child. We have 4 children and Ryan is our youngest. We have a daughter who is now 8 and she had 3 sets of tubes in her ears and adnoids out by the time she was 2 1/2. We wish we would have tried chiropratic care with her. I HIGHLY recommend the chiropractor. Best of luck. M.

I have definitely had this experience and getting a second opinion saved us time, money and pain. Check out Chiropractic and holisitic health practitioners (Naturepaths, Chinese physicians,....).

Chronic ear infections are the result of the drainage, yes, BUT drainage is the result of dietary/nutrient imbalances. Most often these imbalances are caused by allergies to dairy, corn, wheat or refined sugars. Simple dietary solutions will help your child to be healthier all the way around.

Allopathic Medicine (our current medical system) focuses on the symptoms and treats them. Holisitic Medicine focuses on the CAUSE of the symptoms and treats them.

Treating the cause is always safer, less painful and provides a long-term solution.

You have nothing to lose by trying chiropractic for a month. My son had multiple ear infections and constant fluid in his ears from age 7 months to 14 months. After conventional antibiotics failed we were referred to an ENT who recommended ear tubes (but confirmed that there was no hearing damage). Before scheduling the surgery I decided to give chiropractics a try and I am so glad I did. The chiro found a sublaxation in his upper neck area that explained the problem with the fluid never draining. After three djustments and then follow up adjustment a few times a year, we have been ear infection free for 3.5 years (except one brief infection this winter after catching a superbug from visiting guests). I am always cautious of simply making decisions based on anecdotal evidence, however in this case there is plenty of research to back up chiro as being more successful than ear tubes in the long term prevention of fluid and infections in ears. Well worth a try.

My(now) 7 year old daughter had chronic ear infections at about the same age as your child. We were worried about the increased strength of anti-biotics. The ENT Dr suggested that we restrict her dairy to 1-2 servings per day and switch her to soy milk. (we did this the same way you switch from formula to milk, starting with a little bit added to reg milk for a few days then increasing the amount slowly). This worked for her and any time that we tried to switch her back to reqular milk she would complain that her ear was bothering her. Also, the fluid in the ear can take months to dry up. I would find out what the ENT has to say because chronic ear infections can cause hearing loss. We also have used tea tree oil and olive oil drops in my children's ears when they complain of ear problems. Good luck!

My 5 year old was having recurring ear infections when she cut her 6 year molars. Just before we were to start our 3rd course of antibiotics for the same infection, I took her to the chiropractor, her ears were inflamed and full of fluid, but after the ajustment, the ears cleared and no antibiotics were necessary. My daughter has gotten only 1 infection since, and we took her to the chiroprator after we saw the pediatrician (our pediatrician thought also thought it was a great idea) and the infection cleared within 24 hours. I'd take her to see ear, nost and throat Dr. because they will want to check for hearing loss (etc.) but even if they decide on tubes, she will have to be infection free,so in the mean time take her to a chiropractor too.

I am a firm believer in Chiropractics for kids with colds and ear infections. They actually offer relief as opposed to just give drugs that take forever to kick in and may just be a placebo anyway. Make sure you find a Chiro who specializes in children. It makes a huge difference. My kids have seen my regular Chiro, but they prefer the pediatric chiropractor, especially for ear infections. They also can give you supplements to help with the infections, and oil drops (although warming olive oil is just as affective.)

I had never even heard of chiropractic treatment for ear infections until my SIL brought it up this weekend! I have always felt that antibiotics were just wrong for ear infections - ineffective and just exchange one problem for another. And putting tubes in, although apparently helpful for some kids, seems barbaric and causes more trouble than it solves for others. I would DEFINITELY try chiropractic before subjecting my 3-year-old to surgery, and I'm going to look into it for my son before I take him to a regular doctor again! :)

I think that taking your daughter to the chiropractor for this would be a mistake. I know that many people say that they can help a variety of issues, but that evidence is largely anecdotal. If your daughter has fluid that isn't draining, the chiropractor is not going to be able to somehow turn the jello-like fluid into runny fluid...even if he could, if your daughter has a problem with her adnoides it probably wouldn't matter anyway. I wouldn't mess around with that. If her adnoides are swollen or too big, that can effect breathing passageways, depending on how bad it is. I have a hard time understanding why many people are quick to recommend chiropractors when most of what they do has not been proven to help. I can't deny that the human touch always has the ability to make people feel better, whether their medical condition has improved or not, so maybe that is what is happening. Sorry to rail on, I just have a beef about the hype with chiropractors because I think a lot of what they do is not good medicine. So, in my opinion, stick with your real doctor and don't put your daughter's health at risk. This may be something she is suffering from significantly so the sooner you can get it taken care of the better.

Hi!
I can relate. My oldest boy (now 4 yrs old) had recurring ear infections starting about age 1 1/2 yrs. old. This went on for a year- many doctors trips, antibiotics, shots, etc. with no lasting relief. It was not fun for him and aggravating for us. We tried chiropractic, and although others have been successful with that, we, unfortunately, were not. We did go to the Ear Nose Throat doctor and went ahead with getting the tubes in and his aednoids out when he was 2 1/2 yrs old. He was like a whole new kid! We didn't have a single infection after getting the tubes in- it was awesome! That set of tubes eventually fell out (normal) after about a year and he just got a second set of tubes, after struggling again with the constant fluid goop and infection in his ears between sets of tubes. We have had wonderful results with the ENT and tubes. I've heard different things work with different kids, but I am sure glad we did it.
Good luck to you- you know your child best and therefore have to "go to bat" for her when it comes to her health.
Hopes this helps some....
Tami

Just a quick blurb about what I've done, our son was 1 year at the time had numerous ear infections, we did chiropractic visits weekly for about 2 months with an experienced Chiro. and used soy milk. Lucky for us our son never had tubes and has had only one infection since then and he is now 6 years old!! good luck to you!!

I have a son who's now 8. Do not mess around w/ these ear infections. My son as young as 3 months old got ear infections one right after another. Sometimes, they wouldn't heal and he'd have to be on another 10 days of a different antibiotic and sometime they'd heal up and we'd get them again 2 or 3 weeks later. He was hospitalized twice w/ RSV as an infant, he has allergies and asthma and I've known that since he was probably one. NOTE - he NEVER got a fever and never cried. Only time he cried he screamed and that was when it was so bad he couldn't handle the pain NO more. I had to watch him sleep for the most part to know if he had ear infection or not because he was so used to the pain and has a high pain tollerance from them. He was very restless in his sleep if his ear was havin' issues.
He also saw a chiropractor who I love dearly and he'd pop his ears and adjust him to get the fluid draining and though it helped tons it didn't stop him from getting them.
He's had tubes 3 times last one being T-tubes that they get when they are older and are supposed to last 3-5 years from what I was told well one fell out and the other had to be taken out. With the second set they took his adnoids w/ the third set they took his tonsils and he still continues to get them at 8. Not as regular but he gets them still frequently.
But, do to all his ear infectins he is now looking at 2 surgeries. He has big holes in both ear drums. He's had so many they ruptured ear drums and now the holes are so big they won't close on their own. He has to go through surgery to have the back of his ear cut, skin taken from back there some where and put over the holes in his ears. There is a 90% chance that nothing will go wrong but there is that 10% chance he won't be able to hear afterwards. That is why they won't do both at the same time. Now, because of this he'll never be able to go deep sea diving and things like that cuz of the pressure. I'm torn to do this surgery because what if he does lose his hearing but I'm going to because the good percent is alot higher then the bad and the winter is very h*** o* him here in Nebraska w/ holes in his ears.
Nothing I did helped. I took him to the doctor all the time I didn't ever make him suffer w/ an ear ache - problem is he got used to the pain and so until the pain was unreal you never knew he had anything wrong. I'd ask him if his ear hurt and he'd just tell me no it's plugged it always feels that way. I'd get him into the doctor and there was times that he didn't have one but morning he did or we were at the E.R that night. I did everything right and he still now at 8 has holes that have to be repaired.
So, not trying to scare you but just get her in and soon as you can and if they ever tell you she has a hole in ear drum demand they paper close it don't wait for it to close on it's own. My sons never did and the holes just got bigger w/every ear infection.
Good Luck!!

My son had chronic fluid on one of his ear drums for over a year. We also never gave him antibiotics. You can also use garlic oil in the infected ear to help relieve the infection. It may not relieve the fluid.

He developed only one infection the entire time. (fluid does not equal infection). We saw a chiropractor monthly for the entire year, but it never really helped to relieve the fluid.

Since it was only in one ear, we chose to only put a tube in that ear. That tube did not come out for 4 years. He had no problems with either ear ever again.

I would also recommend chiropractic care first. Ear infections are not urgent or life threatening. Give the natural/non-invasive efforts a chance. Going under anesthesia and opening a hole into the ear shouldn't be chosen lightly. It is not a scary or dangerous surgery, but I'm the type of person to avoid removing or altering God-given parts of the body (no matter how "useless" some people consider them) unless ABSOLUTELY necessary.

Good luck. Good for you for checking out your options and trying to make the best choice for your kiddo.

I love Chiropracic care. I take my daughter (who is 7) once a month for "maintanance". You need to look thoughouly though. I wouldn't take her to just anyone. I made sure that I went before I took her and I felt confortable. I go to Dr. Pennabaker in Eden Prairie. I know it is a haul, bu the practices Gongstad and he only adjust what needs to be worked on. Sometimes he will only move one thing. It's amazing how just one thing can make such a huge difference. They also do exrays and other tests before they do any adjusting. He is kind and soft spoken. They also have someone that does acupuncture and a nutritionist. There is also Dr. Ian (can't remember last name) and he is really good as well.
Anyway, make sure if you go chiropractic (which I highly reccomend!)that the chiropractor is very reputable and highly reccomended and that they are certified in child care. I don't know if Dr. P is, but I am sure impressed and trust him completely!

My daughter had MANY ear infections in her life. One year she had 32! She had her tonsils and adnoids out and tubes put in. That helped some, but not entirely. She had a killer ear infection that was so bad that they put a hard cotton tube in her infected ear so that the drops would soak into it and stay there for a longer time. Even that didn't take it away. I had heard of going to the chiropractor for ear infections and decided, "what do I have to loose". I didn't tell the chiropractor which ear it was. He told me it must be the left ear and he was right. Within 1 hour from going to the chiropractor my daughter had all kinds of stuff draining out of her ear and down the side of her face. It was truly gross. I couldn't believe all that was stuck in there. She has had 1 ear infection since then. I tell everyone with a kid that gets a lot of ear infections to go to the chiropractor. I which I would have taken my daughter long before I did.

You might check out this book from the library:
Schmidt, Michael A. Childhood ear infections: A parent’s guide to alternative treatments. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books, 2004.

Consider chiropractic care and probiotics, and also eliminating dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese) for at least 2 weeks. Start with the least invasive, give it time, and then reassess.
A.

My 11 yo developed fluid behind her ears at age 4, had her adenoids removed and tubes put in. We went 9 months and her tubes fell out due to infection and we had to have a second set put in (second surgery). She continued to have problems until we discovered another child was allergic to milk and took milk out of our house. Things were dramatically better and she hasn't had a problem since! Subsequent children have had problems with ear fluid on occasion. I was told I should take my 3rd child to ENT for an evaluation for tubes. I decided we would not go that route and went to a chiropractor instead. After a couple months of treatment, the fluid was completely gone! Whenever the kids get ear problems we head off to the chiropractor. I haven't had to give any antibiotics for ear infections to my 4 kids in over 3 years.

Hi B. B
Chiropractic would be a good route to go. Chiropractic has helped a lot of kids with ear infections. Here is a website for you to go to for information on ear infections and chiropractic icpa4kids.org and there is a place to search on the left side just type in ear infections. My son has not had an ear infection at all and he get adjusted once every 2 weeks. He just turned one. I know people who have had kids with ear infections and gone the chiropractic route and it worked for them. I wish you luck and if you have any questions feel free to ask me.

Hi B. B,

When I was three years old many years ago, I had my adnoides, tongues and tubes put in. I had many ear infections since I was little and the tubes are the only thing that would help. My Mom has always told me that my "plumbing" was not right. The Eustachin (spelling) tube was not correct. When you are little the tube is small and faces in a different direction. As you grow it does also. Well mine never did. So you might want to wait to see the specialist. Good luck, I know my son now has the same thing. It is nice that I know his signs since he is to little to say what hurts.

For your childs' sake, please try a chiropractor. But look for one that specializes in children and takes classes on that. (There are some bad chiropractors out there but then again there are bad doctors too.) If you are near the St. Cloud area email me and I will give you the name of a good one.

My friends child had tubes once and then continued to have ear infections and they were going to put tubes in a second time but after I convinced them to go to a chiropracter they have had no problems since.

Also one of my old daycare children had tubes 3 times and had their adnoids taken out and they still battle ear infections. So, that really is NOT a guarenteed fix.

My children have both had double ear infections according to the regular doctor and I have NEVER given them an antibiotic. We just head over to the chiropractor and BOOM they are fixed.

Hope this helps.

I went to a chiropractor with both my kid's and ended up with tubes anyway. Each child is different. You might want to try the chiro first, then go from there. For us we went to the chiro for about 4 to 5 months and still the kid's had ear infections. It wasn't until they got tubes that helped them. As for diet, the Dr said decrease the amount of milk and supplement with soy.

Getting tubes put in is no big deal. The hardest part is watching your child go under. I had tubes and adenoids taken out on my daughter. She spent an overnight because she was under 2. She did just fine and has not been sick. That was over 3 months ago. Where as before she was sick all winter. Seriously, all winter.

Good luck!

Hi i am sorry for your struggle and that you have had such a sick kiddo. I have been fortunate enough to not have to deal with ear infections. However, my sister has. She has done all of the above and they are now looking at sinus surgery. My nephew just turned 3. I have been researching and have met with a chiropractor. If it were me, I would definately try the non-invasive route first. Most insurance companies will cover chiropractic care. Mine covers 90 visits a year. After seeing all my nephew has gone through and all the anti-biotics he has been on, I would see a chiro. in a heart beat. I know whatever you decide will be what is best for your daughter. You are doing a good thing for your little one.

I would really steer away from the tubes until you try chiropractic first. I have seen many cases that have been corrected by chiropractic care. One thing that you should know is that there are many different types of chiropractors. So I would not go to just anyone. I have a great deal of experience with chirpractic care. If you decide to look for a chiropractor find one that makes their patient's gown before their adjustments. The best kind of chiropractic that I have experience with is a practice call (Gonstead Chiropractic). This a very specific kind of chirpractic, it's not the kind that adjusts everything at one sitting. There is a website that you can go to, to see if there is a Gonstead chiropracor in you area. I really recommend doing this before the doctors take the knife to your child:) The website is www.gonsteadseminar.com. You should see a section at the bottom that says Information for Patients. Very informative!

When my husband and I were growing up, we both got ear infection mult. times a year. Never had tubes. Now that we have kids. Our oldest who will be 6 years old in Aug., got ear infection one after another seemed like. When he was 3, I took him to a chiropractor and I think he has only had ear infection once since then. I personally have not had ear infection since I started going to the chiro. 10 years ago. the medical doctor will probably tell you it doesn't help, and the chiro will tell you it will. It did for me, and my son. I think it will probably just depend on what is causing the ear infections. It will not hurt your child to try.. Good luck.

The Chiropractor worked for us! My daughter had several ear infections around the age of six-months. It seemed like we would just get off meds and a week or two later, we would be back on them. The doctor was recommending tubes. I decided to take her to a Chiropractor and I couldn't believe the difference! The chiro I chose specializes in women and children. I was very impressed with how comfortable my daughter was with her and how gentle she was with my daughter! My daughter is now 19-months and has been very healthy. If I notice she is starting to get a little cranky, or out-of-sorts, I make an appointment and things are back to normal. One thing my chiro recommended was Pro-biotics. We have a health store in town where I got these. I bought a powder form and put it in her applesauce. Pro-biotics are also found in yogurt and other foods. They help increase the good bacteria in your system, therefore strenghtening your immune system. I know some doctors are starting to recommend pro-biotics along with anti-biotics. Good luck in whatever you choose!

oh yah. I went through that as a kid, and my 2 year old now. Our pediatrician thought he had pink eye and double ear infection but then a week later she suspected allergies.
I know for us we got rid of fabric softeners, perfume soaps etc... on the food side of things we got rid of mucus producing foods (dairy, wheat, soy, banana and meat), while his sinuses were draining. Also, if giving any bottles, make sure they are propped up good- the fluid trades all around (don't feed/drink laying down). When I was a kid we did garlic capsule oil in the ear. Garlic is an anti fungal, anti bacterial and really good for the immune system. When I was a little older and had ear infections from dairy allergy my mom would make me lay on the couch and let the oil drain into my ear (make sure sterile), but for my toddler I just squirt a little on the ear opening (not down in ear canal, just on fleshy part) and it seems to really help- once in morning, once at night. Make sure that baby stays very warm, socks&slippers, coat hat etc. And can use nice warm bath couple times a day to break up mucus (but make sure to keep baby warm- no drafts, no water in ear). Our chiropractor also suggested eating green veggies and yellow/orange veggies (sweet potato, squash). I also am a strong believer in focused love/snuggling... that body contact and healing touch send so much love and help the health a lot! I know that eliminating mucus producing foods might seem radical- but rice, healthy veggie soups, tacos, stir fry, hearty snacks do wonders! even if it's just temporary for 2 weeks to get rid of ear mucus/pain.
Here is my recipe for squash pancakes- a complete protein- veggie, eggs (mucus producing and some kids allergic- kids with vaccine allergies usually because vaccine uses egg embryo), rice and bean flour. Sometimes I also add old Bananas with squash.

squash pancakes
blend
1 baked and cleaned squash (about 1 cup)
3 eggs
3/4 cup rice milk
1 Tbsp Oil
add dry
1 1/4 cup brown rice flour, 1/2 cup corn flour, 3/4 cup garbanzo bean flour, salt, 1tsp bking soada, 1tsp bking pwdr, 1 tsp cinn.

good luck.

Our son just got tubes 3 weeks ago after chronic ear infections. Since little kids have more horizontal eustacian tubes, vs. adults having them much more slanted, many kids just have trouble getting them to drain. The tubes have been great so far. I also had horrible chronic ear infections as a kid, and had the surgeries your doctor is suggesting, and I went 30 years without an ear infection. And, with the new tubes, kids can swim and bathe without needing ear plugs!