Raising truly healthy kids

Mommy, my ear hurts!

by Erin Roush

Every parent experiences being jolted awake in the middle of the night by unmistakable cries from their small child. Whether the cause is a nightmare, fear of monsters under the bed, or a tummy ache, we just want to make the problem go away and restore comfort to our precious little ones. Often we have a quick or magical fix for whatever the ailment may be. Unfortunately, it’s not always as easy as shining a flashlight under the bed and authoritatively demanding the intruder leave, or preparing a cup of ginger tea for a grumbly tumbly. Sometimes the legitimate discomfort cannot be explained, especially if your wee one is an infant. Like most parents, you will probably observe your child through the night and call the pediatrician in the morning with a list of symptoms. If fever and pulling on the ears made the list, you will no doubt make an urgent call for an appointment.

Earaches are among the most painful of childhood illnesses: They are also among the most over diagnosed and over treated. Even parents who normally call the doctor as a last resort will hasten to the phone because of their child’s perceived suffering and their own fear that ear infections might bring hearing loss or other consequences. Unfortunately for new parents, doctors often reinforce these fears.

Earaches are most often caused by pressure that develops when an infection interferes with the drainage of the ear through the Eustachian tubes. Viral or bacterial infections can occur in the ear canal (otitis externa), or in the middle ear (otitis media), but inner ear infections are rare in children. Although your child may experience a temporary hearing deficit as a result of recurrent ear infections, permanent hearing loss is not likely. In 25 years of pediatric practice, Dr. Robert Mendelsohn (author of How to Raise a Healthy Child) reports that he never once saw a case of permanent hearing loss as a result of an ear infection.

I understand the need parents feel to “make sure it isn’t something serious.” It is helpful, therefore, to understand the pediatrician’s methods of diagnosis and most common forms of treatment. The doctor will take your child’s temperature, check his throat, listen to his heart and lungs, and then examine the condition of the eardrums with an otoscope. A healthy eardrum is pearly white in color. If the eardrum is bright red in color, most doctors will diagnose a middle ear infection and give you a prescription for Amoxicillin. If the eardrum is any shade of pink, the diagnosis and prescription will most likely be the same.

Sadly, this may be improper treatment on two counts. First, a change in eardrum color can occur when your child is upset and crying, has a fever due to other causes, or because of allergic response. The same eardrum may appear normal and white if inspected an hour later. Therefore, a single observation of color variation does not always provide an accurate diagnosis of infection. The second mistake comes with the antibiotic prescription. Whether your child’s eardrum is pink or bright red, antibiotics are only warranted if the ear is discharging pus or the eardrum is crusted. Controlled studies reveal that the use of antibiotics for treatment makes no difference in terms of the important outcomes like hearing loss, spread of infection or mastoiditis. Antibiotics may shorten the duration of pain and/or infection, but they will also interfere with the body’s natural immune response, increasing your child’s risk of repeat infections every four to six weeks.

So, what can you do when your child has symptoms of an ear infection? You should know that, according to a recent study in the journal Pediatrics, physicians are not adhering to the guidelines for treating acute otitis media outlined by the American Academy of Pediatrics and American Academy of Family Physicians. These guidelines endorse an observation option rather than a round of antibiotics for children with ear infections, particularly those age 2 or older who do not have the severe symptoms of discharge and high fever. Of the 200 physicians responding to surveys in 2004 and 2006, about 80 percent considered the observation option reasonable for some children. However, they reported using this option in only 15 percent of the cases they had diagnosed in the past 3 months. Nearly two-thirds of the physicians named parental reluctance as the top barrier, and one-third said the cost and difficulty following-up with children were important barriers.

The next time your child has an ear infection without severe symptoms discuss the “wait and see” option with the pediatrician. In addition to avoiding antibiotics and monitoring your child’s condition, there are many things you can do comfort your child and aid the natural healing process. Use warm compresses and a few drops of ear oil in each ear (plain olive oil with a drop of Tea Tree oil is a wonderful option) several times a day to relieve pressure and pain. Give your child immune supports like Echinacea or Olive Leaf and use Colloidal Silver as a natural antibiotic. Support immune strength through the digestive tract with Children’s Acidophilus. If your child is prone to repeat infections, or is slow to recover, use Transfer Factor for Kids to increase NK cell activity. Eliminate dairy and avoid wheat as these foods create excess mucous in the body. Provide your child with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, and encourage hydration with pure water, herbal teas, and unsweetened juices.

We can help prevent the unpleasant experience of earaches for our children as soon as they are born. Breastfeeding reduces a child’s risk of ear infections for a multitude of reasons: antibodies from mother to child, strengthening of the Eustachian tubes and avoidance of highly allergenic ingredients in infant formulas are among the benefits to your child. If you are unable to breastfeed, I encourage you to support your infant’s immune system with probiotics and avoid unwarranted antibiotics. For more information on this or any topic regarding your child’s health, please stop into Freshlife and speak with any of the Wellness Coaches, or contact us through our website.