Moms bring their children through our door for several reasons.
Chronic ear infections is one of them. Chronic – meaning continuous. Meaning just finishing up one and before you know it your child has another ear infection.
Middle ear infections are called otitis media.
The symptoms of otitis media include ear pain, fever, and irritability. (If you’re like the rest of us, pain makes us crabby and irritable.)
If this sounds like your little one, here’s what may be happening. It could be that your child has:
- improper drainage of the lymph system in the neck,
- the muscle that is responsible for keeping bacteria or viruses from entering the eustachian tubes doesn’t work correctly. (The eustachian tubes are located in the back of the throat and lead to the inner ear),
- a suppressed immune system causing recurring infections which we can identify clearly and definitely calls for a chiropractic evaluation.
You’re not alone.
About one in every two (that’s almost 50%!) of all children will suffer from at least one middle ear infection (otitis media) before they’re a year old, and 5 of every 6 of them will have had at least one episode (episode: meaning infection) by age three.
If that’s the case – you need to know – antibiotics and surgery (including tubes in the ears) are NOT recommended as a first resort according to the guidelines created for pediatrics.
Most parents don’t know these are not your only options. There are other very effective, healing – and less invasive or dangerous – alternatives.
We’ll talk more about that on Thursday. However, in short…
Here’s what to do to help your little one right now:
- Understand their irritability is due to pain and they can’t help it nor do they understand why they hurt or how to communicate it well,
- Understand you are their biggest hope for relief,
- Have them evaluated by a pediatric chiropractor (that’s a chiropractor that has special training and experience to help with the mechanical and neurological functioning of the drainage and immune system of your child.)
- If you desire getting a diagnosis, go to your pediatrician and they will check their ears for fluid.
On Thursday, we’ll talk about what causes otitis media and what your best and safest options are for your little one.
In the meantime, call or come in today. We only see kids and are dedicated to the health, growth and proper development of your children.
