Ear Infections
If you have ever had a child who has an ear infection you know how hard it can be. They can scream and cry in pain for no reason that you can figure out. Fortunately there is a natural treatment option that may be able to help your child’s ear infections.
Ear Infections
Ear infections are a very common reason for parents to be taking their children to visit the doctor. A large number of children will experience at least one ear infection before they reach the age of three and more than half of those children will have more than one infection during that same amount time. Doctors will normally prescribe a medication to treat the ear infection, however, there is starting to be more of a following around the idea that the ear infections will run their course without the use of medication. For those children that suffer from multiple ear infections it is sometimes recommended by doctors that the child gets tubes put into their ears to drain out the fluid. Before choosing this method of treatment for your child, consider taking them to see if chiropractic care may be right for them.
Let’s Look at the Parts of the Ear
The ear is made up of the middle ear, the outer ear, and the inner ear. The outer ear is made up of the cartilage that is visible outside of the head and the ear canal that leads to the ear drum. This is where sound is collected and moved to vibrate the ear drum. The inner ear is made up of the cochlea which holds fluid that stimulates small hairs that then transmit sound to the brain. This section of the ear is where balance can be affected. The middle ear, where ear infections take place, is made up of the ear drum and the three bones that vibrate the fluid inside of the cochlea. Because this portion of the ear is connected to the throat and nasal passages, ear infections can happen most often when your child is suffering from a cold or other illness.
Signs of an Ear Infection
Children have less developed speaking skills than adults, especially before the age of three, and can struggle to communicate what is wrong which is why they tend to cry when they have an ear infection. You can look for these common symptoms in your child to help figure out if they are suffering from an ear infection:
- Head pain
- Trouble sleeping
- Cold or flu-like symptoms
- Pulling at one of their ears
- Unnecessary or unexplained crying
- High fever
Ruptured Ear Drum
Once the pressure from the fluid build-up in your child’s ear becomes too high, the ear drum can rupture. This reduces the pain and is often accompanied by bloody or yellow fluid that leaks out of the ear. If this happens the eardrum will usually repair itself, however, it can open the inner parts of the ear making them susceptible to becoming infected. In severe occasions, hearing loss can result from the rupture and sometimes surgery is needed if the rupture does not naturally close.
Medications and Treatment
When a child has an ear infection it is not uncommon for a doctor to wait about 72 hours before prescribing medication in the hopes that it will clear up on its own. Parents may also try natural remedies to home to help relieve some of the pain. If more than one ear infection occurs within one month medication is prescribed or if the child is younger than six months old. It can be a concern if a child has reoccurring ear infections because their body is building up a tolerance to the prescribed medication and the risk of suffering from hearing loss becomes great. If this happens it is common for a doctor to surgically implant draining tubes into the ears. These tubes are placed into the eardrums to drain extra fluid and in some cases needs to be repeated multiple times. Many parents choose this option rather than trying a natural solution. Why? Because most people have no idea that ear infections can be treated with chiropractic –a safe and natural treatment involving no surgery or medication.
Chiropractic – the Natural Treatment Option
Many people think that chiropractors merely treat neck and back pain in adults –people are sometimes shocked that a chiropractor would treat a child. Chiropractors treat people of all ages for a wide variety of symptoms. They use natural methods of treating people so that the source of the problem is treated, not just the symptoms. The training that a chiropractor receives is extensive, focusing on gentle and precise ways to manipulate the spine. The spine houses the nervous system so if some part of the spine is out of alignment it can affect other parts of the body potentially causing ear infections. If the spine is out of alignment, it can interfere with the messages that the brain is sending to the organs, muscles, and blood vessels within the body. Correcting these misalignments will help to restore the body to its natural healthy state. Chiropractic is designed to work with your body’s healing abilities to provide a natural treatment option.
If you think that your child might benefit from chiropractic care in treating their ear infection, our Top Rated Chiropractors can help. Our chiropractors have knowledge on a variety of techniques that may help your child. Every treatment is patient specific and a personalized treatment plan will be made for your child.
Chiropractic is not a cure but rather a treatment that could help –every person is unique and there are no guarantees that every treatment will work for every person. Make a consultation with one of our Top Rated Chiropractors to see if chiropractic treatment is the best option for your child.