Denician Angeleia

Archive for January 6th, 2012

Ear infections are the most common ailment among children, with 10 million new cases per year. Accounting for over a third of all pediatric visits, it is one of the most painful conditions a child may face. Statistically, nearly half of all babies will experience middle ear infection during their first year of life. By the age of 3, at least two-thirds of all children will have experienced it.

Ear infections (also known as otitis media) can be viral or bacterial. Irritability, fever, and pain are among the reported symptoms. Often, it follows or accompanies another illness, such as a common cold or sinusitis. Ear infections after a complication of the common cold or other illness have an easier time developing since normal resistance to infection is low. In the same way that emotional stress affects the immune system, physical stress on the central nervous system reduces our resistance to illness.

In some cases, ear infections could turn into a chronic condition that may require regular treatment. Once chronic, it may present a risk of serious hearing loss, as well as developmental and speech problems.

Common Ear Infection Treatment
Conventional treatment relies on the use of antibiotics. Antibiotics may prove effective in cases where the condition is bacterial in nature. Research has shown that, in the best sense, antibiotics are comparable to the body’s own immune system. Regular use of antibiotics, however, may cause the body to produce drug-resistant bacteria. In this case, antibiotics will not only do nothing to address the actual virus, it will also do little to relieve the pain. It can also increase the risk of reoccurrence.

For children under the age of 2, ear infections are the second most often performed surgery. Severe cases may also require “ear tubes,” in the form of tympanostomy or myringotomy. These drastic methods are used in such cases as when fluids persist in the ear and the patient’s hearing is affected.

These tubes relieve ear pressure and diminish buildup of fluids by allowing fresh air to flow through. The method can be effective, but 20 to 30 percent of these surgeries have to be repeated. If the infection is still present after surgery, adenoidectomy (the surgical removal of the adenoids) could be recommended. When a child undergoes these surgeries, general anesthesia is used.

An Alternative Treatment: How Chiropractic Can Help
Other than using antibiotics and resorting to surgery (ies), some parents are looking to alternative methods of addressing their child’s ear infections. Various studies have shown that otitis media were improved with chiropractic care. A study conducted by the National Institute of Health had the following results: 93% of all episodes were improved with chiropractic adjustments, and 43% with only one or two treatments. Factors such as no history of antibiotic use and young age were linked with the fewest required treatments. The study’s data concluded there were limitations of medical intervention and that chiropractic care may reduce the symptoms of children’s ear infections.

For the study above, a Sacral Occipital Technique of pelvic blocking and the doctor’s form of modified applied kinesiology were used. The regimen consisted of three treatments per week for 1 week, then two per week for 1 week, followed by one treatment per week. Treatments were discontinued once the symptoms improved.

For the treatment of ear infections, doctors of chiropractic focus on upper-cervical manipulation, with particular emphasis put on the back of the skull, or the first vertebra in the neck. Adjustment on the back of the skull (occiput) helps to drain the middle ear. Chiropractors aim to mobilize fluid drainage, encouraging the buildup of the child’s own antibodies.

In severe cases, chiropractic adjustments are initially made on a regular, if not daily, basis. Progress is monitored using a tympanogram to see how well the fluid is draining.

Overall, chiropractic care for children relies on adjustments that allow the child to fight off ear infections. Once a child can develop their own resistance to them, the ear is often able to recover on its own. However, when extra factors such as exposure to smoke or an abnormally shaped Eustachian tube is present, the problem may more difficult to treat.

Speak to your chiropractor about ear infection treatment. He or she will employ a gentle, age-appropriate form of treatment for your child.