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Children's Ear Infections: Helping Your Child Naturally
by Stacelynn Caughlan
PART ONE
Another sleepless night. Your little one is miserable and you are fraught with the knowledge that it is yet again another ear infection. For many young children, ear infections become recurrent and difficult to avoid. Luckily there are solutions to breaking that cycle. Some solutions, such as becoming more aware of food allergens, take time and persistence. Others may provide more immediate relief, but it will be short-lived unless the ‘big picture’ is addressed.
How the Ear Works
The ear is divided into three parts The outer ear is the area most visible. The sound travels through the ear canal, past the ear drum, down to the middle ear. This is where the bones that transmit the sound to the inner ear are found. The inner ear is rich with nerve endings that receive the sound. It is also considered the ‘balance centre’.
The eustachian tube is found in the middle ear. This passage way connects to the nose and the throat, and allows drainage of any fluid collected in the middle ear. In infants and young children the eustachian tube is shorter and lays in a more horizontal position (over time it will develop a more downward angle). This makes it more difficult for excess fluid to drain properly. Should this tube become blocked, infection can readily develop in the middle ear and the subsequent fluids are trapped. Tubes can become blocked by congestion caused by a cold or other upper respiratory infection, or by a reaction to a food or environmental allergen.
If your child complains of ear pain, hearing loss, is unable to lie flat, wakes frequently at night, is extremely fussy, has a fever, or has fluid draining from his/her ear, you should see a physician. A proper diagnosis will give you more confidence in the remedies you choose.
Ear infections are one of the most common reasons antibiotics are prescribed to children. But a subsequent side effect can be the proliferation of yeast (Candida) in the body. Yeast infections may make a child more susceptible to ear infections as they can leave their body’s immune system weakened and vulnerable. The effectiveness of antibiotics in the treatment of ear infections is still being debated in the literature. It is known that many cases would have otherwise resolved themselves without treatment, and many practitioners recognize that repeat prescriptions are more common once antibiotics have been administered.
Finding Relief
Many children will get pain relief from a warm compress placed over the affected ear. Dip a soft cloth in very warm water or tea and wring it out. When it is cool enough to touch, place it over the child’s ear. Alternately you could use a heat pack filled with flax seeds, buckwheat, or rice. These all tend to maintain their heat longer and are less messy than a wet cloth. The essential oils lavender, roman chamomile and/or tea tree can be added to the water or dropped onto the heat pack.
Massaging around the ear can help the fluid drain into the eustachian tube and provide some pain relief. This can be done with or without oil but if a massage oil is used you might consider adding essential oils ( see recipe). Massage from along the back of the ear down toward the jaw line in repeated strokes. Discontinue if it causes your child too much discomfort. If the lymph nodes (glands) are swollen, lightly massage them using the same essential oil blend to help them drain and to relieve discomfort.
If the pain is caused by congestion, particularly that associated with a cold, keep the mucous thinned by having your child drink very warm herbal teas such as lemon balm, catnip, spearmint, ginger, and/or licorice root. A vaporizer used in the room where your child sleeps, or some time spent in a steamy bathroom before bed can help too. You might consider adding lavender essential oil to the vaporizer, or eucalyptus oil if your child is over the age of two.
Prop your child’s head up at a 30 degree angle while lying down, This encourages drainage and discourages the feeling of pressure often felt when laying flat. Adjust the upper portion of the bed so that it slopes down toward their feet by placing something under the mattress or the legs of the bed.
Allergens
Secondhand smoke has been proven by research to increase a child’s risk of ear infections. Be sure that your child’s exposure is very limited. Seasonal allergies (hayfever) and sensitivities to household allergens such as dust, mold, pet dander, etc. may do two things: 1) reduce your child’s immune capabilities and 2) illicit an allergic response that results in the swelling and blocking of the eustachian tubes.
Sensitivities to pollen, mold, pet dander, dust, and food proteins may trigger reoccurring ear infections. The immune system’s response to foreign invaders usually results in inflammatory congestion which can block the eustachian tubes. Because the body is so busy trying to ward off the ‘invader’, it is incapable of appropriately dealing with a bacterial overgrowth that may occur in the warm moist environment of the middle ear. Keep your child’s environment reasonably free of environmental allergens by cleaning often, using hypoallergenic materials in the bedroom, and installing an air filter.
Food allergies will need to be identified and avoided until the body is reasonably strong enough to resist an inappropriate immune response. It is best to work with a practitioner who can help you identify problematic foods while still ensuring that a healthy diet is maintained. Be wary of practitioners who put nursing moms or small children on very restrictive elimination diets. This can sometimes do more harm than good, and compliance is minimal after a short while. Common foods that are often the culprit are: dairy, soy, wheat, corn, eggs, and oranges. Other foods may be responsible for a reaction as well.
