Ear Infections

By Douglas J. Berry, BS, MS, DC, CCEP

Ear Infections – Try A New Approach – Try Chiropractic First

Should you rush to the medical doctor for antibiotics as a first line of defense for your child’s ear infection.  The answer is a resounding NO!  Dr. Alfred Berg, a co-chair of a federal panel of experts and professor of medicine at the University of Washington, stated, “that in most cases, the condition (persistent asymptomatic fluid build up in the middle ear) disappears within three to six months without medical treatment” and that antibiotics are of limited value. Dr. Berg further stated antibiotics are a valid option for treating otitis media but they are not the preferred option in early stages of the condition.  The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research’s federally sponsored panel concluded that most children who have ear fluid build up do not require surgical or antibiotic treatment.  The Journal of the American Medical Association reported that amoxicillin “is not effective in the treatment of persistent asymptomatic, middle ear effusions (fluid build up) in infants and children.  (Amoxicillin is the most commonly prescribed drug for this condition.)

There is some evidence that children who are not treated with antibiotics develop a natural resistance to ear infections.  These children develop healthier immune systems and are generally more resistant to all illnesses.

Frequent usage of antibiotics results in a resistant form of the bacteria rendering them ineffective against the organism it is designed to kill.  Another side effect of antibiotic therapy is the loss of the “good bacteria” in the intestines.  This results in yeast infections and the loss of the ability to produce essential vitamins in the intestine.  The antibiotic therapy actually lowers one’s resistance to disease and may cause additional health problems closely following the cessation of the therapy.  Without appropriate vitamin and mineral supplementation following antibiotic therapy it could take months for your immune system to be restored to normal.

Chiropractic care can help children avoid otitis media.  How could adjusting the spine effect a condition like otitis media?  The answer is in the proper functioning of the central nervous system.  When the neural impulses to the tissue cells is appropriate the tissues are healthy. The condition that causes this disruption is called a SUBLUXATION.  It is the subluxation that makes chiropractic different than all other healing arts.  Chiropractors look for the subluxation and correct it through a specific spinal adjustment.  When the interference of neural impulses caused by the subluxation is removed all of the cells in the body can communicate.  The result is a properly functioning immune system and a healthy body.

Give chiropractic a chance to help your child lead a healthier drug free life.