How Serious of a Problem Ear Infections Today?
Children in the US are getting more ear infections than ever, and with the rise in complications from antibiotic-resistant bacteria due to overuse of antibiotics, many parents are searching for safer alternatives for treatment and prevention. In the US, there are 10 million new cases of Otitis Media diagnosed each year, accounting for 35% of all pediatrician visits, or 25 million office visits.
What if the “Conventional” Treatment Was Found to be Useless?
Otitis Media (or ear infection) accounts for about 25% of all antibiotics prescribed in the US. If ear infections were caused by a lack of antibiotics in the bloodstream then taking an antibiotic would cause the ear infection to go away and never come back. However, parents of these children know better. Their child develops an ear infection and receives an antibiotic, and then 30 days later get another bout in the opposite ear, 60-90 days later they have a third infection. Now the condition has become chronic and the pediatrician is recommending that they put tubes in their child’s ears. A research study concluded that children who took amoxicillin for chronic ear infections were 2-6 times more likely to have a recurrence of their ear problem than those who received a sugar pill. (JAMA) According to the British Medical Journal, “Existing research offers no compelling evidence that children with acute ear infection routinely given antimicrobiats (antibiotics) have a shorter duration of symptoms, fewer occurrences, or better long term outcomes than children who did not receive them”.
So, What’s a Mother To Do?
According to Dr. Joan Fallon, author of a study published in the Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics, “Chiropractic mobilizes drainage of the ear in children, and if they can drain without a buildup of fluid and subsequent infection, they build their own antibodies and recover faster.” Dr. Fallon focuses on the upper cervical area on children with otitis media, concentrating on the occiput (base of the skull) and upper two vertebrae in the neck, and she states that close to 80% of the 332 children in the study did not experience another ear infection within a 6-month period. Pediatrician Dr. Spears even states on his website, “I firmly believe that chiropractic adjustments to the skull and neck can improve middle ear drainage and decrease ear infections.” Are your children being checked regularly by your chiropractor for nerve interference?