All Resources about Ear Infection

Parents are more familiar with ear infections than most would like to be. It is one of the most common infections in infants and small children. Antibiotics are the routine treatment that most pediatricians prescribe for ear infections. However, recent studies show that treating the symptoms of patients with ear infections without antibiotics recover as quickly as those that are given antibiotics. The children not given the antibiotics also show in the studies to have less frequent occurrences than those treated with antibiotics. The reasoning of this studies proved to be that only a fraction of ear infections are caused by bacteria and require antibiotics. More often patients have a viral or other problem causing the ear infection.

Many parents now are looking for natural remedies as an alternative to antibiotics. Prevention is the best treatment and many times it has been found that a hidden food allergy is the real culprit of ear infections. By hiding the real source with antibiotics many food allergies go undiagnosed in children and infants. Prevention avoids any possibility of a child requiring to have tubes place in their ears as a result of frequent ear infections.

It is first important to understand what an ear infection is before looking for a quick fix. It is basically an inflammation of the middle ear or otitis media. Ear infections affect more children than adults due to the tube in a child’s ear being much shorter than that of an adults. The shorter tube allows for fluid to build up disallowing the drum to vibrate as it should. Most infections are caused by viruses rather than by bacteria. A viral infection can not be treated with antibiotics.

There are many steps that a parent can take to relieve the symptoms of ear infections of infants and children. First, given acetaminophen to reduce the pain your child is feeling. Check with your pediatrician for the proper dosage amount. A few other natural home remedies that can be tried are:

* Raise the child’s head upward to allow gravity to help in draining the tubes naturally.

* A vaporizer will keep the air moist and encourage the fluids inside the ear to thin out and drain easier.

* Having a child drink lots of fluids. The action of swallowing will actually help the tubes open up and drain.

* Warm moist compresses can help to relieve the pain.

* Echinaccea can be helpful in fighting ear infections for children over the age of one year. Adding one dropper full of Euchinaccea three times a day to a glass of fluid can all help prevent ear infections.

* Remember that many ear infections begin with a cold. Treat colds aggressively using a decongestant in the vaporizer.

* Avoid having your child around cigarette smoke. Cigarette smoke has been shown to actually promote ear infections in children and infants.

* Have your pediatrician check for allergies to food. Many times that is the cause for recurring ear problems.

* Eliminate concentrated simple carbohydrates such as sugar, soda, chocolate, dried fruit, and concentrated frozen juice. Many times food allergies are aggravated by simple carbohydrates.

Prevention is the only cure for ear infections. The ear infections that are caused by bacterial infections require the use of antibiotics. Talking to your pediatrician can help you and your doctor determine the best course of action for your child or infant.