Health/Natural: Children's Ear Infections

Q. My eight year old son has suffered from chronic ear infections since he was an infant. These infections occur three or four times a year. When our doctor treats them with antibiotics, they always go away, but return within four or five weeks after the prescription runs out. In every other way he seems to be a perfectly healthy boy. We've paid for extensive medical tests to try and determine what's causing them, but there doesn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary. Our doctor says that some kids just seem to be prone to these kinds of things and that he'll probably grow out of them. I wish there was something we could do to stop them, because our doctor suggests that we not let him go swimming, as a precaution, and he loves to play in the pool so much. Any suggestions?

A. Recurring ear infections in children can be one of the most frustrating things we can go through as parents. You see your child in such pain, and you want to do anything to help, as quickly as possible. Often the child will get very emotional, fussy, weepy, angry or any number of other expressions. How your child acts on the emotional level can be a great indicator as to the proper homeopathic remedy. Many factors can play a role in this stubborn problem, so let's look at a few. . .

In natural medicine, a recurring chronic problem signals that the body is out of balance to a certain degree and needs attention. A symptom is acknowledged as the body's attempt to communicate to us what it needs. It is up to us first, to listen, and then to understand the communication. This is called the “language of symptoms” and you can think of it literally as a language to learn, just like any foreign language. Each person's body “speaks” to them in a different “dialect,” if you will, and we can each refine our skills at understanding our own dialect and that of others. Homeopathic medicine offers us tools to assess the case and to make a good remedy choice based on the particular and unique symptoms expressed by the person. I will give you an example of several homeopathic remedies which can help speed healing from this kind of symptom-picture. Each will address the variety of symptoms, physically and emotionally, that might be possible to see in your child's case. Check with your natural care practitioner or homeopath to help you choose the proper remedy.

Chamomilla: Whining restlessness, impatience, angry, snaps at those around him. Child wants things, and when he gets them, he refuses them and casts them aside. Child wants to be carried, and then fidgets to be put down. Earache, with lots of pain, which makes him/her frantic. Heat is associated with this type of child, red cheeks, fever. Very sensitive, and pain is unbearable.

Pulsatilla: Peevish, mild natured but very changeable, weeps easily. Better in fresh air or with window open.  Clings to parent, needs consolation, comforting and reassurance. Thick yellow discharges from ear, sinuses, etc. Desires sweets, dairy, “comfort-foods.”

Kali Muriaticum: Chronic congestion of middle ear, swollen glands, inflammatory states. Snapping and crackling noises in ear. Worse from rich foods.

Calcarea Carbonica: Stubborn, slow-moving, apprehensive, anxious. Gets sick easily and relapses frequently. Chilly natured, but perspires easily. Can be overweight and pale. Earaches have much discharge, pain, and swollen glands. Cracking and throbbing noises in ear. Craves eggs and indigestibles.

Silicea: Very sensitive to everything, tender and susceptible to every “bug” that goes around, gives in to others easily, particular, nervous, delicate, focuses on little details. Earaches with loud noises in ear, roaring in ears. Discharges, glandular swellings frequent. Very chilly natured, better from warmth and wrapping up head.

These are just a few possibilities with homeopathic medicine. You can see just from this simple list of remedies that children can express ear infections in a wide variety of ways and there is not just one remedy for all. This is the beauty of natural medicine, homeopathy in particular, as it allows us to appreciate and understand the uniqueness and individuality in each and every person.

The next thing to consider is your child's daily nutrition, which we know plays a huge part in recurring childhood ear infections. I cannot even begin to tell you the number of times I personally have seen a change in diet make all the difference in the world to help prevent future, chronic recurrence of these stubborn ear infections. There are certain foods which can put more mucous in the body, and these are the ones to avoid, if possible. These include dairy products (milk, cheese, ice cream) and sugar (this includes all cookies, candy, soda pop, cakes, sweetened packaged cereals, anything that has sugar in it) and even sometimes excessive drinking of fruit juices can worsen the problem, too. All dairy, sweets and white sugar are extremely acid-producing foods. This means that the internal pH balance in the digestive system and bloodstream actually becomes more acidic, which can contribute directly to a development of excess mucous situations. There can tend to be a greater incidence of infections, creating a breeding ground for bacteria, when the system collects more mucous, especially in the sinuses, lungs and ears. Amazingly, the body will start to clear out excess mucous if foods such as dairy and white sugar are cut back or fully eliminated. I have seen cases of adults and children who suffer from chronic ear infections, sinus inflammation, allergies and coughs, start to get better within days of eliminating these foods.

One very important supplement to consider for you child is a good probiotic/acidophilus/bifidus formula. These come in capsules, chewables or powdered form to mix with juice or water for children. Probiotics are combinations of live, friendly bacteria which are alkaline-producing, and actually will re-seed the small and large intestine with healthy bacteria. This is extremely important due to your child's recurrent use of antibiotics for ear infections, which will kill good bacteria along with bad in the system. When good bacteria get killed off, we not only become more acidic internally, but this can put a burden on digestion and immune function. When the immune system becomes overburdened, it can make us more vulnerable to more infections. The vicious cycle continues. Therefore, it is essential to maintain an internal balance and replenish the lost good bacteria. The health and balance of the lower digestive system can be mirrored in the upper mucous membranes, such as sinuses and ears.

I hope these suggestions will help keep your child healthier and off of the antibiotics, and that he will still have lots of fun swimming in the future.– Susie

©Copyright 2001 by AlternativeApproaches.com

Susie Cooper, a community herbalist and homeopathic educator, has worked in the natural foods business since 1991 and has been teaching workshops on herbal and homeopathic medicine since 1993. In addition to presenting numerous talks, she has also appeared on radio programs pertaining to natural health. With her husband, Paul, she owns and operates Blue Mountain Herbs, a small health food store in Pilot Mountain, North Carolina, where she also teaches workshops in herbal and homeopathic medicine. “Offering a proper base of education for people interested in maintaining health the natural way is of utmost importance to me,” she says. “So many options exist in the world around us, and it’s important to me to offer the best traditional educational support I can to people wanting a healthy alternative for prevention and wellness.”

Important note: The information contained in this column is not meant to diagnose or prescribe for specific ailments, but is intended for educational support only. Please seek the advise of a licensed health practitioner for specific illnesses and emergency situations.