Acute Otitis Media (Middle Ear Infection)
A child awakens suddenly at night crying because of intense ear pain. The problems cause is infection of the middle ear (the area between the eardrum and the skull)—a very painful condition called acute otitis media that is usually accompanied by fever with fluid coming out of the ear. Childhood ear infections often frighten parents partly because they tend to come on suddenly, often at night.
Antibiotics & Surgery
The most common treatments prescribed for ear infections in children are antibiotics, oral decongestants, tubes in the ears, and surgery. The benefit of every one of these treatments is questionable.
For example, in a double-blind study of 171 children with acute otitis media (239 affected ears), the children were divided into four groups. One group was treated with surgery, a second group was given antibiotics. In the third group, both surgery and antibiotics were given. The fourth group received no treatment at all. According to the authors, “There were no significant differences in pain temperature, duration of discharge, otoscopic appearances, audiography, or recurrence rates between the four groups”(1). In other words, recovery time was about the same for all of the children whether medical treatments were done or nothing was done at all.
Another medical study showed that “88% of patients with acute otitis media never need antibiotics—In those treated with antibiotics, risk of recurrence is high—antibiotics does not imply shortening of the disease.”(2)
Tubes in the ears (Tympanostomy)
Over a million operations for tubes in the ears are done in the United States each year to treat recurrent ear infections. Do they work? In controlled studies performed in Europe, children with bilateral chronic ear infections had a tube place in one ear, with the other serving as a control. The results for both ears were just about the same: “No benefit from the placement of the tubes…and actually created some complications such as scarring and permanent perforation….”(3)
The late Dr. Robert S. Mendelsohn, a leading pediatrician, stated, “In the future, we doctors may have to consider whether the entire panoply of therapy for simple ear infections (antibiotics, antihistamines, insertion of tubes, tonsillectomy) does not represent over-all for a condition that, except in malnourished children, is almost always self-limited.” In accordance with his philosophy of always choosing the most conservative option first, Dr. Mendelsohn would prescribe heated olive oil dropped into the ear canal, and whiskey (by mouth) to alleviate the pain and allow everyone, patient included, to get some sleep while the infection cleared up all by itself.)
Cause of ear infections?
Why are ear infections so common today? As Harris L. Coulter, PH.D explains in his landmark book—Vaccination, Social Violence and Criminality, the cause may be childhood vaccinations. Otitis, with consequent hearing loss, is one of the most common effects of vaccination. Today the United States is experiencing a true plague of this condition. At least half of all U.S. children have had an episode of “glue ear” by their first birthday. By the age of six, 90 percent have had such an episode, and they account for thirty million visits to physicians each year.
Conditions associated with vaccine damage, including ear infections, asthma, and various behavior problems such as hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder, have increased greatly since the start of mass vaccination programs. This increase is not across the board, however, as Coulter describes: “Conditions not associated with vaccine damage—remained stationary during this time or actually declined.”
The Chiropractic Approach
Chiropractic care is one of the best things you can give a child suffering from an ear infection. Chiropractic is not a treatment for ear infections, yet doctors of chiropractic have noticed chiropractic’s profound effect on ears and hearing. Restoring the spine to its proper alignment through chiropractic care should result in the return of normal nerve supply.
Clinical Observations
Of 1,250 babies examined five days after birth, 211 suffered from vomiting, hyperactivity, and sleeplessness. Of these 211, spinal abnormalities were found in 95%. Chiropractic spinal adjustments frequently resulted in the immediate cessation of crying, muscular relaxation, and sleepiness. The authors stated that an unhealthy spine “causes many clinical features from central motor impairment to lower resistance to infections, especially ear, nose, and throat infections.”
The authors, who were M.D.s assert that all newborns should have their spines checked by chiropractors.
Among many chiropractic case histories, those of T. & P. Foger, males, ages 6 and 9 (from the records of Arno Burnier, D.C.) are typical. Both children were medically diagnosed with chronic ear infections and have been on antibiotics for years. “Both children have been free of medication and over-the-counter drugs for the three years since their first spinal adjustment.)
Dr. G. Thomas Kovacs, D.C. described a 4 ½ year old girl with chronic ear infections, a 50% right ear hearing loss and adenoiditis: “After six weeks of chiropractic care, a follow-up visit was made to her pediatrician and ENT specialist. Not only was there absolutely no sign of ear infection or inflammation, her adenoids, which were the worst the ENT had ever seen, were perfectly normal and healthy—the family was told to continue chiropractic care because it had obviously worked.”
In Conclusion
It is essential that anyone with an ear infection consider a chiropractic spinal checkup. Chiropractic care may make a difference. Keeping your child’s spine free from spinal subluxations (Link) will help your child’s natural defenses against disease. This will help you avoid drugs with all of their side effects. Give your child the great advantage of this safer, more natural, non-drug form of health care.
References
1. Van Buchen,F.I., Dunk J.H.M. 7 Van’t Hof, M.A. —Therapy of acute otitis media: Myringotomy, antibiotics, or neither? Lancet—October 24,1981,pp 883-887
2. Diamant, M. & Diamant, B.—Abuse and timing of use of antibiotics in acute otitis media—Archives of Otolaryngology, 1974 100—pp 226-232
3. The People’s Doctor, A Medical Newsletter for Consumers—1981,9(5),pp 1-4
4. Ibid.
5. Coulter, H.L., Vaccination, social violence and criminality, Berkely, CA: North Atlantic Books, 1990, p116
6. Ibid, p. 258
7. Hendricks, CL & Their, SM—Otitis media in young children—Chiropractic 1989, 2(1) pp9-13
8. Gutman, G.—Blocked atlantal nerve syndrome in babies and infants. Manuelle Med—1987—25—pp 5-10
9. Burnier, A. Chiropractic Pediatrics—1995, 1(4)
10. Kovacs, GT—Int’l Chiropractic Pediatric Association Newsletter, July 1995
