Ear Infections - Otitis Media

ear exam If your child has had an ear infection (or you remember your own), you know how excruciating the pain can be. It can be painful for those of us trying to comfort our child, too, as we wish there was something - anything - we could do to "make it all better."

Ear Infections are the Most Common Illness and Cause of Hearing Loss

Ear infections (otitis media) are the most common illness affecting babies and children - with 10 million new cases each year – and inflict almost 1/2 of all children before they’re 1 year old and 2/3 by the time they’re three.1 With those numbers, it’s no surprise to hear ear infections are the number one reason children visit their pediatricians.

What may be surprising - and perhaps alarming - is that Harvard Medical School faculty affirm that ear infections are the “most common cause of hearing loss in children.”2

Antibiotics may actually Slow Recovery of Ear Infections and Other Maladies

Along with ear infections’ prevalence and our children’s risk of permanent hearing damage, there is more disturbing news – doctors speculate that antibiotics are being overused and could become ineffectual in fighting some strains of bacteria,3 a prime cause of ear infections.

Consider the following evidence: In one study, 46 five-year-olds with ear infections received chiropractic care. In these children, 93% of their ear infections improved, with 75% improving in 10 days or less and 43% improving after only one or two adjustments. Interestingly, those with a history of antibiotic use took longer to heal.4

Chiropractic Treatment Helps You Heal More Quickly from an Ear Infection

Dr. Joan Fallon, as noted in Parenting magazine's "Baby Talk," conducted another successful study of chiropractic treatment of ear infections, this time involving 332 children. Fallon explains how chiropractic helps children heal: "Chiropractic mobilizes drainage of the ear in children...if [their ears] can continue to drain without a buildup of fluid and subsequent infection; they build up their own antibodies and recover more quickly."5

We'll Help You Keep Your Child Healthy

We want what you want, to keep your child healthy and strong, so call Dr. Waln for a check-up at (630) 876-3812, drop by the office, or send him an e-mail with any questions you may have about this or any other condition.
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References

  1. Texas Children’s Hospital of Baylor University College of Medicine: Parent Resource Center. “Wash Your Hands of Ear Infections and Other Avoidable Illnesses.” http://www.texaschildrenshospital.org/Parents/TipsArticles/ArticleDisplay.aspx?aid=1553.
  2. Harvard Medical School’s “Consumer Health Information” for Intelihealth.  http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH?t=35879&p=~br,IHW|~st,24479|~r,WSIHW000|~b,*|
  3. Gavin, M. L., MD. “The Danger of Antibiotic Overuse.” http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/sick/antibiotic_overuse.html.
  4. Froehle R.M. “Ear infection: a retrospective study examining improvement from chiropractic care and analyzing influencing factors” Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapuetics 1996;19(3):169-177.
  5. Fallon, J. DC. “The Role of the Chiropractic Adjustment in the Care and Treatment of 332 Children with Otitis Media.” Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics, Vol. 2, No. 2, 1997.