Childhood ear infections, most commonly Otitis Media, is the most frequent primary diagnosis made at visits to U.S. physician offices by children under the age of 15. It is also the most common pediatric complaint which presents in chiropractic offices today. The problem begins with sleepless nights, irritability, and fussiness for the child, leading to obvious illness that needs attention. The parents’ logical next step is to take the child to the pediatrician where the ear infection is diagnosed. Treatment for most cases includes antibiotics for two weeks. Four weeks later the infection returns and antibiotics are prescribed again. This cycle will continue until tubes are suggested due to the effects of repeated antibiotic prescriptions and the scary possibility of hearing loss. In spite of all of this, many children continue to have problems with ear infections for years to come.

Unfortunately, this is the typical story for most parents when dealing with ear infections. Treatment for the number-one childhood health problem is still very much unresolved. Antibiotics and tubes have done nothing to slow the sharp increase of infections in America. Some reasons for the increase include greater awareness and accessibility to diagnosis and treatment, but with a 150 percent increase since 1975, there has to be other factors.

People believe that the widespread use of antibiotics have created “super bugs” that are resistant to the drugs used most commonly today. This explains why ear infections continue to come back. Other possible contributing factors include cow’s milk consumption, second-hand smoke exposure, feeding position, fetal alcohol exposure, birth trauma, and allergies to name a few. All of these things may play a role in increasing your child’s risk of ear infections.

What many parents often misunderstand is why the antibiotics are prescribed to begin with. They are used for the sole purpose of killing the bacterial infection and decreasing the symptoms associated with the ear infection. But what caused the bacterial infection in the first place and if the antibiotics are there to kill the current infection, why does it keep coming back? Some of the possibilities include the following: the infection is actually viral, not bacterial; the Eustachian tubes are not properly draining due to structure, poor nutrition, muscle imbalance, nerve interference, subluxations or a combination of all four; or the antibiotic is not effective.

Medical Doctors are often at a loss when an obviously frustrated and tired parent comes in with his/her miserable crying child and wants the doctor to magically make everything better. Bacterial ear infections are difficult to conclusively diagnose even to the most trained eye. It is only definitively diagnosed by a culture which is all but impossible. Doctors rely on the symptoms, progression of symptoms, color of the ear drum and possible fluid behind the ear drum. Unfortunately, bacterial and viral ear infections can look the same and a viral infection can eventually lead to a bacterial infection if the cause is never corrected. The antibiotic prescribed is usually a general one because the specific type of bacteria that is causing the infection is unknown. If the first round does not work, then a more specific one is tried, and so on. The theory to this progression of treatment is to avoid the “super-bug” and to limit the amount of antibiotics that are ingested. Less is more. Unfortunately, this allows the infection to continue.

Parents are sometimes falsely reassured when their child recovers soon after antibiotics are given. Typical viral and bacterial ear infections in a normally healthy individual usually last 2-7 days and by the time the child is taken in, they are well on their way to recovery. Even the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Practice are finally admitting that antibiotics should only be given to severe cases of Acute Otitis Media. But, if the child’s immune system is not optimally functioning properly or if the original cause of the infection is not corrected, the child will continue to get ear infections.

With so many things that could cause an ear infection what other options are there? Chiropractic has a long history of success in helping children decrease the amount of ear infections, thus lessening and/or removing the need for antibiotics and tubes. Chiropractors focus on carefully evaluating the structure and function of the nerves, bones and muscles of the body. Interestingly, the presence of birth trauma can be the first incident of spinal and nerve assault. Eventually, a misalignment in the neck of the child will put too much stress on the tube that drains the ear. The misalignment also places stress on the muscles around the neck especially the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle which becomes tight, affecting the drainage of the ear and lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is the highway for your body’s immune system. If this gets blocked or slowed down, bacteria can build up in the area, making the child more susceptible to recurrent ear infections.

Chiropractors also focus on how a child’s diet, nutrition and environmental factors may be affecting their immune system overall. A weakened immune system will not be able to combat injuries, viral infections and ultimately bacterial infections. This is not just limited to ear infections, but any infection of the body.

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