EAR INFECTIONS AND GLUE EAR - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
In Australia 83% of children will have an ear infection (otitis media) before they are three years old. Children who have repeated attacks of otitis media can develop glue ear, speech, hearing, concentration and behavioural problems. Research suggests that children who have had more than two ear infections before the age of five years are at an increased risk of behavioural problems up to and beyond ten years of age.
In Australia otitis media is the most common reason antibiotics are prescribed for children, and the most common reason for seeing a doctor.
While it is commonly thought that antibiotics and surgery are the only possibilities for the effective treatment of this early childhood problem, many parents find good management of their children's ear problems using homeopathic medicines.
Who gets ear infections?
People of any age can get an ear infection, but they occur mostly in children from six months to seven years of age.
What happens in an ear infection?
When a child gets an ear infection, the middle ear fills with fluid, which can then become infected. The fluid is prevented from draining because of a blocked eustachian tube (the tube connecting the middle ear and the nose – you can hear it pop when you swallow) The resulting infection then causes pressure, pain and fever.
If there is a discharge from the ear it means the eardrum has ruptured. This is nature’s way of releasing the infected fluid, and the hole in the eardrum usually heals within one week. However, repeated ruptures can cause damage to the eardrum.
What causes ear infections?
Ear infections often develop after colds, teething, tonsillitis and from exposure to cold, windy weather. Bottle-feeding children lying down can also make children prone to ear infections. The middle ear then fills with fluid, becomes infected.
Changes in the appearance of the drum tell us if there is an ear infection or glue ear and which homeopathic medicine is needed.
What causes glue ear?
Some children get frequent infections and because of this, develop glue ear. Other children who get glue ear have never had an ear infection before.
Either way, fluid gathers in the middle ear, which eventually becomes sticky and glue-like. Glue ear is usually diagnosed when it is well established and a child is shouting, not responding to normal speech, has poor attention at school and needs the television turned up loudly. Diagnosis is confirmed with a hearing test.
How does this affect a child?
When a child has glue ear, he/she can be irritable and moody. Sleep may be poor, leading to a tired, fractious child.
Hearing and speech may also be affected. The child can pay little attention when spoken to, which in today’s world, can easily be mistaken for a behavioural problem. If the child is unable to hear their teacher or caretaker, they can have poor concentration and become frustrated. Children feel left out of games with others if they can't hear what is being said.
In any childhood behavioural problem, it is a good idea to first have the hearing checked.
How are ear infections treated?
Medical treatment of acute ear infections is antibiotic therapy. Surgery for glue ear which has lasted for more than six months involves inserting grommets, which allow air into the middle ear, to compensate for the blocked eustachian tube. This ensures adequate hearing, and prevents repeated ear infections. For many children this treatment gives results which parents are happy with.
When ear infections recur, a child may have multiple courses of antibiotics, with two or three courses of antibiotics often being prescribed for a single ear infection. Some children have several sets of grommets inserted over several years. We have seen children who have had up to 11 sets of grommets inserted!
Any health problem which recurs after ongoing medical treatment, needs another approach. Homeopathic medicines are able to address the chronic nature of ear problems some children have.
Is it OK to give antibiotics for every ear infection?
Repeated courses of antibiotics are not recommended, as they can weaken immunity due to their effect on the bowel, which believe it or not, plays a huge role in keeping us free of infections.
In Australia, doctors are four times more likely to prescribe antibiotics that those in Europe. Research in Holland has shown that only one in 17 cases of acute otitis media benefits from antibiotic therapy. When children with an acute ear infection were not given antibiotics, over 60% were pain free after 24 hours. Homeopathic medicines can greatly assist with pain relief.
Research also indicates that antibiotics do not reduce the frequency of attacks of otitis media, and can cause side effects of vomiting, diarrhoea and rashes.
And surgery?
When children under three years old are unable to hear well, their speech is affected and treatment is necessary. Grommets can, in some cases, be an effective solution for this.
However, some Australian researchers have said that infant ear surgery is a fad, as many operations provide no change in outcome for the child. In children over three years, the benefits should be carefully considered before any surgery takes place. In children over three years, once speech has developed, the benefit of grommets may not be as great as commonly thought. We suggest homeopathic treatment well before surgery is considered.
Other options:
For some years now, parents who want to avoid antibiotics and surgery for their children have been consulting natural therapists to deal with problem ear infections. Treatment focuses on improving the general health of the child, reducing the likelihood of the infections which develop into an ear infection.
The Children's Ear Clinic was established in Sydney in 1997 to offer an alternative to antibiotics and surgery for the treatment of repeated ear infections and glue ear. It is a specialist clinic for the treatment of childhood ear infections and their related problems. Homoeopathic remedies are used with the aim of avoiding the need for antibiotics or surgery.
What are the medicines that you use?
Homoeopathic medicines are used to drain and dissolve fluid from the middle ear, and increase the child's resistance to coughs, colds and tonsillitis. This helps to avoid further use of antibiotics and clear the ears so that grommets become unnecessary. Fever, pain and infection are treated with individually prescribed medicines.
Treatment is then based on addressing the cause of the infections. Homeopathic medicines are much safer than antibiotics, painkillers and surgery – especially for children.
How long do the medicines take to work?
A common perception is that homeopathic medicines work more slowly than painkillers or antibiotics. In acute pain and fever, the correctly prescribed medicine can relieve pain and reduce fever in a distressed child within an hour or two. In more chronic cases, treatment for a month or two may be necessary to see significant improvement in the child’s ears and overall health. Glue ear may take at least three months to resolve.
What does the medicine taste like?
Homeopathic medicines are pleasant tasting drops, or sugar pills, which are easy to give to babies and young children. Children love their drops and often want more medicine than we have prescribed for them!