Ear Infection
treatment and natural therapy, home remedy, diet and food
September 4 2016 by Ray Sahelian, M.D.
An ear infection is one of the most common reasons parents take their children to the physician. While there are different types of ear infections, the most common is called otitis media, which means an inflammation and infection of the middle ear. An ear infection is most likely to occur in the winter season. An ear infection is not itself contagious, but a cold may spread among children and cause some of them to get ear infections. The most likely treatment when a child is taken to a doctor's office for an ear infection is to be given antibiotics. Many doctors treat these ear infections with oral antibiotics such as amoxicillin. Middle ear infections are the most common diagnosis for which children receive antibiotics, and insertion of ear tubes is the most common surgery performed on children. Rushing to place ear tubes in children with persistent fluid behind the ear drum does not improve their development compared with kids who are monitored for several months to see if the problem resolves on its own.
Diet and ear infection
I am not certain yet, but I suspect eating a healthy diet with lots of fruits
and vegetables, fresh vegetable juices, along with fish, while reducing sugar, trans fats and
dairy foods, may reduce the risk for ear infections. See suggestions regarding a
healthy diet. I also
recommend reading this article on how to improve the
immune system.
Acute ear
Infection
The term "acute" refers to a short and painful episode. Contrary to popular
opinion, getting water in the ears will not cause an acute ear infection, unless
the eardrum has a hole from a previous episode.
Pain relief for acute ear infection
Eardrops containing the analgesic lidocaine provides speedy pain relief due to
acute otitis media. In addition to simple oral analgesics ... local anesthetic
eardrops help to rapidly relieve the pain of middle ear infections in children.
Middle ear infections are a common childhood complaint and most cases resolve
without the need for antibiotics,
Chronic ear Infection
An ear
infection that lasts a long time or comes and goes is called chronic otitis
media.
Cause of ear Infection
An ear infection is common in infants and children in part because their
eustachian tubes become clogged easily. For each ear, a eustachian tube runs
from the middle ear to the back of the throat. Its purpose is to drain fluid and
bacteria that normally occurs in the middle ear. If the eustachian tube becomes
blocked, fluid can build up and become infected. Anything that causes the
eustachian tubes and upper airways to become inflamed or irritated, or cause
more fluids to be produced, can lead to a blocked eustachian tube. These
include:
Colds and sinus infections
Allergies
Tobacco smoke or other irritants
Infected or overgrown adenoids
Excess mucus and saliva produced during teething
An ear infection is more likely if a child spends a lot of time drinking from a
sippy cup or bottle while lying on his or her back.
Middle ear infections are common in many children. This may be because their eustachian tubes are shorter and narrower than those of their elders. Common risk factors for child ear infections: Frequent exposure to secondhand smoke. Having had allergies, frequent colds, prior ear infections, or a family history of ear infections. Attending day care. Being born prematurely or at a low birth weight. Sleeping with a bottle or using a pacifier. Being male -- boys are more likely to get ear infections than girls.
Symptom of ear infection
Symptoms in children vary, based on the type of
infection and age of the child. Some of the following are common symptoms of ear
infections: Pain or discomfort in the ear, indicated by touching or pulling at
the ear in a younger child. Pain while lying down, chewing or sucking, which may
lead to reduced appetite or difficulty sleeping.
Fluid draining from the ear. Difficulty hearing. Fever, dizziness, nausea, or
vomiting.
Medical
management for acute otitis media
Treatment should include pain management, and initial antibiotic treatment
should be given to those most likely to benefit, including young children,
children with severe symptoms, and those with otorrhea and/or bilateral AOM.
Tympanostomy tube placement may be helpful for those who experience frequent
episodes of AOM or fail medical therapy.
Tubes for ear infections
In young children with persistent middle-ear effusion, placement of tympanostomy tubes without delay does not improve developmental outcomes at 9 to
11 years of age. With time, such effusions usually resolve on their own. In the
last 40 years, research has linked persistent effusions with conductive hearing
loss, and as a result, to impaired development. As such, treatment guidelines
have recommended prompt tympanostomy tube insertion as a method of improving
developmental outcomes. However, this may not be a good idea. Dr. Jack L.
Paradise, from the University of Pittsburgh, and colleagues showed that prompt
tympanostomy tube insertion in children younger than 3 years of age did not
improve developmental outcomes at 3, 4, or 6 years of age. A follow up of this
study reevaluated the development of these children when they reached 9 to 11
years of age. The study involved 429 children with persistent middle-ear
effusions who were randomized to undergo prompt or delayed tympanostomy tube
insertion. Delayed tube insertion took place 6 to 9 months after randomization
for children who still had effusions. Persistent middle-ear effusion was defined
as bilateral effusions that lasted for 90 days or unilateral effusions that
lasted 135 days. Certain children with intermittent effusions of longer periods
were also eligible for the study. There was no evidence that prompt tube
insertion improved developmental outcomes. Standard test scores for reading
comprehension, spelling, writing, and calculation were similar in the prompt and
delayed tube insertion groups. Inattention ratings on visual and auditory
continuous performance were also comparable. N Engl J Med
2007.
Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery. 2014. Treatment options in otitis media with effusion. Ear infection with effusion (OME) is the accumulation of mucus in the middle ear and sometimes in the mastoid air cell system. The main etiological factor is alteration in mucociliary system of middle ear secondary to eustachian tube malfunction which may be primary or secondary. OME is the cause of concern due to its occurance in paediatric age group, highest at 2 years of age, presenting as impairment of hearing leading to delayed speech and language development, poor academic performance and behavioral problems. In spite of this there are no confirmed guidelines of treatment to overcome. Many treatment options are available medical as well as surgical. Prospective study conducted to evaluate various treatment options revealed that auto inflation of ET is the main stay of treatment. If the ET malfunction is due to any reasons like adenoids, deviated nasal septum, hypertrophied turbinates or any other cause surgical intervention of the same gives 100% results. Medical management gives good results but recurrence is equally common.
Are oral antibiotics necessary for ear infection in
children with ear tubes?
A study regarding treating common ear infections in children with ear tubes adds to a
growing body of evidence that favors antibiotic ear drops over
antibiotics
swallowed in pill or liquid form in such cases. The study, involving 80
children, showed that antibiotic ear drops performed better and faster in
treating middle ear infections in children with ear tubes than merely taking
oral antibiotics such as swallowing a pill or liquid. The study looked at
children ages 6 months to 12 years who had ear tubes, middle ear infections, and
visible drainage in the ear. Both the oral and topical antibiotics cure the
infections in more than 70 percent of cases. But the topical drops resolved the
ear drainage three to five days faster and resulted in more clinical cures
overall - 85 percent for those taking drops, compared to 59 percent for oral
administration of medication. The tubes provide better access to the middle ear,
behind the ear drum, so more of the ear drops medicine reach the infection,
avoiding potential intestinal and blood absorption that occurs with oral
antibiotics. The concentration at the infection can be a thousandfold greater
than when oral or IV medication is used. In addition, because the antibiotic is
not distributed throughout the body, there is less chance of developing
antibiotic resistance. The research was supported by a grant from Fort
Worth-based Alcon Research Ltd.
Snoring and ear infection
Hospitalization for a respiratory infection in early childhood, suffering from
recurrent ear infections as a child, growing up in a large family, and exposure
to a dog at home as a newborn were all related to snoring in later life. All of
these risk factors may be related to allergies and infections, which can lead to
inflammation of the upper airway early in life and increase risk for adult
snoring.
Questions
Q. I've read through as many of your newsletters as possible to see if you
mention anything for ear problems. I haven't run into anything on ears. Maybe
you have a newsletter I haven't seen that might discuss something on ear
problems. I'm just interested on what you might have tried or heard for a
throbbing ear problem.
A. I have not focused on ear pain since most of the time that is
due to anatomical, neural or infectious causes and not necessarily something
that has primarily a nutritional basis for a cause. See also
information on ear wax.