| Ear Aches---Ouch! By Debi Hopkins Ear Aches One of the most difficult things I've ever had to deal with is seeing my child in the throes of a full blown ear infection----which almost never materialize during the day, but seem to wait until you have just dropped off to sleep. Seeing your young child in pain is difficult, but as a new mommy, I felt so inadequate when this sort of thing happened, I hadn't a clue as to how to help ease my Childs pain----antibiotics aren't always the answer, and doctors are even more reluctant to prescribe them nowadays than they were 20+ years ago. So what's a mother to do to help her child during such times? I have found some tried and true things that helped us immensely! I will list them below, but remember, each child is unique, and what works for one, may not work for another----if in doubt, always consult your pediatrician! Your child's health is precious, don't take chances, and always pray and ask for God's guidance and wisdom when it comes to your families health needs. During the Crisis of an Ear Ache I always try to keep on hand children's decongestant, appropriate for the age of your child. Give this as soon as the child complains of ear ache. Next, follow that up with Nutribiotic's "Ear Drops." I warm the bottle up gently, if time allows, by just holding the small bottle in my hand for a few minutes. If you are strapped for time, let it sit in a glass of pretty warm water, but check it by dropping a drop on the inside of your wrist to make sure you've not gotten it too hot. I also, depending on the extent of the problem, offer my child a tincture of passion flower mixed in a little bit (maybe 1 oz.) of apple juice. The passion flower helps them to relax, and hopefully drop back off to sleep, if it is a night time ear ache. These three things have helped to ease the discomfort and pain of an ear ache for my children----along with a hot towel to cuddle with, but you don't want to encourage that too much, because in reality, cold will draw the blood away from the site of pain, thus helping the ache to lessen, and too much warmth may actually make it hurt more----so just to ease the pain while the medicine is kicking in, I usually give them a warm towel to use on the sore side of their face. Signs to Look For: Some of the signs are pretty subtle, such as low appetite, less than normal activity, and maybe the child will shake their head or pull on their ear and cry. In my children, a head cold usually preceded an ear ache, but not always, and that brings me to the next point----if ear aches are a reoccurring problem for your child, check their diet! Sometimes an allergic reaction to certain foods can cause your child to be predisposed to ear infections. Dark circles under the eyes, constant sniffing or stuffy nose, wiping nose upwards with his hand, sleep disturbances----personality changes, all these can be signs of an allergic reaction to something in your Childs diet or environment. In the book, Childhood Ear Infections, by Dr. Michael A. Schmidt, he presents over 16 scientific studies that show that many cases of chronic ear infections are due to food or airborne allergies or hypersensitivity reactions. Allergies can cause significant pressure changes within the middle ear, as well as obstruction of the Eustachian tube. The most common allergens implicated in ear infection are cow’s milk and dairy products, wheat, eggs, chocolate, citrus, corn, soy, peanuts or other nuts, shellfish, sugar, and yeast. Dairy is the number one contributor to childhood ear problems. Proper allergy management, such as elimination and rotation diets, can produce dramatic recovery in allergic children with chronic ear infections. For both my sons, milk was the culprit, with my youngest also being allergic to wheat. I did not have them tested, I just pulled the dairy out of their diet and observed their health for about a month. It made a very noticeable difference. I read somewhere that what your body craves, could very well be what you are allergic to, because it acts on your system like a drug. My oldest son would drink a gallon of milk a day if I let him-----and as a growing boy, I thought this was good for him----well, I know better now. (that is a topic for another post <grin>) I began serving him rice milk, the fortified kind, and not low fat, growing children need a higher fat content in their diet, if they are eating a balanced diet with good healthy fats, it will not make them fat. My youngest son craved milk also, and saltine crackers-----wheat! So, he was pulled off of all milk and wheat products, and I noticed much less head cold/ear ache problems with this son also. He had suffered with frequent, almost monthly ear infections as a toddler, to the point he was on maintenance doses of antibiotics for almost a year to prevent more ear infections. The diet changes cured about 90% of his problems, and at the age of 15 years old, it's been about 10 years since he struggled with this problem. I am so thankful for this, ear aches are no fun for child or mother! Changing our family’s diet over to a whole foods/verses prepackaged, processed foods, has made a huge difference in the way we feel, and in the amount of colds or flu we have to deal with each year. I truly believe it has strengthened our immune systems quite dramatically compared to what we had previously. Next months article will be on that topic----steps you can take to help strengthen your own and your child's immune system. I hope you enjoyed this article, and that it will prove to be helpful to you as you seek to help your little ones escape the dreadful pain of ear aches. In Him, Debi <>< |
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