Understanding Pediatric Ear Infections
Surprisingly enough, common does not mean normal.
The term “normal” gets thrown around far too often regarding the health of an individual. And when we use the word normal relating to someone’s health concerns, it creates a mindset that their symptoms are acceptable and to ignore digging deeper.
We’ve normalized saying poor health is normal.
“As long as your baby is pooping a couple times a week, that’s normal.”
“Your childbirth was painful, and you required additional medications and had to push for several hours? Me too, my doctor told me it’s normal.”
“You’re having irregular periods and intense menstrual cramps? That’s normal for women your age.”
“Oh, your child has been getting ear infections, yeah that’s normal.”
COMMON DOES NOT MEAN NORMAL
There is always a cause as to why our bodies are experiencing various symptoms, pains, and illnesses as they very rarely just happen by chance–whether that be exposure to a bacteria or virus, genetic predisposition, a reaction to the things we put in and on or bodies, our lifestyle choices, or even a dysregulated nervous system due to stress. Symptoms are our body’s way of telling us that something is going on, whether that’s good or bad. By listening to our body, these symptoms are all pieces to the puzzle of what is going on.
Signs your child may have an ear infection include low fever, tugging on the ears, pain in the ears, red coloring of the external or internal ear canal, troubled hearing, difficulty sleeping, fussiness or crying.
What is an ear infection?
An ear infection occurs when bacteria or viruses become trapped in the fluid of the inner ear. When that fluid cannot properly drain out from the Eustachian tube, it becomes stagnant, or not moving, allowing for inflammation and infection to build up in the inner ear–enter ear infection.
The ear is surrounded by a variety of muscles, and these muscles are controlled by the nerves closest to the brain. When there is an increase in stress on the nervous system and dysfunction in the upper neck, along with tension of the surrounding musculature, the function of the Eustachian tubes become affected. This leads to improper draining of the ears and a decrease in flow of the fluid, meaning that the fluid cannot get out or flush out any infection.
Think of a clogged drain in your bathroom at home. If the drain is clogged, the water pools and can’t flush out of the home. If the plumbing issue isn’t addressed, things like stagnant water, odors, mold, etc. can arise in your home–the same idea is happening in the inner ear when an ear infection is present.
The standard treatment for an ear infection is antibiotics, and sometimes they don’t “work” or get rid of the infection. This can lead to a vicious cycle of trying more antibiotics, administering pain relievers and fever reducers, sleepless nights for both child and parents, all of which are weakening the immune system making the body susceptible to another infection. This is when ear infections become chronic or reoccurring and oftentimes leads to tubes being placed in the ears to help support the draining of fluid.
While ear infections are one of the top reasons to see a pediatrician, they are also one of the top reasons to see a pediatric chiropractor.
How can pediatric chiropractic care help with ear infections?
Chiropractic is about restoring function to the nervous system, so when an adjustment is administered there is a direct effect on the individual’s nervous system. Everything in the human body operates because of the nervous system. Every thought, breath, movement, muscle contraction, heartbeat, and bowel movement happens because of the control of the nervous system. This includes the function of the inner ear and the muscles surrounding the ear.
Specific, and very gentle adjustments made to the child’s upper cervical spine, or neck, as well as to the jaw and cranial bones restore function and decrease the surrounding muscle tension to aid in proper drainage of fluid, reducing the opportunity for infection to arise. In our office we utilize scanning technology that allows us to also locate the specific areas of stress on the nervous system, so that we can accurately provide care recommendations for your child. Regular chiropractic care can be an excellent non-invasive alternative for managing and reducing ear infections in kiddos!
If your child is battling ear infections, and nothing seems to be working please reach out to our office, we’d love to chat with you and see how we can best serve your family!
