Treating Childhood Ear Infections Naturally...

Complaints of ear infections are very common in children under six years of age.  In fact, it is one of the most common reasons for pediatrician visits in young children.  Similarly, it is also one of the most commonly seen complaints in parents bringing their young children to see a Homeopath outside of eczema.


Otitis Media:


This is more commonly known as a middle ear infection.  If your Pediatrician diagnoses your child with an ear infection, it is usually Otitis Media.  This is diagnosed by using an otoscope so that the middle ear can be thoroughly examined.  Otitis Media can be caused by either a virus or bacteria.  It is most common in children under three years of age.  Many children develop this condition along with a cold or another upper respiratory infection.  Symptoms of a middle ear infection can include;

• ear pain or discomfort often with hearing loss
• fever
• change in mood- increased irritability, crying or screaming
• vomiting or nausea
• diarrhea
• difficulty sleeping

Below are a few pictures of what a middle ear infection can look like;

Otitis Externa:

This is the other most common type of ear condition in younger children.  This time it is the ear canal itself that is impacted.  Sometimes Otitis Externa is also called 'Swimmer's Ear'.  As evidenced by this nickname, it is often bacterial in origin and can be caused by water/ bacteria being trapped in the ear canal after swimming.  Symptoms of Otitis Externa include;

• itching
• pain
• discharge
• redness of the visible part of the ear
• hearing loss due to fluid/discharge in the ear canal

Here is a photo of a case of Otitis Externa.  You will notice the redness of the outer ear. 

Conventional Medical Treatment:

You may not be aware that over 80% of cases of ear infections resolve themselves on their own.  The typical treatment are mild pain relievers (analgesics) and antibiotics.  Antibiotics are still often prescribed in many cases since they appear to help resolve hearing loss more quickly and many children find relief in 1-2 weeks.  It is interesting to note that pediatric organizations are now recommending physicians proceed with more caution in prescribing antibiotics because of the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria.  

In spite of the conventional medical treatment available, many children develop recurrent ear infections even with antibiotic treatment.  Although the medical profession has asserted that antibiotic treatment for otitis media is effective, recent studies have emerged which contradict those claims.  In one large study of children with acute otitis media, those treated with antibiotics actually recovered at a slightly lower rate than those who were not. (Froom, et al, 1990). Another found that children with chronic otitis on prophylactic (preventative) antibiotics were two to six times more likely to have recurrent acute infections than those on placebos (Catankin, et al, 1991). Recently, John Bailar, M.D., a Harvard professor and editorial board member at the New England Journal of Medicine, comprehensively reviewed the scientific literature on the treatment of otitis with antibiotics. He concluded that the available research, "... seems to demolish the conclusion that antibiotics improve the outcome [in otitis media]" (Bailar, 1995).  (Exerpted from Homeopathic Medicines for Earaches by Dana Ullmann)

Homeopathy:

While it is very important to consult your pediatrician for a diagnosis and to make sure there is no perforated ear drum or anything more serious, your pediatrician may not be aware of how Homeopathic medicine can help your child get over an acute ear infection more quickly as well as to reduce their susceptibility to developing ear infections in the first place.  Homeopathy can be used both acutely and chronically to treat any type of ear infection.  In most acute cases,  you will notice a huge improvement in your child and their symptoms ranging anywhere from a few hours to the next day.  If you have a child that keeps getting an ear infection with each cold, I would recommend chronic treatment.  By choosing the best medicine for your child and their symptoms, Homeopathy is capable of reducing your child's susceptibility to ear infections and other acute ailments.

Homeopathic Remedies:

We have all been influenced by conventional Western medicine's more mechanistic focus on our bodies.  Because of this we all want to know if Homeopathy works for a particular pathology or condition.  Homeopathy is the medicine of individualization.  We are looking for a medicine that is the best match for you and everything that has changed in you since being unwell.  This doesn't mean we don't take a diagnosis into account, it just means that we look at what is unique about you and your experience of illness.  For example, if I treated 5 children with middle ear infections, they would most likely get different medicines.  One child might be weepier and needing to be carried more where as another child develops a sudden fever of the head with discoloration of the outer ears and another child becomes very angry and irritable during the ear infection.  Each of these children would get a different Homeopathic medicine because their experience of a middle ear infection is different.  

This means there are no homeopathic remedies for ear infections but there are remedies for your child with an ear infection.  That is why it is important to consult a well-trained Homeopath for treatment.

For those of you that like to see clinical trials as further evidence of a treatment's efficacy, please see below...

According to a recent study of 75 children with otitis media that was published in Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, parent's diary scores showed a significant decrease in symptoms at 24 and 64 hours after treatment in favor of those given a homeopathic medicine (P<.05). There were also 20% less "treatment failures" in children given a homeopathic medicine as compared with those given a placebo.

[Reference: J Jacobs, DA Springer, D Crothers, Homeopathic Treatment of Acute Otitis Media in Children: A Preliminary Randomized Placebo-controlled Trial, Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 20,2 (February 2001):177-183.]

For more information, please visit my website www.redpearlhomeopathy.com.  I am also available to answer your questions via e-mail at redpearlhomeopathy@gmail.com or via telephone.

Scientific Studies Confirm Homeopathy's Efficacy in Treating Fibromyalgia

Dana Ullmann, an American Homeopath, wrote an excellent article looking at fibromyalgia and Homeopathic medicine.  He refers to the scientific studies with results that prove that the results are more than the placebo effect.

http://www.naturalnews.com/031353_fibromyalgia_homeopathy.html

Clinical Trials and Homeopathic Medicine

Check out this recent article by American Homeopath Dana Ullmann.  It discusses the recent article in which Dr. Luc Montagnier provides support for Homeopathy.  Dr. Montagnier was one of the first scientists to discover the Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV.

Here is the link.  http://blog.homeopathic.com/2011/02/nobel-laureate-montagnier-takes.html

I would love to hear your comments about this.

Rebecca Gower  BA, MA, DSHM (hons)
Homeopath
Red Pearl Homeopathy
redpearlhomeopathy@gmail.com
www.redpearlhomeopathy.com

Coping With Life Changes

Recently I have been thrown into the world of change.  My partner and I need to find a new place to live.  For me, the issue of needing a new home brings up lots of issues around safety and security.  The challenge is always for me to honour the feelings change can bring up for me and to focus on why change is good.  I like to think about what the new change will make space for in my life.


How are you with change?  Are you one of those people that runs head first, embracing change?  Or do you do everything possible to prevent change? My advisor would tell me when I was in Graduate School, "You Can Run But You Cannot Hide".  No matter how hard we try to push against change, we cannot stop or avoid change.


The majority of us will have some difficulty with change regardless of your coping style.    It is much easier to cope with change if we are making the choices and are, thus in the driver's seat.  For example, think about the difference of between choosing to quit your job versus being fired.  


There is no question that change can be really difficult.  Since change is the one of the constants in life, it is important that we all have tools to help us to deal with all sorts of changes.  I have found that change that comes from dealing with the death/illness of a loved one, hearing bad news or learning a diagnosis or suffering from an accident are some of the most difficult changes.  Prevailing attitudes in Western culture in which emotions don't seem to be honoured don't help.  I have found that we have to deal with these painful emotions in order for us to be able to move through feelings of sadness, anger and loss that can happen through any change.


Homeopathy can be incredibly useful in dealing with grief, recovering from an accident and anxiety associated with change.  I have used homeopathic remedies personally and professionally to help people cope with life changes.


Dealing with Grief:
There is an excellent remedy that is useful for grief that can come from death or serious illness of your self or a loved one as well as hearing bad news.  Ignatia Amara is especially indicated when you feel like you can't stop crying or you are alternating between crying and laughing.  There also can be uncontrollable sighing, a sensation of a lump in the throat and difficulty sleeping at night (even though you may be sleepy during the day).  


Many people never seem to recover from a life-changing event such as death of a loved one or losing a business.  Homeopathy can be very helpful for this as well.  Since Homeopathy is always individualized to each person, there are no specific remedies for this.  It is important to see a trained Homeopath for a chronic consultation if you are suffering from either acute or chronic grief.


Other Tips:
1) It is important to give yourself space to go through the grieving process or to process feelings associated with change.  Give yourself permission to have your feelings while you are going through change.  If you do need more guidance, please consult a trained counsellor or psychotherapist.


2) Self-Care:  The more you can connect with your own needs, the more able you will be figure out what you need to do to make it through change.


3) Find Support:  This could mean accessing your support network for help or just to listen.  Access body work or other energetic therapies which are not only good for relaxation but can also help you process your feelings.  Some modalities that I like are Reiki and Shiatsu.


4) Keep making sure you are eating well, getting exercise and getting adequate sleep can be so helpful.




If you are struggling with dealing with change, consider coming in for homeopathic treatment to help boost your immune system and to help you to better cope with life transitions.


Rebecca Gower
Red Pearl Homeopathy
647-688-8290
redpearlhomeopathy@gmail.com
www.redpearlhomeopathy.com