Fall is upon us and that can mean ear problems are on the way for many kids. Ear aches in childhood are not inevitable and PREVENTION is key. You may think just because a baby is a baby or a kid is a kid, they're going to have ear infections. Well make sure you read this then.

The constant crying and sleepless nights take almost as much of a toll on parents as they do on the child. And seeing an older child with an ear infection is painful for parents. Ear infections (acute otitis media) are one of the top reasons for pediatrician visits and about 50% of all children experience their first one before they even reach their first birthday!

This Does NOT Have To Happen!

The symptoms of an ear infection may include pain, fever, irritability, and loss of appetite. Pulling on the ear or shaking their head is usually a sign that your child has ear pain.

Virtually all pediatricians treat ear infections with rounds of antibiotics.  Chronic ear infections? The doctor will usually recommend insertion of ear tubes to "keep everything working properly."

Here's something most people don't realize. Research shows that a conservative approach is often the best response. In fact, recurring ear infections can result from medication given to your child for the first ear infection.  To compound the problem, repeated antibiotic use can weaken your child's immune system leaving then susceptible to other types of infections.  Sending your child on a merry-go-round of pediatrician visits.

Allergies, particularly to dairy products which increase mucous production, often contribute to chronic ear infections. Once removed from your child's diet, the incidence of ear infections may drop significantly. Vitamin D levels drop in the winter which weakens the immune system making ear infections more likely.  Breastfeeding, particularly during the first few months of life, is associated with fewer ear infections in babies; it also gives added protection against other types of infection.

Many parents at this office have discovered that chiropractic care is excellent at preventing ear infections.  Our own kids are 8 and 6 and neither has ever had an ear infection.  Sure, chiropractic care helps when the infection is already present, but why not prevent it from happening in the first place!  All without drugs or surgery!

Do you have - or know - a child we can help?  Refer them in today.

By Ryan Bowman