Disease Proof

Last Friday we learned that ear infections are over-treated. In case you missed it. Here’s a quote from Dr. Fuhrman that helps explain why:

Studies show that the majority of ear infections are of viral etiology. For example, 75 percent of pediatric ear infections were caused by common respiratory viruses in a microbiological survey.1 Generally speaking, the use of antibiotics should be reserved for serious or life-threatening infections, not conditions that the body is well-equipped to resolve on its own.

Now, here’s more reason to hold the antibiotics. New research has determined that antibiotics do little for inner eat infections. Steven Reinberg of HealthDay News reports:

Dutch researchers did a meta-analysis of several previously published studies and found the results don't support the use of antibiotics for the fluid buildup that can accompany inner ear infections.

"Due to the marginal effect and the known negative effects of prescribing antibiotics, such as the development of antibiotic resistance and side effects, we do not recommend prescribing antibiotics to prevent middle ear effusion," said lead researcher Maroeska M. Rovers, from the Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care at the University Medical Center Utrecht in The Netherlands.

Ear infections are very common among infants and children. They can lead to fluid buildup in the ear, which is known as otitis media with effusion. This buildup can result in hearing loss, which can affect language development, cognitive development, behavior and quality of life, according to the researchers.

Hey parents, do me a favor. In the comments tell me what you do when your young children get ear infections—I imagine its tough to resist just taking them to the doctor.

1. Bowman S, Gortmaker S, Ebbeling C, et al. Effects of fast-food consumption on energy intake and diet quality among children in a national household survey. Pediatrics 2004;113(1):112-118.

Being a parent of a child who had chronic ear infections, and one not fond of the effects of antibiotics, I thought I would share this natural remedy with you. It only requires two ingredients: Garlic and olive oil. Chop one clove of garlic and place in one table spoon of 100% virgin olive oil. (Carefully) Place over a flame until the oil bubbles in the spoon. Remove from heat and let cool. Do this again two more times. Let cool until it is a little more than lukewarm to the touch but not too hot.(gentle heat helps with the pain)Drain the olive oil into a small glass and toss out the garlic. Use a small dropper and place 3 to 4 drops in the affected ear every few hours. (use cotton to keep in place). The garlic is a natural antibiotic that is released with the boiling of the oil. It has worked every time for our family and there are no side effects. This helps whether the ear has an actual infection or is just an earache.Since it is natural, the body does not have to develop any immunity to it.

Our son suffered from multiple ear infections that left his ears permanently filled with fluid, requiring tubes. However, after the tubes fell out, the ear infections returned. We now treat his ear infections by preventing them: we have entirely removed dairy and wheat from his diet. He has been ear-infection free for 8 months now!