Ear Infections

Ear infections are one of the most common reasons a child visits the doctor. Ear pain can be caused by infection or fluid in the sinuses, ears or throat. If the problem is in the outer ear it’s called otitis extrena, if it’s in the middle it’s called otitis media and fluid in the ear without infection is called serous otitis media. Earaches occur at any age yet tend to be most frequent for children 8 years and younger. This is because of the position of their eustachian tube, which is more horizontal at a young age. In later years the eustachian tube is more vertical which sometimes inhibits good drainage.

A middle ear infection occurs behind the eardrum, due to an inflammatory state of the tissue lining the eustachian tube, middle ear and throat. The eustachian tube is blocked and fluid is not able to drain. This leads to a build up of fluids, pressure in the ear and bacteria growth. This infection is often a complication of the common cold or respiratory tract infection.

Serous otitis media should be properly diagnosed. A child that is given antibiotics for an infection, when in fact has a problem with fluid build-up could continue to have a chronic ear infection. Problems will continue, as the antibiotics now weakened their immune system and the real issue of fluid build-up is not resolved. Often this type of problem is caused by a food allergy, intolerances or possible nutrition deficiencies.

Unless the child has a high fever and is not responding to treatment within two days, many children can do without antibiotics for a middle ear infection. A Naturopathic Doctor can often help resolve middle ear infections without the use of antibiotics.

Nutrition and Recommendations
Vitamin C and Bioflavonoids help to reduce inflammation and aid the immune system in healing. Give a child over 5 years old one dose of Vitamin C six times a day. For younger children purchase a supplement made for infants or toddlers.

Zinc also boosts the immune system. Take as labelled.

Most of the pain caused by an earache is because of the pressure being felt by your child. Therefore, when they are sleeping, try propping up their head to help allow for better drainage.

You can also ease pain by trying a herbal remedy of warm natural oil in the ear. Warm the drops to body temperature (as cold or hot will cause more pain). A glycerite drop, (goldenseal glycerite) or herbal oil is recommended. DO NOT use if you see discharge coming from the ear or the eardrum is ruptured. If your child does not like the drops you can use warm heat on the outside of the ear and neck by applying a warm compress for 10 to 20 minutes a day.

Ensure that your child is continuing to eat a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables and whole grains and is drinking lots of water.

SIDE NOTE: Also ensure your child is not around smoke; a child exposed to second hand smoke has been shown to have an increase in problems with ear infections.

Eczema

Eczema, also referred to as atopic dermatitis is characterized by an itchy, red, inflamed rash on the skin that can get weepy and ooze after scratching. It can also be very dry, scaly, cracked and pink. It is the most common of childhood complaints.

Eczema is a reaction most often related to an allergic response to food or something your child comes in contact with in their environment (detergent, chemical, soap or metal). Eczema usually develops in an infant from a food allergy in their mother’s breastmilk, formula allergy (to cow’s milk protein or soy), or later in your child’s life when introducing new foods. Eczema is a sign that the digestive tract is having problems digesting food. As a child grows up, learning to properly digest foods can be a challenge. Children with eczema may grow up to have further food allergies, asthma and/or hayfever. Breastfeeding a child exclusively for 6 months is strongly recommended for anyone with family history of allergies to try and prevent further allergies in your child.

Before giving birth to your baby you may also want to check with a Naturopathic Doctor to see how your flora count is in your digestive tract, this is to ensure you have a healthy amount of good bacteria. A healthy gut for mom results in a healthy gut for baby. When you deliver your child, the baby swallows a healthy supply of bacteria as it comes through your birth canal. This helps to coat your baby’s intestinal tract aiding your baby in having healthy digestion of new food proteins.

Conventional Treatment
Many doctors will inform you that this is not an allergy and it will probably go away on its own. They may prescribe an over the counter hydrocortisone cream or sometimes even a stronger steroid cream depending on the severity of the eczema. We caution you as to the effects of a steroid cream as this cream can thin out the skin and, in higher doses, being a steroid, can have serious side effects for your baby.

Nutrition and Recommendations
If the child suffering from eczema is a baby or toddler please referring to INFANT FEEDING, the first Tip of the Week provided by Baby Purity. Following this diet is a perfect start for a baby's healthy future.
The main focus should be to find out the cause of the problem, eliminate the allergic causing foods and build up the digestive tract to gain a healthy immune system.

The most common allergy causing foods are:
cow milk, wheat, eggs, citrus fruits, shellfish and chocolate.
Try eliminating these foods to see if you are able to find out the cause of the eczema. Once discovered you may have to eliminate the food for up to six months, to completely clear up the skin.

Include foods high in bioflavonoids such as berries, potassium and vitamin A (carrots and leafy greens). A vegetable soup made with vegetables, onions and garlic would be very beneficial to your child’s skin. Onions and garlic contain sulphur and amino acids, which are good for the skin.

Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Zinc are also very useful in the healing of skin tissue. Selenium helps the body absorb Vitamin E.

Finally, flax seed oil for anti-inflammatory properties and Lactobacillus acidophilus for fostering friendly bacteria in the bowel and aiding the body in healthy digestion.

It may be tough waiting on all the internal changes to take place as it takes time and you may begin feeling like a quick topical fix would be great. Finding a resolution to help your child more immediately is something we are very accustomed to with conventional medicine. While you wait for their bodies to get healthy on the inside, you can try some of these natural topical remedies. You can apply Vitamin E oil from a capsule (not topical Vitamin E) or try a cream mixture of chamomile, lavender or yarrow oils which would be beneficial for the skin.