Information Regarding Ear Infections and Chiropratic Treatment

Updated on May 16, 2009
M.M. asks from Lincoln Park, MI
24 answers

Hello,
My 7 month old son has had ear infections for nearly three months and has been put on his 5th round of antiobiotics this week. Our pediatrician said that it was time to see an ear, nose, and throat specialist. We have an appointment for a couple of weeks from now, but I am scared that they are going to want to put tubes in his ears. I do want relief for him. He has had a tough start with a lot of little issues, but these ear infections have been the worst. Most of the time, he can't be consoled and screams the majority of a 24 hours period until a drum ruptures.

Before we put tubes in his ears, does anyone have an experience with taking babies to a chiropractor? I have read that it could help with ear infections, and I am willing to try anything to avoid surgery at this young age. Thank you.

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K.M.

answers from Detroit on

I've never heard of it but I go to a chiropracter regularly and have been seeing him since I was 7 and my daughter goes to him. If you rinterested I can give you his name and number hes in CenterLine

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B.B.

answers from Grand Rapids on

I would give the chiropractor a try first. A friend of mine had tubes scheduled and decided to do the chiro first. After 3 treatments her child was better. Didn't need the tubes.

Good luck!!

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C.M.

answers from Detroit on

Absolutely try a chiropractor. I would also check out any possible allergies. Milk us usually the culprit when it comes to little ones and ears. Go to www.ahccenter.com
This is a group of chiropractor/clinical nutritionists who take these issues on naturally through chiropractics and proper nutrition according to the person, checking for allergies or possible deficiencies in diet. They are incredible!!

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R.H.

answers from Cincinnati on

YES YES YES!!!!

I have seen a chiropractor for years and firmly believe in that form of treatment. So, naturally when my daughter was born she started seeing a chiropractor as well. I will say, she has had 2 ear infections. One was when she was cutting molars (she ALWAYS gets very very stuffy when she cuts teeth). The second, she picked up a cold or something at my MOPS group and it went on a little long. But, that's it. She is 21 months old.

I won't say that your child will never again have another ear infection ... but regular visits with a GOOD chiropractor can really help.

If I can make a suggestion... try to find a good chiropractor who graduated from The National School of Chiropractic just outside of Chicago. In my opinion, they are the best. The course work they have to go through is very intensive. They really focus on a much wider array of coursework then some of the other schools. National has a philosophy that chiropractors need to learn signs and symptoms of illnesses and issues so they can determine when chiropractic will help and when they need to refer to a traditional doctor or specialist. My chiropractor graduated from National as did one of my best friends. Their philosophy is much more cooperative with traditional medicine then some of the other chiropractors I have seen from other schools.

Good luck!

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K.S.

answers from Detroit on

My daughter just turned 2 and I have taken her to the Chiro. since she was born. She has had about 4 ear infections. I go to the Chiro. so they just check her when I go; I really don't see how it hurts her and it probably is helping her.

I have no experience with tubes, but I heard they really aren't that big of a deal and they can really help with ear infections.

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K.H.

answers from Detroit on

Hi M., I go to a chiropractor in Clinton Twp. Dr. David Riffle. He has a book of "Patients of the month."
This book gives testimonies of his patients that have had
results in their Chiropractor treatments. I have gone
thru this book being amazed at all Chiropractic treatments can do, even on babies. Please call ###-###-#### and check into it further. Dr. Riffel is a beautiful Christian
and very knowledgiable. Look up my story too while your at it. God Bless. I'll be praying for your precious little one. Prayer works. K. Henderson

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C.S.

answers from Kalamazoo on

We have a son and daughter. Our son got back-to-back ear infections starting at 6 months of age. I can't remember when they stopped coming one right after the other, but he was on antibiotoics continuously also. He continued to get them on a regular basis. After our daughter was born, same thing. She was getting back-to-back ear infections to the point where they wanted us to get her tubes. We started going to the chiropractor when she was around 1 year old and I have to honestly say, our children have never had another ear infection since. She is now 6 years old and he is almost 9 years old. They still get sick occasionally, but I used to do daycare when they were little (started when my daughter was nine months old and quit two years ago this summer), so they were around germs a lot and still only managed to pick up the occasional illness, but never any more ear infections. For the past two years (since daycare has been done) they have been extremely healthy and hardly missed any school for illness. I am a strong advocate for chiropractic treatment. I hope that information helps.

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L.O.

answers from Detroit on

ENTS put in tubes in adult ears in the office.. with no anesthesia.. they spray a numbing agent in the ear and put in the tube. It takes maybe 1 minute.. but with kids they have to sedate them so they will be still for hte procedure.

Your son probably cant hear with the infected fluid in his ears. If he cant hear he cant learn to talk..

Make an appt for the chiropractor but also make an apt to see the ENT. If the chiropractor doesnt work you need to see a specialist and get your son healthy.

My son has had 1 ear infection and he was THE most miserable child screaming and crying for several days.

I cant imagae him being like that all the time.

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J.A.

answers from Detroit on

M.,
I go to the chiropractor every other week. I take both my 3-year-old and my 8-month-old also to be adjusted. Nathan (8-month-old) has been getting adjusted since he was about 4-weeks-old. We highly believe and recommend adjustments and alternative medicine. We see a ND instead of a MD for all of our medical concerns. I wish you luck with your 7-month-old and trying to find out the solution that will work for you. Blessings! J.

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D.S.

answers from Grand Rapids on

M.; yes this can be very troublesome, however, although chiropractry may be able to align your child and make him feel healthy it cannot stop such things, it works with the bones and when the bones are right the rest of you can feel better, but this does not correct infections, infections are caused by not necessarily bones misaligned, they are usually caused by some virus or somethign wrong, although misaligned bones can make you feel bad, and lower your imune system therefore you may get sick but a healthy back in a person can still get a virus, the ear tubes is a scary thing , im not sure its worth it, it is worth it for him not to have an infection any more, but my son had a hearing issue when in kindengarten, and recommended was the surgery with tubes, we did it, it seemed to work well, at the time, however they suggested another surgery we did that too, but they fell out like right away , and he has been left with permanent damage to his ear , if i could do it all over again i would not put my son through that, however my son did not have ear infections, and they are painful, does the pain go away with a bit of baby tylenol? or hold a warm sock to his hear that has like rock salt in it and warmed in microwave, the heat can bring comfort too, all my son has is very small eustation tubes the ear canal is very tiny and no ear wax excapes, before surgery was done drs would flush his ear with water and that seemed to help, he is older now 21 and sometimes his ears bother him and i candle his ears, some say this does not work, but he seems to feel better afterward, they are wax sticks you put in ear after following drections, but i would not do it for an infant, too dangerous, then you light one end of this candle, and the fire at the end draws out the ear wax of the ear, i say try the chiro its worth a try, just enjoy life and have a good day, D. s

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C.L.

answers from Detroit on

Definetely check out chiropractic! My son is 2 1/2 and has gone almost weekly since he was a few weeks old. He has NEVER had an ear infection or been on antibiotics. I know that much of it has to do with chiropractic care.

Not sure where you live, but we LOVE our's in STerling Heights and he specializes in children.

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J.W.

answers from Lansing on

Hi I know u asked for other than things than surgery but my daughter at 9 months got tubes in after her 6 ear infections and I was really scared too but it did wonders for her! she was a different baby! so if it does come down to it! ask lots of question to make sure u are comfortable with it! and it took let than 10 minutes and they used gas and not IV to knock her out!

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J.C.

answers from Kalamazoo on

M.,

My father is a chiropractor and I work for him.
My children have never had ear infections due to chiro care.
I would not have surgery until you try a chiro.
Plus with all the drugs that have been given to him--it deteriates his immune system and he will sick easier. There are also natural ear drops in drug stores to use that are easier on the ears.
But I would try a chiro---they can help so many other afflictions then just the cervical and lumbar.

J.

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C.H.

answers from Detroit on

My son (5 years) had an ear infection like that last winter. We went on rounds and round of antibiotics as well. I finally did some rearch and looked at some holistic measures because the Dr. said if he got another one in a month it was going to be tubes for him. I found Oreganol (oregano oil mixed with olive oil) worked wonders for him. It's been months and he's just now gotten another ear infection that I couldn't fight without medication. You just rub a bit of it on the outside of the ear. Every time he told me his ear hurt a little bit I'd do this in the morning and at bed time. The guys at the vitamin shope helped me look through their books to find what to do to help him.

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C.J.

answers from Lansing on

M.,

My son, who is now 7, had repeated ear infections from the age of 9 months due to food intolerances. We learned about the intolerances when he was 3 years old and he had an ear infection at the time. We took him to the chiropractor as well as giving him the antibiotic the pediatrician prescribed. The chiropractor adjusted the bones in his neck so the fluid in his ears could drain and the antibiotic could do its job. Since then he has had 0 ear infections!

We also took him off the foods he is intolerant to, but with all the colds he picked up at school, none of them have resulted in an infection.

However, your son may be one of those where chiropractic care may not be enough and he may still need tubes in his ears.

Good luck and I hope your son is feeling better soon!

-C..

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M.P.

answers from Grand Rapids on

We found a ped who does crainial adjustments and we haven't had to do antibiotics since. And, I have a girlfriend who sees a chiropractor/natural path exclusively for her family. She has her kids adjusted for everything, including ear infections. They clear up just as quickly as antibiotics. I think you are thinking in the right direction. However, tubes are not the worst you could do for your child. I have always been one to try natural remedies first and conventional medicine last....if we were not able to rid the infections through the manipulations I would have more seriously considered tubes.

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B.D.

answers from Grand Rapids on

My son had double ear infections from birth till 10 months when we finally did tubes. However, those could have been prevented if we had him tested for allergies! We found out a week after he had tubes that he was allergic to eggs and dairy. I was told that food allergies can cause ear infections, but no one suspected allergies because the ear infections were the only signs he showed. The ETN doctor I went to see was suppose to be the best in the area and he never mentioned having him tested first. He did his evaluation and three days later my son had tubes. I've never heard of chiropractor, but it's worth a shot. I know what it's like to have a child scream 24/7 till the drum ruptures. I actually stopped putting my son on drugs because they didn't seem to be helping and I didn't want his body to get immune to them. As far as tubes go, it is pretty quick for the child. My son was left my arms and 12 minutes later he was right back in my arms. I was extremely nervous about it when it happened, but it is pretty safe and basic producer. Good luck with your decision :)

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G.F.

answers from Grand Rapids on

Hi M.!

I am ultra natural mom and we use chiropractic care for all of us. I also haven't done a different immunization schedule for my kids because I'm very careful and educated on them and have chosen to do them individually over a longer period of time. (which is better for their immune system)

We tried everything with my oldest son but he had ear infections from 10-20 months. Chiropractic care didn't help him with this. He would get an infection, get antibiotics, have stomach/diarrheah issues from the meds, get the infection back, etc... I fought the tubes because I was so worried about him going under anesthesia.

When my 2nd son was born, he started getting ear infections at 3 months. So by 9 months, I gave in to tubes and even tried to get them for my older son. (they said he was too old and it would correct itself any day) My little guy was walking at 9 mo - walking a couple steps and falling. When the tubes went in at 10 mo, that very day he started walking across the room, no more falling. I didn't realize how much it was affecting everything for him. He was also really a fussy baby and would cry over the littlest things (more than a normal baby). That also stopped after the tubes. He's 5 and on his 3rd set and I swear by them!

Also my older son did get them when he was 3 1/2 and has just had his first ear infection since at 7 1/2 because they fell out. Some kids just have bad ears and it's so much better than being on antibiotics all the time!

It is hard to hold your baby and watch as they're getting put under, but it was not traumatic for them and the hospital staff let me come right in afterwards - which was literally 7 minutes.

You know what's best for your kids though. I'm sure that you will find the best solution for your family. Good luck!

:o) G.
SAHM of 2 boys 5 & 7

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N.W.

answers from Detroit on

Get the tubes! I was in the same situation with my daughter. She had tubes put in a month ago and is a different child. Her nose stopped running, she is sleeping better, she has more energy, her diaper rash from the constant diahrea caused from anti-biodics cleared up, and...she is talking a LOT more.

The procedure takes less than 10 minutes. They use a gas mask for the anestisia... and my daughter was gone from me for less than 20 minutes total. We were home by 9am...and went out to lunch and the mall that afternoon.

The surgery is really very easy and he will find sooooo much relief.

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A.N.

answers from Detroit on

ABSOLUTELY take your child to the chiropractor, tubes in his ears are unnecessary. I am the wife of a chiropractor and our 3 kids get adjusted regularly. I will tell you that NONE of them have ever been on antibiotics, especially not for ear infections. The thing you're not understanding is that you really need to work on your son's immune system and his ability to fight this stuff off, but the antibiotics are working against you by killing all his good bacteria. Chiropractic maintains the integrity of your nervous system, and that controls everything in your body! Please try the least invasive option before you do surgery! I can give you my husband's office info and you can make an appt. or we can refer to someone closer to you.

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B.T.

answers from Detroit on

Don't delay too long whatever you do end up doing. Chronic ear infections can lead to speech and hearing problems. Ear tubes help lots of children avoid this. Keep your ENT appointment and hear out what advice they have.

Also be sure you don't let your child lay down with a bottle. Don't let any one smoke around your baby. And try to get him to use a cup as soon as possible. These are simple measures that can help with ear infections.

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C.C.

answers from Grand Rapids on

I've taken our son to the chiropractor ever since he was born - he loves going. When our spines are misaligned anything can go wrong in our bodies, as our nerves control EVERYTHING. I have no experience with tubes in ears but have read that many kids still get infections even after having the surgery. Please consider chiropractic - very gentle and non-invasive. I highly recommend our chiropractor - they adjust many children and pregnant women: http://www.naturalchoicechiro.com/

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L.J.

answers from Detroit on

i am no way an "all natural " kind of mom but i do take my kids to get adjusted. my youngest was adjusted at about 9 months. then when she was 1 1/2 she kept having ear infections too but the doctors never mention tubes or anything and i took her in to the chiroprator again. i believe it helps, plus he mentions putting a little bit of olive oil around the inside of the ear not way in side but just around, i have yet to try that but he swears it works. if you are in the howell area i can give you his name, my whole family sees him and we all like him

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S.B.

answers from Grand Rapids on

Yes! It does help. Do it! My twin sons had recurrent ear infections. Brought them to the chir. once and they never had a problem again. Only problem - not covered by insurance but it was only 1 visit and it was so worth it.I can give you the name of this chir. in the Grand Rapids area if you like. He is excellent.

Also, fyi 40 percent of the time, recurrent ear infections are caused by milk allergies. Have you tried laying off the milk?

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