Otoscope $24.00, Avoiding Antibiotics, Priceless

Your small child comes down with an earache. He’s hurting, he’s crying! What do you do? I was in this position more than once, as a young mother. “The eardrum will bust, your child will go deaf!” is what the M.D.’s told me. Should I fill the prescription for antibiotics, I wondered? Well, I didn’t. Much to the shock of my friends and relatives, my babies never had prescription medications of any kind. Well then, what should a parent do?

You could bring your baby for a chiropractic adjustment. Sometimes, a stiff neck can hinder the drainage of lymph from the head and neck, and a backup of fluid in the eustachian tube can result. The fluid causes painful pressure on the eardrum. An adjustment can facilitate drainage of the eustachian tube. Many times, that fluid causing the pain is not infected with bacteria. And if it is, we want that fluid to drain out of your baby’s head!

You could take your baby to the medical doctor, where he is more than likely going to be prescribed an antibiotic “just in case!” If you accept, you have just thrown the baby out with the bath water, so to speak. Most middle ear infections resolve on their own without antibiotics. Antibiotics kill indiscriminately, so they also kill the beneficial bacteria in your child’s intestines, disrupting his digestion and the development of his own immune system. Worse, antibiotics foster the development of drug-resistant bacteria, making your baby the target of a serious subsequent infection.

You could get some homeopathic pain medicine for your child. Homeopathic products are safe and non-toxic, unlike antibiotics and Tylenol. If you’re worried about how your child is progressing, spend about $24.00 and buy an otoscope. It’s like a flashlight that will allow you, the parent, to see and monitor the condition of your child’s eardrum. Don’t worry, it’s as easy to use as a thermometer.

How you get through the crisis of your baby’s first earache may tell more about your belief system than the state of your baby’s health. Do you believe that your child’s body has the innate intelligence to heal without drugs? I do! Young parents, if you need me in your corner during the next earache, I am here for you.