It’s that time of year again. The winter months where we begin to hear things such as, “it’s flu season,” or “I always get a cold around this time of year.” While there are absolutely fluctuations in seasonal illnesses and allergies, there is one in particular that we have been getting a lot of at Restorative Wellness Center.

Ear Infections

That’s right, ear infections. The dreaded childhood illness that roughly 80% of all children will experience by the time they are 3 years old! That seems like a pretty high percentage, right? Does this mean we should be alarmed? What are we supposed to do if our child has such a high probability of coming down with an ear infection? Should we be concerned and immediately run to the pediatrician?

The reality is – probably not. Before we dive into why we may not need to worry, let’s take a moment to understand what an ear infection really is and what the potential indications are. One of the biggest questions we get at Restorative is exactly what path someone should take to resolve the signs and symptoms of an infection that result in their children becoming so uncomfortable. Helping you understand what to do in a situation like this is always a top priority for our physicians.

Why Do Ear Infections Happen?

Ear infections, while very common in children, are quite different from an ear infection in an adult. The primary reasons for this is two fold:

Children have an anatomically different eustachian tube – the functional portion of our ear canal that allows for drainage of fluid from the inner ear to the back of the throat. In children, this tube is more horizontally aligned (parallel to the floor in essence), whereas in adults it is more diagonal and angled towards the floor. Because of this, fluid drainage in children is not as easily done compared to adults. With a more diagonally angled eustachian tube, gravity works in an adults favor to pull inner ear fluid into the throat, preventing blockage and the creation of an environment that is much more beneficial for opportunistic infections.
Current literature says that anywhere between approximately 51-78% of ear infections are bacterial, meaning that between 22-49% of ear infections are NOT bacterial. It’s a common misconception that antibiotics will eliminate the infection and are also routinely a first choice for many practitioners. Unfortunately, because ear infections in children are not always bacterial in nature, antibiotics won’t be advantageous. Unfortunately, when antibiotics are abused and used in an inappropriate situation (such as an ear infection caused by a virus), there are consequences to the gut microbiome that can cause other complications too.

Now, we understand why ear infections in children may be different, but what are the signs and symptoms of an ear infection? At the onset, children may simply become more irritable and restless. You may see them tugging at their ears with redness around the ear canal. Children may even come down with a low to moderate grade fever and even potentially have a discharge coming from the ear canal. Again though, we cannot stress this enough - despite the signs and symptoms, these may not be cause for alarm.

According to further literature, while roughly 80% of children will get an ear infection by 3 years old, approximately 80% of ear infections are self resolving and can clear on their own.That’s pretty astounding isn’t it? The vast majority of ear infections have the potential to be eliminated solely by our immune system without intervention of antibiotics or medications. Now, that’s not to say that ALL ear infections won’t need some help, because there absolutely are situations when antibiotics or medications may be necessary. We are simply saying that utilizing them as a first line of defense may not be as favorable as previously thought.

So if antibiotics are used in a child that falls within the 80% self resolving population, what are some potential consequences of pulling the trigger with antibiotics too soon? There is a significant amount of literature demonstrating antibiotic use in children and the disruption in their microbiome, particularly the gut. In fact, keeping in line with the 80% value, it turns out that 80% of our immune system is within our gut! So if we disrupt that environment, that’s potentially disrupting 80% of our immune system. By disrupting our gut microbiome, we potentially now have an interesting theory that should be considered …

Child with viral ear infection —> given antibiotic —> disruption of gut microbiome and 80% of immune system —> immune system unable to eliminate viral infection —> viral infection gets worse —> symptoms become more severe —> given other antibiotic —> further gut microbiome disruption…

The rest explains itself. Unfortunately, we have had parents come in after going through multiple rounds of antibiotics with their children that simply aren’t working. It’s a vicious cycle that is difficult to anticipate. Again, we are not saying this is ALL cases, but it should still be considered.

How Can Chiropractic Help with Ear Infections?

Now, if the immune system is capable of healing up to 80% of all ear infections, what can we do to support that? Chiropractic care emphasizes the importance of supporting our immune system and facilitating our ability to maintain the most optimal state of health and wellness. This can be done through gentle chiropractic adjustments, supplementation to support the gut and immune system, and even at home drainage techniques to ease fluid out of the eustachian tube too.

It’s very common to hear chiropractors talk about childhood ear infections and chiropractic care. So, while the literature can be limited in this field, there is absolutely logic behind why chiropractors believe in adjustments for childhood ear infections. For example, adjustments and decompression techniques to the upper cervical spine – while being extremely gentle - can help promote range of motion, reduce joint fixation and inflammation, and enable decongestion of the cervical region. Not only that, gentle massage over the course of the eustachian tube may promote proper drainage following chiropractic adjustments. Plus, the efficacy and safety of chiropractic care is well documented, particularly in pediatric populations, both within the literature and anecdotally.

In addition to chiropractic adjustments, supporting the gut microbiome should also be a high priority for treating any infection. With the vast majority of our immune system residing in the gut, taking the time to optimize the health and function of this vastly complex group of structures will only promote a more optimal state of healing. This can be done with various supplements that have been discussed in previous blog posts, so be sure to check those out too!

While there are cases where further help may be necessary, it’s evident that childhood ear infections can be alleviated and healed through a more holistic, gentle approach to the nervous system and immune system. With chiropractic care, we can facilitate the immune system to fight off current and future infections and thus prevent any disruption in the gut microbiome from unnecessary interventions. Overall, we encourage all parents to seek out their chiropractor and/or family practitioner to discuss your options when it comes to childhood ear infections. The best thing to ALWAYS do is talk to your doctor, and we are here for you to be able to do just that.With our team of two chiropractors who utilize functional medicine and functional neurology, a medical doctor and direct primary care family physician, and classically trained naturopath, we are able to provide you with the care that you need to live the healthiest, most abundant life possible.

Have any questions? Give us a call! We are eager to help in every way we can.