A study published this month in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that antibiotics have little effect on childhood ear infections. You can read an overview on CNN.
The gist is this: most kids will recover from their ear infection at the same rate with OR without antibiotics, simply by providing pain relief. That helps avoid antibiotics side effects like rashes and diarrhea.
A Naturopathic Approach
Ear aches are a complaint we see a LOT in the clinic, and for good reason – if you’ve had an ear infection you know how painful it is. That pain is caused by pressure on the ear drum.
One naturopathic approach is to use a castor oil pack (see below), drink lots of fluids and get your child to move. Gentle exercise moves the lymph, increases circulation and may help the ear drain.
New pediatric guidelines will likely recommend pain relief instead of antibiotics, depending on the case. JAMA also has some guidelines for knowing when an antibiotic is in order. When in doubt, see your health care provider!
How To Use A Castor Oil Pack
Our last patient newsletter included this tip – we thought we’d share it here.
Castor oil moves the lymph, strengthens the immune system and has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. It can be easily used by almost anyone, anytime. (If you’re pregnant, using a castor oil pack on your abdomen is not recommended unless you are trying to get a little one out who has overstayed their welcome.)
What you’ll need:
- A bottle of castor oil, NOT cod liver oil. Castor oil can be bought in any drug store or health food store
- A clean dye-free cloth
- A heating pad (those bean bags you heat in the microwave are great)
- A comfy place to sit or lay for 15-30 minutes
Sore throat?
Apply castor oil liberally to your neck, cover with a clean cloth. Apply a gentle heating pad and let it sit there for 30 minutes.
A little one with an ear ache?
Apply around ear and all down the neck of the affected side. Cover with a clean cloth and apply gentle heat for 15-30 minutes.
A tummy ache?
Apply castor oil to abdomen, cover with clean cloth and apply gentle heat for 30 minutes.
Castor oil can be applied to any area that is feeling congested and full of inflammation. Do twice a day for a couple of days – although sometimes once is all that’s required!