Children have earaches more commonly than adults do. To understand this, you must understand how the ear is put together:
In the illustration, you will notice a long dark pink tube called the Eustachian tube which goes from the middle ear (behind the eardrum) to the back of the nose. This tube allows fluid to drain from the ear to the back of your throat. This tube is surrounded by the muscles of the jaw and back of the throat.
Every time you swallow or yawn, the muscles open up the tube. This allows the pressure behind the eardrum to equalize with the barometric pressure outside the ear.
When the eustachian tube is blocked, two things happen:
1. Fluid collects behind the eardrum. This is the fluid your doctor sees when he or shee looks in your child's ear.
2. The pressure can no longer equalize between the ear and the outside world. If the barometric pressure drops a little, the eardrum will bulge outwards, and if the barometric pressure increases, the eardrum will retract inwards. The eardrum is exquisitely sensitive to pressure, so this can be very painful.
Children’s Eustachian tubes are more horizontal than adults’, so they do not have the help of gravity in draining them. Also, they are less co-ordinated with their swallowing.
FLUID IN EAR DOES NOT EQUAL EAR INFECTION:
A common false belief is that whenever a child has pain in the ear and fluid, that means the child has an ear infection. In fact, the Eustachian tube may be blocked by:
· Swelling or mucus in the back of the nose due to allergies or a cold
· Muscle spasm due to misalignment of the neck and jaw
One study (Bonadio WA. The evaluation and management of acute otitis media in children. Am J Emerg Med 1994;12(2):193-206.) showed that 75% of children with ear fluid and pain did NOT have any bacteria in their ear fluid when it was tested by culture. Another study (Carlin SA, Marchant CD, Shurin PA et al. Host factors and early therapeutic response in acute otitis media. J Pediatr 1991;118(2):178-183) Showed that 60% of children who completed antibiotic therapy still had fluid in their ears 2 weeks after all the bacteria had been killed.
EAR TUBE SURGERY? 0R SAFE, NATURAL CHIROPRACTIC CARE?
- Ventilation tubes may improve short-term outcomes, but the clinical effect size is small. They may also increase the risk of tympanic membrane abnormalities.
- Ventilation tubes improve hearing for the first 2 years, but have no longer-term benefit, and may not improve cognition or language development.
On the other hand Hawk C, Khorsan R, Lisi AJ et al. Chiropractic care for nonmusculoskeletal conditions: a systematic review with implications for whole systems research. J Altern Complement Med 2007;13(5):491-512. Found that
- Children who had chiropractic care had much better outcomes than children with usual medical care.
- And the anecdotal evidence is overwhelming. Hundreds of children have received relief from their recurrent earaches at Whole Health Clinic, and thousands of parents have discovered the benefits of chiropractic care for their children’s earaches.
No child has ever been harmed or injured at Whole Health Clinic.
Reading about it can never equal the security you will feel when you experience the caring, professional approach at Whole Health Clinic for yourself. Contact us for an appointment now!
In a comprehensive review, Williamson I. Otitis media with effusion in children. Clin Evid (Online ) 2011;2011. Found that :
