Childhood Ear Infections

With the “back-to-school and back-to-germs season” in full swing (and cooler weather just around the corner), now is a good time to investigate homeopathy for children’s earaches. A homeopathic remedy can prevent much discomfort and lost sleep when an earache develops, especially if your child is unable to see his or her doctor right away.

Types of earaches

Otitis media, the first type of earache, most likely caused by an infection, is noticeable because of pain or discomfort and is accompanied by fever or redness of the ear drum. At the end of this article, there is a list of safe and effective homeopathic remedies for this type of earache.

Serous otitis media, the second type, is usually symptom-free and is often diagnosed during a check-up. What the doctor sees on examination is fluid behind the ear drum. If a sample of this fluid were taken, it would usually reveal that no harmful bacteria are present.

Antibiotics are often prescribed for this, often in response to consumer demand, but they are obviously not effective since the cause is not bacterial. Serous otitis media is most often caused by allergies, from introducing solid foods before six months of age, or errors in diet. Attention to diet and constitutional homeopathic care are very helpful here.

Homeopathic principles

Homeopathic remedies are chosen on the principle of like cures like. Exhaustive research has been done to determine the symptoms associated with each remedy.

To be effective the symptoms of the remedy need to be similar to the symptoms of the child. See if any of the symptoms described below match a pattern that you’ve observed in your child, and, if so, it would be best to get the appropriate remedy from the Co–op to have on hand.

Which potency?

The remedies come in different potencies or strengths, which often confuses the consumer. As a rule of thumb, the higher the number, the longer the dose lasts. A potency of 30c is good for earaches, but a 12c, 9c or 6c will work if a 30c is not available. The 12c and 30c potencies are commonly given every four hours and the lower potencies more often.

The first two doses can be given one-half hour apart to start the healing process. Two or three pellets are put dry into a “clean” mouth (without food or flavors) and allowed to melt. They taste good, so even small babies are happy to take them.

Be observant. If you see improvement after the first couple of doses, you can repeat whenever the symptoms first start to return. Usually the third dose is given in four hours, but it can be repeated sooner if the improvement is relapsing. As the child stabilizes, each dose lasts longer and the repetitions become less frequent.

If you don’t see any change after 3–4 doses, try another remedy. If the child is screaming or crying with the pain, the correctly chosen remedy should act almost immediately. The child will often be asleep in your arms in five to ten minutes. If you see no change within that time, try the next remedy that seems to fit the symptoms.

Remedies and symptoms

• Aconite: Sudden earache after a chill, exposure to dry, cold winds, shock or during teething; ear is red hot, painful and better with warm applications; ears very sensitive to noise; burning thirst for cold drinks; child is anxious and restless.
• Belladonna: Sudden onset, especially when right ear is affected; dry, flushed face; dry, burning skin; restless; thirstless during fever with radiating heat which stays in your hand; pain worse upon being jarred and better sitting semi-erect.
• Chamomilla: Irritability/rudeness due to oversensitivity to pain (calmness contraindicates Chamomilla); sometimes one cheek is red and the other one is pale; pain worse with warm and better with cold applications; earaches from teething or cold winds.
• Ferrum phosphoricum: Most commonly indicated remedy for the early stages of an earache; very helpful in the beginning stage of an inflammation such as occurs in an ear infection.
• Hepar sulphuricum: Most sensitive to pain, will scream as if murdered; worse from any draft, likes to be well-covered; is irritable (but not capricious like Chamomilla), complains of stitching pains, and is sensitive to touch; can faint from pain (or you might faint from the screaming).
• Lycopodium: Right-sided, could go to left; digestive symptoms and gas; symptoms worse from 4:00–8:00 p.m.; wants someone in the next room; irritable and scornful when sick; earache can be brought on by fright, anger or embarrassment.
• Magnesia phosphorica: Nerve remedy; pain usually due to exposure to cold wind rather than an infection; more often right ear; pain is worse from washing face and neck in cold water; strongest characteristic is relief from warmth.
• Mercurius: Earache in damp or changeable weather, worse at night; child is sweaty and smells sick; a large, flabby tongue shows imprint of teeth on edges; much saliva (drooling) and bad breath; swollen glands; weak, thirsty and chilly.
• Pulsatilla: Redness and swelling in external ear; severe throbbing pains; ears feel as if they’re stopped up; worse with warmth and from being overheated, worse in the evening and at night; patient craves fresh air and is often weepy; cheeks may be rosy (not red).

Some surprising statistics about earaches

• Earaches are the #1 reason why American children visit the doctor.
• If your child is treated with antibiotics, she or he is three times as likely to have another ear infection soon.
• In almost 90 percent of cases, recovery (in terms of decreased pain and length of illness) is just as good without antibiotics.
• In the long-term, ear tubes are responsible for an increased hearing loss and, in the short-term, an increased number of acute ear infections.