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Imagine
Your Kids with Vibrant Health and Natural
Vitality!
Boost and Strengthen their
Immune System the Natural Way!
Super Healthy Kids is a comprehensive e-book
(you can get a printed paperback version as
well) about what you can do to strengthen
your kids health and boost their immune system
to prevent disease and create increased vibrant
health and vitality...read
more...
Managing Ear Infections
at Home
Randall Neustaedter OMD, Lac, CCH
What are the symptoms of
an ear infection?
Ear infections can be accompanied by mild
or severe pain, or no pain at all. In babies,
symptoms often only include fussiness and
night waking, runny nose, or fever. Sometimes
all three symptoms are present. Ear pain tends
to worsen at night while lying down.
How do you know that your
baby or child has an ear infection?
Get a small home earscope (see below) and
check the eardrums for redness. A flushed,
red ear may indicate an ear infection, but
a red ear could also be due to allergies,
teething, or excessive crying. The earscope
will allow you to monitor the progress of
the eardrum. Or go to your health care provider
for a diagnosis. Ask for a one to ten scale
of how bad the ears look.
What Steps Can I Take?
Step
1:
Give one of the following homeopathic medicines
in a 30 strength. Use two pellets as a dose.
Repeat every one to three hours while your
child is awake depending on the severity of
symptoms. Give only one homeopathic medicine
at a time. If one remedy does not improve
symptoms, then you can switch to another.
Homeopathy will stimulate a healing reaction.
When symptoms improve, stop the remedy and
wait. If symptoms recur, then begin the medicine
again. Remember that fevers are good. They
indicate that the body is fighting the infection.
Belladonna 30c In the first stage, especially
if symptoms have come on quickly and there
is fever. The child is usually tired.
Hepar-sulph. 30c For any painful ear, especially
if the ear seems tender to touch and the child
is fussy or irritable. The most effective
remedy for ear infections, and the best choice
for swimmer’s ear.
Pulsatilla 30c For mild ear infections without
severe pain, and for lingering symptoms with
thickening nasal discharge.
Step
2:
If there is pain, place a few drops of body-temperature
organic cold-pressed vegetable oil into the
ear. This is soothing. If pain persists and
is severe, despite homeopathic medicines,
or if pain is keeping a child awake, then
it may be sensible to give acetaminophen (Tylenol),
but only while it is absolutely needed. This
will allow your child to sleep while the homeopathic
medicine does its job.
Step
3:
Give echinacea, an immune-building herb.
Echinacea stimulates the body to produce more
white blood cells that fight invasion by viruses
or bacteria. Stop after four to five days.
Dosage:
Babies under one year: 10 drops three times
per day
Children over one year: 20 drops three times
per day
What about antibiotics?
Antibiotics have a tendency to weaken the
immune system and cause recurrent ear infections.
Try to avoid them. Bacteria also become resistant
to antibiotics if they are overused. Many
ear infections are not even caused by bacteria,
and antibiotics will do nothing for ear infections
caused by viruses or allergies.
What do I do about recurrent
ear infections?
Discontinue all dairy products (cow’s milk,
cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese). If you are
breastfeeding, then stop dairy in your own
diet. Cow’s milk proteins will travel through
your breast milk.
Give colostrum, one capsule twice a day mixed
with food such as applesauce. This is the
first milk that is secreted in mammals for
a few days after birth. It contains immune
system stimulants that prevent infections.
Cow’s colostrum is freeze dried and packaged
in capsules, which can be opened and mixed
with food. Use an organic form of colostrum,
such as New Life Colostrum produced by Symbiotics.
Note: children with a dairy allergy should
not be given colostrum.
Take your child to see a homeopathic practitioner
for a deeper-acting constitutional medicine.
This will strengthen the system and prevent
future infections. Check the Holistic Pediatric
Association directory at www.hpakids.org for
a homeopath in your area. Contact the Council
for Homeopathic Certification for a homeopath
near you who is certified in classical homeopathy
(415) 789-7677, or visit the directory at
their website www.homeopathy-council.org.
Your ear infection home
kit:
. Echinacea extract without alcohol
. Homeopathic medicines
. Belladonna 30c
. Hepar-sulph. 30c
. Pulsatilla 30c
. Earscope (Order from Notoco, Model
1202, Send $33.45. They also will include
a book Ears:
An Owner’s Manua,l which includes color
photos of eardrums and instructions for home
ear exams. Add $5.00. Notoco, PO Box 300,
Ferndale CA 95536, (707) 786-4400
Dr. Neustaedter has practiced homeopathic
medicine for over twenty years, specializing
in child health care. An accomplished and
well-recognized author, his works include
an authoritative text, Homeopathic
Pediatrics, and a popular book for
parents, The
Vaccine Guide: Making an Informed Choice
(1996), a revision of his previous book, The
Immunization Decision (1990). He has
contributed extensively to the journals that
comprise the homeopathic medical literature.
A licensed acupuncturist with a doctorate
in Oriental Medicine, Dr. Neustaedter practices
at the Classical Medicine Center in Redwood
City, California (650-299-9170).
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Use
the information provided on this site as an
educational resource for determining your
options and making your own informed choices.
It is not intended as medical advice or to
diagnose, prescribe, or treat any specific
illness.