By the time your child will
reach his 3rd birthday,
he had already suffered at least once from an ear infection – this is what the
statistics provided by the US Department of Health and Human Services say. But
is this real? Has your child really suffered from an ear infection or that
pain is due to another condition? And, most important, are antibiotics the only
way to cure this condition? We're
going to find out together!
Why kids are more prone to
ear infections?
Kids are prone to ear
infections, compared to adults and this costs the US healthcare system almost
$3 billion each year. Plus, it makes parents anxious, seeing their child in
pain. When you check the statistics, you will see ear infections are the most
common reasons physicians prescribe antibiotics to children below 12 years of
age, which is definitely not a great fact.
Before we discover why
antibiotics are not the best treatment for ear infection, you need to know why kids
are prone to developing this condition.
In adults, the ear canal,
called Eustachian tube, is inclined, which makes it easier for the fluid in the
lymph nodes to drain out of the ear. In children, the canal is shorter and
straight, which prevents the fluid from draining. The fluid builds up in the
lymph nodes and travels back to the ear, putting pressure on the ear drum,
which swells, leading to pain. If the fluid doesn't manage to drain itself, it
becomes infected, as bacteria and viruses from the throat can easily interact
with it. A simple cold can lead to an ear infection, as well as bottle-feeding, allergies, exposure to smoking and the child's specific
sensitivities.
Most parents overlook ear infection home treatment and rush the child to the
doctor, to have the antibiotics prescribed. This is not a good approach.
Why antibiotics are not the
best treatment for ear infection?
To find out if antibiotics
are the best treatment for an ear infection you need to check the
statistics again. CDC says 99% of the kids who reach the doctor with an ear
infection are prescribed antibiotics; however, 88% of the kids who develop an
ear infection get better on their own, helped by ear infection home treatments.
The use of antibiotics on ear infections is often unnecessary because, as we've seen, some of these infections are caused by viruses, which don't react in front of antibiotics. Even those infections caused by bacteria should be first allowed to cure on themselves, because the use of antibiotics first hand is now leading to a disturbing side effect: it causes bacteria to develop new strains, resistant to antibiotics.
An article in the Consumer
Report explains how
the use of antibiotics on ear infections can actually cause more ear infections, by allowing
stronger bacteria to develop inside the ear!
This is why AAP has
developed a new approach to ear infections, based on the principle “wait and
see”.
The “wait and see” approach
to ear infections is the best solution
AAP's new approach is not new – it was developed in 2014 – but only nowadays doctors and
parents are gradually embracing it, as they understood antibiotics are to be
avoided in the treatment for ear infection. This concept asks for lots
of patience from the parents, as well as from the doctor. AAP advises
parents to wait and see how the condition of their child is evolving. Unless
the child has over 102 degree fever and severe symptoms of runny nose and
ear pain, they should not call the doctor for an antibiotic prescription.
Waiting 48 hours to see how the condition of the child evolves is a safe way to
cure any ailment, especially ear infections. This is because the doctor needs
to be sure there is an infection in the patient before prescribing any
treatment. Tests, such as ear swab cultures, are the only way to find out for
sure if there is an infection and if it's sensitive to antibiotics.
Are you really dealing with
an ear infection?
This is the main question
you need to answer before you rush to the doctor for an antibiotic prescription.
Most of the times, the child doesn't even have an infection, but because a swab
test is the only way to find out, the doctor will just over-diagnose the child.
In the case of a real ear
infection, the side of the head will swell and present redness, the patient
will be feverish and the ear will run pus.
However, if these symptoms
are not present, a painful ear can be a sign of fluid buildup or teething.
These are only two simple examples, but any discomfort felt by your child in
his ear can be a symptom of a completely different ailment, not an infection.
This is why it's best to
wait and see: during the 48 hours, which are safe to wait. You can do a swab
test and check if the pain, redness and swelling are reducing by
themselves.
Education and information
are the keys in such situations: parents are anxious, because no one says it's
easy to see your child in pain, but if they are informed on the effects of
antibiotics and the fact they don't relieve the child's pain, they will be
willing to wait and see what happens.
Only when everyone, both
doctor and parents, has the written proof they are dealing with an ear
infection, they should turn to antibiotics. Until then, home treatments and
remedies work great in relieving the pain and the overall discomfort.
Personal Information:
Name: Alfred C. Bailey
Bio: Hey everyone, I'm a 26 years old blogger and content writer Lives
in United States [IL]. By profession I’m Professional Content/blog writer and
my favorite niches are Health and Fitness.
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