We’ve all known that poor girl who had to have tubes put in her ears.  Or that poor boy who’s taken more rounds of antibiotics than his weary parents can count.   Ear fluid buildup, and ear infections, are all too common for children.   Tubes and antibiotics, though sometimes necessary, are over-prescribed by well-meaning doctors.  Is there a naturopathic solution? (NOTE:  this article addresses middle ear infections, not outer ear infections, or “swimmer’s ear” as they are commonly called.) Why Do Kids Get So Many Ear Infections? The main reason is anatomy.  Adults have ear canals that slant down towards the nose and mouth to facilitate fluid drainage.  Children’s ear canals are nearly horizontal, making fluid drainage much more challenging.  Any fluid that develops in the inner ear tends to pool there.  This is not water from the pool or the shower; this is fluid that the body produces behind the ear drum. Another factor is just that children get sick a lot.  Their immune systems are immature, so they become ill from a high percentage of the bugs they encounter.  Once they are older, their immune systems recognize repeat offenders and can ward them off.  As long as they are young and getting sick all the time, they have a higher chance of coming down with an ear-loving bug.  Also, infections lead to excess fluid and mucus, along with inflammation and swelling of the nose, mouth, and ear tissues, and the immune tissues associated with them, making drainage even more difficult. Why Does the Body Produce Fluid In the Ear?  Ear fluid is produced for the same reason mucus is produced.  It’s the body saying “Hey, I recognize an intruder here, and I’m going to mount an immune response to it.”  That intruder is often a bacteria or virus.  Sometimes the intruder is part of an upper respiratory tract infection, or a common cold, so your child will develop a runny nose and cough, and then complain of ear pain.  Sometimes the bacteria come into the ear and cause only ear symptoms.  And sometimes, the fluid is a sign that … Continue reading Ear Infections and Naturopathic Medicine