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How
does it works.
There
are three parts to the ear - the outer ear, middle ear, and inner
ear. The outer ear includes the part of the ear outside the head
that we can see, the ear canal, and the eardrum. The eardrum is a
small circle of tissue at the end of the ear canal that vibrates
in response to sounds.
The middle ear is a pea-sized chamber behind the eardrum that is
normally filled with air. The middle ear contains three tiny bones
that send sound vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear.
Nerve endings in the inner ear change these vibrations into
signals which are sent to the brain through the auditory nerve.
These signals allow us to hear.
The middle ear is connected to the back of the nose and the upper
part of the throat by a narrow passageway known as the eustachian
tube. This tube lets air enter the ear so that the air pressure is
the same both inside and outside the ear. This allows the eardrum
to vibrate freely and lets us hear correctly. The eustachian tube
also helps to drain out fluids which are produced by the tissues
in the middle ear.
Sign and Symptoms
Because ear infections commonly occur in children who can't yet
talk, it can be difficult for you to know when your child might
have an ear infection. Even older children who are talking may not
be able to accurately describe what they are feeling. As a parent,
you need to be able to tell the difference between fluid in the
middle ear and an acute ear infection that requires medical
attention. Your child may pull at his or her ear and may not
respond to sounds. This may be a sign of middle ear fluid, but is
not in itself a sign of an ear infection. Remember that a typical
ear infection usually starts with a cold and then appears several
days later. There is a lot of pain associated with an acute ear
infection, and it's usually accompanied by a fever. Your child may
have difficulty sleeping because of the pain, but there are many
reasons why children wake at night. If children have pain, they
are usually not playful, their cry is different than when they are
hungry or tired, and they don't respond to other attempts to fill
their needs.Older children who can talk may complain of an earache
or describe a feeling of fullness or pressure in the ear. They may
also experience dizziness or loss of balance./
if the eardrum perforates from the build-up of pressure, you may
see fluid draining from the ear.
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Normally,
your child's middle ear is filled with air.
Often in young children, however, the eustachian tube becomes
swollen, usually as the result of a cold. Because your child's
eustachian tubes are narrower and more horizontal than an adult's,
it's easier for them to become blocked. When this happens, fluid
builds up behind the eardrum.
The presence of middle ear fluid alone is not necessarily cause
for concern. You might notice some decrease in your child's
hearing, but if there's no infection, the fluid usually clears up
on its own within several weeks.
However, fluid in the middle ear creates an ideal environment for
bacterial growth and occasionally the fluid becomes infected. This
can result in a build-up of pus which pushes against the eardrum
and can be quite painful. This is known as acute otitis media.
For some children, ear infections become an on-going problem. A
child whose ear infections clear up only to come back again within
a few weeks has recurrent otitis media. This is usually defined by
doctors as three or more ear infections within a six-month period,
or four within twelve months.
Another problem faced by some children is fluid which, although
not infected, stays in the middle ear for a long time, often
several months. This fluid can prevent the eardrum and the bones
in the middle ear from vibrating normally in response to sounds
and can cause temporary hearing loss. If hearing loss continues
for a long period of time, your child's speech development may be
delayed.
Ear
Infection & Homeopathy
Ear
infections respond very well to homeopathic treatment, which is a
preferable alternative to the frequent use of antibiotics. The
pain of an ear infection can disappear overnight with the correct
homeopathic remedy.
If your child has a pattern of repeated ear infections, instead of
giving antibiotics every time, homeopathy can strengthen your
child's natural defenses and immunity, so that the whole pattern
of getting sick stops.
Are antibiotics necessary? The conventional medical approach is to
give antibiotics every time an ear infection is diagnosed. Or if
these are ineffective, a tympanostomy (insertion of tubes) is
performed. Antiobiotics are not necessary in most cases of ear
infections. If the correct homeopathic medicine is prescribed for
your child, the symptoms of the ear infection generally disappear
within 24 hours. There are many negative consequences of
antibiotic over-use. These include destruction of beneficial
bacteria in the body leading to more health problems. Homeopaths
believe that suppressing symptoms with antibiotics results in the
return of the symptoms at a later date, either as another ear
infection or a different, perhaps more serious infection. Consider
homeopathic treatment as an alternative to antibiotics the next
time your child has an ear infection.
Insertion of tubes in your child's ear is also risky and can have
side effects. Tympanostomies are done by puncturing a hole in your
child's eardrum and inserting a tube. This can result in loss of
hearing from scarring or hardening of the ear drum.
A homeoapthy sees ear infections as a reflection of the body's
inability to function optimally and will select a remedy to
stimulate a sluggish healing response. Unless the patient's
defense system is improved, the likelihood of a recurrence either
in the other ear or in the same ear is high.
Consult with your homeopathic practitioner to choose the correct
remedy for your child's ear infections. There are several possible
remedies, and a professional homeopathic practitioner can choose
the correct one to bring your child back into balance and allow
natural healing. The correct remedy will produce great improvement
in their health and well-being.
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