Homeopathic treatment of ear pain in children
There is hardly a child who can avoid ear pain, and now during the cold season the little ones are particularly affected. But it doesn’t always have to be an antibiotic! Help your child gently with the right homeopathic remedy.
The fact that children so often suffer from the very painful inflammation of the middle ear in the first years of life has an anatomical background: The middle ear is an air-filled cavity that lies between the eardrum and the inner ear. Ventilation is provided by the ear trumpet (also known as the tube), a connecting duct lined with mucous membrane between the pharynx and the middle ear. Just like the mucous membrane of the nose in a cold, the mucous membrane in the auditory trumpet swells with a cold and secretion forms. Because the ear trumpet is quite narrow in the little ones, however, it is quickly completely “blocked” by the swelling of the mucous membrane. The secretion from the middle ear can no longer flow off and presses against the eardrum – the ear hurts, e.g. in so-called tube catarrh. If the middle ear and eardrum are also infected and inflamed with pathogens, this is an inflammation of the middle ear. In infants and small children, the pathogenic germs have a particularly easy time of it: in small children, the ear trumpet is still very short, so germs from the nasopharyngeal cavity can penetrate the ear more easily.
Earache: Which complaints are typical for which disease?
An acute tube catarrh occurs exclusively in the context of a cold (usually with a severely blocked nose). Your child complains of pressure and often stabbing pain in the ear. They hear badly and may tell you that they hear cracking noises in their ears. The inflammation of the middle ear is more severe, much more painful and usually associated with fever. The affected ear is often reddened. Your child feels bad, lacks appetite and has usually had a cold for a few days. He or she complains of stabbing or pounding ear pain. In infants, inflammation of the middle ear is often more difficult to detect: The little ones have high fever, are restless, frequently reach for their ears, do not want to drink and may also have vomiting or diarrhoea. They often cry out at night while sleeping because they are in pain.
When should you take your child to the doctor for ear pain?
With infants and children who are feverish for more than a day, you should always see a pediatrician. Even if the symptoms do not improve after two days, a medical check-up is recommended. You should also have your child examined if
- the earaches are severe,
- the general condition is bad,
- Outflow from one or more >A middle ear infection is caused by viruses in about 40 percent of cases, so an antibiotic is often unnecessary! Babies under one year of age are generally given an antibiotic because the mastoid process (bone behind the ear) is particularly susceptible to inflammation, which can lead to serious complications such as meningitis.
Homeopathic ear pain treatment
Give the appropriate remedy (see flow chart and table in the premium section) in potency D12, initially in case of severe pain3 times every 15 to 30 minutes 5 globules or 1 tablet, then – as needed – one to two hours and the next day if necessary 3 times daily. If the nose is blocked and very mucous, the additional administration of Luffa Nasenspray helps, 2 times daily a spraying blow into each nostril. The following combination has proven to be effective for the initial treatment of febrile middle ear inflammation: Belladonna D12 and Ferrum phosphoricum D12 alternate hourly (if your child sleeps a lot, simply put the globules between the lower lip and the row of teeth) until the pain is relieved, then if necessary 3 to 4 times daily, from the third day only Ferrum phosphoricum. Please do not give your child several remedies in a row if the first remedy did not work. If two remedies have not worked, consult a homeopath. Before your child suffers from severe pain in this case, you should give him a painkiller suitable for children, such as a paracetamol suppository. If you are unsure which remedy is the right one for you, you can use Otovowen® drops (alcoholic content 53 percent!). They contain plant extracts of purple sun hat, elderberry, chamomile and various homeopathic remedies that have anti-inflammatory and immunostimulating effects. The drops are suitable for children from one year of age, the dosage is 4 to 7 drops per hour in a little water (maximum 12 doses per day).
| My tipIf your child suffers from frequently recurring middle ear infections and the ENT doctor has diagnosed a chronic tympanic effusion (fluid in the middle ear), potassium chloratum D6 helps 3 times 1 tablet or 5 globules. This liquefies the stuck mucus in the ear and allows it to drain more easily. This can often save your child from having to insert tympanic tubes. In stubborn cases Mercurius dulcis D12 helps 3 times a day. |
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No need to blow your nose prevents ear infection
In order to prevent middle ear infections, your child should not blow his nose during a cold, but pull up his nose. If the child blows strongly through both nostrils, the excreted nasal secretion can reach the middle ear via the ear trumpet due to the excess pressure generated. When pulled up, however, the secretion is swallowed and the contained pathogens are rendered harmless by gastric acid. Babies are less likely to suffer from middle ear infection if they are breastfed, sleep on their backs and have the soother in their mouths as rarely as possible.
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