Many children suffer from painful ear infections, whether bacterial or viral, or some adults can experience frequent ear infections as well.  Some instances of chronic ear infections might result in surgery to place tubes in the ears.  Every year, 500,000 children have tubes placed in their ears, yet most of these children still suffer from occurrences of ear infections after the tubes are put in.  Before subjecting children to a risky procedure, consider chiropractic care for reducing or preventing recurrent ear infections.

Why Children Are More Prone to Ear Infections

Eustachian tubes, which connect the middle ear to the back of the throat, are responsible for properly draining liquid from the ear to prevent blockage and infection.  The Eustachian tubes of children are parallel to the ground, causing them to sometimes retain fluid, leading to either bacterial or viral infections of the ear.  In adults, these Eustachian tubes are slightly tilted, which allows for proper drainage and it the reason why adults don’t get ear infections as often as children.  When fluid cannot drain properly, a vacuum is created which pulls the fluid toward the middle ear and throat without a way out.  When fluid sits stagnantly in the Eustachian tubes, it is sure to lead to chronic, painful ear infections.

Treating the Root Cause

80% of ear infections will resolve themselves, but because they can be painful, parents often seek solutions for speeding up the recovery process.  Antibiotics have commonly been the method for ridding children of ear infections, and while antibiotics do cure the infection temporarily, they don’t treat the root cause. Thus, ear infections will come back again, requiring another round of antibiotics.  Sometimes ear infections are caused by a virus, which antibiotics can do nothing to treat.  Furthermore, antibiotics will kill the bacteria, but they also kill healthy tissue cells as well and can cause unwanted side effects.  Chiropractic is a safer and natural alternative to medication. Whether you are looking for a speedy recovery for an already occurring ear infection or want a long-term solution for chronic ear infections, a Lithia Spring chiropractor can help. Significant data points to chiropractic care as being a highly effective way to treat the root cause of ear infections, the fluid buildup, so that these infections don’t return.

Chiropractic Solutions for Chronic Ear Infections

The four vertebrae located at the top of the spine, including the atlas vertebra, are directly linked to the Eustachian tubes.  Misalignments of this vertebra can put pressure on the Eustachian tubes, making it smaller and causing the fluid buildup that leads to ear infections.  Chiropractic adjustments from Dr. Ronnie Bolar can remove these misalignments, allowing fluid to drain properly once again, preventing infection from occurring.

 

For a safer, more affordable, and less invasive option to treating ear infections, set up a consultation with Dr. Ronnie Bolar of Vital Life Chiropractic in Lithia Springs and find out more about how chiropractic will reduce blockage and increase proper drainage.

 

Sources

Hardrick, B.J. “How Chiropractic Can Help With Ear Infections, Specifically In Kids!” http://www.drhardick.com/ear-infections-chiropractic

Pohlman, K. A., & Holton-Brown, M. S. (2012). “Otitis media and spinal manipulative therapy: a literature review.” Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, 11(3), 160–169. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcm.2012.05.006