Ear Infections and Chiropractic

Next to the common cold, ear infections are the most diagnosed childhood illness in the United States. Ear infections are caused by a virus or bacteria growing in mucus blockage of the Eustachian Tube, which connects the middle ear to the back of the throat. The Eustachian Tube equalizes air pressure and allows for drainage of mucus from the middle ear to the throat. When one has a cold or allergy affecting the nasal passages, the Eustachian tube can become blocked by mucus within the tube. The blockage allows fluid to build up within the middle ear. Bacteria or viruses that have entered the middle ear through the Eustachian tube can get trapped, breed, and lead to an ear infection.

Children develop ear infections more frequently in the first 2-4 years for several reasons:
-Their Eustachian tubes are shorter and more horizontal than those of adults, which allow bacteria and viruses to find their way into the middle ear more easily. Their tubes are also narrower and softer, which makes them more prone to blockage.
-The adenoids, gland-like structures located in the back of the upper throat near the Eustachian tubes, are large in children and can interfere with the opening of the Eustachian tubes.

It is believed that the birthing process and recurrent ear infections are linked. In the birth canal, neck vertebrae can become misaligned, disrupting nerve function, which can affect the Eustachian tube. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics indicates that there is a strong correlation between chiropractic adjustments and the resolution of ear infections. Out of 332 children with chronic ear infections that were treated with chiropractic adjustments, 80% did not develop another ear infection in the six-month period following their initial visits with an adjustment every four to six weeks.

Symptoms of ear infections:
Ear pain
Tugging of ear in younger children
Irritable cry of young children
Decrease of eating
Trouble sleeping
Drainage of fluid from ear
Fever
Nausea
Vomiting
Dizziness