Middle Ear Infection

Middle ear infection prompts over 30 million visits to the doctor each year in the U.S. alone.  In 1990, it was estimated that the number of antibiotic prescriptions given to children for ear infections was over 25 million, with over 1 billion individual doses of antibiotics given to children for ear infections yearly.  In other parts of the world (e.g. Scandinavia), physicians use antibiotics only when complications develop or are expected to develop.

Some 88% of ear infections will clear on their own with out antibiotics or other treatment, yet the number one surgical procedure performed in the U.S. is the insertion of tympanostomy tubes (plastic grommets punched through the ear drum under general anaesthetic).  Some 2 million are inserted each year, at a cost of over $2 billion.  During surgery, accumulated cellular debris is often cleaned from the middle ear to "ventilate" it; this relieves pressure but does little to address the causes of otitis media.  Worse still, some 76% of children require replacement tubes within 4 years of initial tube insertion.

At the time of writing, there we no studies demonstrating that tubes work better than non-surgical treatment.  Some recent studies, however, have compared tympanostomy tubes to antibiotic therapy and myringotomy.  The group with tubes developed a higher rate of recurrent otitis, hearing loss, ear drum retraction, and tympanosclerosis (atrophy and scarring at the site of tube insertion).

Treatment and Prevention

Over 30 studies support naturopathic protocols for the treatment of otitis media.  Naturopathic treatment consists of screening for food and environmental sensitivities, correcting nutrient deficiencies, and increasing the patient's resistance to disease through natural methods and simple supportive treatment.

Naturopathic practice assumes that several complimentary treatment methods, acting in concert, will be more effective than a singe method used alone.  Treatment protocols are individualized.  Naturopathic protocol includes the prescribing of antibiotic when appropriate.  Some cases may be referred for surgical placement of tympanostomy tubes.

Conventional treatment (antibiotic and surgical) does not affect the long-term incidence or severity of ear infections, or have any long-term cost benefit over no treatment at all.  Long-term antibiotic use is medically controversial; studies indicate that children treated with antibiotics have a higher incidence of repeat ear infections when compared to children treated without antibiotics.  The most common antibiotics are often associated with adverse toxic side-effects, including diarrhea, vomiting, diaper rash.  Bactrim, an antibiotic commonly used to treat ear infections in children, can produce over 60 kinds of side-effects.

In contrast, natural remedies involving identification and elimination of underlying allergies, food sensitivities or nutrient deficiencies can reduce the incidence of a wide variety of subsequent problems.  Correction of underlying immune weakness can lower future incidence of otitis and other upper respiratory infections.

Prognosis

In children younger than three years of age who have persistent otitis media, prompt insertion of tympanostomy tubes does not measurably improve developmental outcomes at the age of three years. [NEngl J Med 2001;344: pp.1179-87]