Ear Infections

Earache can be a very painful condition. It occurs frequently in small children, who are often too young to understand or convey to their parents why they are crying, except, perhaps, to pull at their ears or to scratch their faces.

    Tugging at the ear is a symptom of an outer-ear infection, also known as Swimmer’s Ear or Otitis Externa. In an outer-ear (Otitis Externa) infection, the skin that covers the outer-ear canal becomes inflamed, discharging mucus and causing scaling, crusting, swelling and redness that can be seen when looking into the ear canal. In some cases, inner- and outer-ear infections occur simultaneously.

     In the later stages of an inner-ear (Otitis Media) infection, pus in the middle ear builds up pressure (which is very painful) and eventually breaks through the eardrum. Once this happens, the pain disappears. This rupture is a normal course of events in ear infections and is not a cause for concern - unless the discharge continues and prevents the eardrum from healing properly. Infections can sometimes spread to the inner ear, which is a cause for concern due to its nearness to the brain. Treatment of ear infections therefore needs to be fast and effective.

     Mild symptoms often signal a blocked Eustachian tube and not an infection.

     Causes of outer-ear infections:

            An object stuck in the ear;

            A boil in the ear canal;

            Scratching or fiddling with the ear, which often happens when children have a skin irritation such as eczema in or around the ears.

     Chlorine in swimming pools can irritate the skin of children who swim frequently and who do not dry their ears properly.

     

Treatment: If there is a discharge from the ear, professional advice should be sought, as it may mean a perforated eardrum and a middle-ear infection.

     First look for signs of irritation or infection or any foreign object. If there is something in the ear which is easily removed, do so, but don’t poke anything into the ear - not even a cotton bud.

     Check from enlarged glands or tonsils to see if the earache is caused by another infection.

     Drop some warm olive oil with a few drops of essential oil (two drops to a teaspoon of oil) into the ear canal before bed and plug gently with a little cotton wool. Use Camomile or Lavender essential oil. Be sure that the ear is not perforated before putting anything in the ear. Also don’t use essential oils on their own or use more than two drops in your teaspoon of olive oil.

    

Middle-ear infections:  If you suspect that your child has a middle-ear infection, consult your GP as this is a potentially serious condition.

     Homeopathy offers an excellent alternative for the treatment of ear infections since it acts quickly and supports the body in its healing process.

      Belladonna is excellent for throbbing pains and fever with flushed and hot face.

     Aconite is suitable when pains are sharp, especially after exposure to cold or wind.

     Camomile is useful for children with one cheek red, the other pale and they are very irritable and angry.

      Pulsatilla is good for infections which begin gradually and appear mild, often in addition to an existing cold.

    Herbal remedies which will help include Plantain Juice, which will ease the infection, especially with Echinacea and Garlic. To draw heat from the ear area, take hot foot baths with some mustard mixed in.

     Place a hot onion or garlic poultice on the back of the neck to relieve earache.

    Recurring ear infections (particularly in children) are linked to poor immune systems and weakened resistance, due to poor nutrition and allergies to certain foods. Good nutrition for children and adults must focus on wholesome, nutritious meals that contain fruits and vegetables. Milk and dairy products often increase mucus production, which interferes with the healing of an ear infection. Cut out sugar also while an infection is present since it will weaken the immune response.

       

    

     David Foley

     MNIMH,MRCHM, Medical Herbalitst

Bed Wetting in Children

Bed wetting is involuntary urination, while sleeping, by children past the expected toilet-training age or by adults. By age three, children often demonstrate daytime bladder control, but regular night-time bladder control will often only be mastered by age five. Even after the age of six, one in ten children has problems with bed wetting.

     Bladder control, especially at night, is a complex operation. Usually the problem simply lies in the need for a longer maturing period and resolves itself in time. Boys tend to wet the bed more than girls, and evidence shows a family tendency towards this problem. Parents sometimes start toilet-training their children too early or too late. When children begin to wet their bed after a dry period, the root problem is usually stress. It could be jealousy of a new baby, anxiety about moving house, changing school, trouble with schoolwork, teachers, peers, upset over family rows or anything else that causes stress, over-excitement, insecurity or unhappiness. If this is the case, your child will need plenty of love and reassurance from you, and not reprimanding for something that cannot be helped. It can be quite humiliating for an older child to find that he or she has wet the bed and that other people know about it.

     Allergies cause some children’s bladders to spasm. Many times, these children wet their beds every night because of the milk or fruit juice they drink at bedtime. Some juices that can cause a problem include orange, apple, grapefruit, pineapple and grape. Other typical allergy-causing foods are wheat, corn, soya, eggs and tomatoes. An anatomical anomaly or an infection is a rare cause. Deep sleep due to low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) can lead to bedwetting since the brain does not know that the bladder is about to empty.

     To prevent accidents, avoid fluids an hour before bedtime. Include adequate fibre in the diet to prevent constipation, which may provoke bedwetting. To determine if bedwetting is linked to a food allergy, try an elimination diet. If the offending food is eliminated, the problem will disappear. Give your child foods high in silica, calcium and magnesium. Sesame seeds, almonds, porridge, milk pudding with figs and bananas are good sources of these minerals. Calcium and magnesium relax the system and can help counteract the nervous tension which often provokes bedwetting. Silica strengthens the urinary tract and kidney and bladder functions.

     St John’s Wort Oil massaged into the pelvic area every night helps to relax any nervousness of the urinary tract. Herbs such as Horsetail has been used for generations to help bedwetting - it’s now known that Horsetail contains high levels of silica which strengthens the urinary tract. When using Horsetail, you have to give breaks every three or four weeks of a week to avoid any irritation of the bladder due to the high mineral content.

     If you feel your child’s bedwetting stems from emotional disturbance, add lemon balm, camomile or wild oat to the above to relax and soothe the nerves.

     Deal with the problem actively but patiently, without undue attention. Bedwetting is involuntary - old-fashioned methods of praising, restricting fluids in the afternoon and punishing do not work and only perpetuate the problem.

     Some children tend to wet the bed more if they get cold. So make sure they are always well covered and put extra clothes on if they habitually kick their bedclothes off at night.

David Foley

MNIMH, MRCHM

Medical Herbalist