ear infections

DOITYOURSELFLEARNINGhealingearinfectionshomeopathytoday.org /2008/12/doityourselflearninghealingearinfections/

byTimothyR.Dooley,MD,ND

Ifyoucanmakesimpleobservations,youcanquicklylearnenoughhomeopathytopracticeonthehomehealthlevel.Youdontneedtobeanexpertinanatomy,physiology,orpharmacology.Youdoneedtobeabletoobserveyourchildssymptomsandanychangesinthem:thirst,skincolor,appetite,mood,discharges,modalities(whatmakessymptomsbetterorworse),etc.Andyouneedtobeabletomatchtheseobservationswiththesymptomsandchangesthatmedicinescancauseandthereforecurewhenappliedhomeopathically.

Earinfections:Breakingtheantibioticcycle

Onecommonhomehealthproblemthatfrequentlyarisesisthatofmiddleearinfections,alsoknownbytheirLatinname,otitismedia.Mostchildrenexperienceafewepisodesofotitismedia,usuallyassociatedwithacoldorupperrespiratoryinfection.Itiswellknownthatantibioticsareoverusedinthetreatmentofearinfections.Ihavetreatedmanypatientsofallagesovertheyearsforthisdisorder,usinghomeopathyalmostexclusivelyandwithgreatsuccess.

Infact,Ithinkitissafetosaythattheuseofantibioticsinearinfectionsseemstocreateaselfperpetuatingcycle.Itisasiftheimmunesystemgetslazyandthisresultsinincreasingnumbersofsuchepisodes.Usinghomeopathyseemstobreakthecycletheimmunesystemstartsfunctioningonahigherlevel,resultinginfewercoldsandearinfections.

Thismakessensewhenyourealizethathomeopathicremediesdontworkbykillingbacteria.Rather,theystimulatearesponseintheoverallrecuperativeprocess,helpingyourchildsbodyfightinfectionsnaturally.

Paycloseattentiontothesymptoms.Howdidtheproblemstart?Howisthechildbehaving?Whatdotheywanttoeat?Whatdotheywanttodrink?

Thetrickforgoodresultswithhomeopathicprescribingistopaycloseattentiontothesymptoms.Howdidtheproblemstart?Howisthechildbehaving?Whatdotheywanttoeat?Whatdotheywanttodrink?Howdotheyappear?Aretheychillyorhot?Aretheymorecomfortableindoorsoroutsideintheopenair?Whatisthenatureofanydischargetheymayhave?Andsoon.

Changingsymptoms,changingremedies

Theremedieslistedarenottheonlyremediesthatmightbeindicatedinsomeonewithanearache,butjustthesefewwillhelpasurprisingnumberofcases.Ifnoneoftheseseemstofit,checkforotherremediesinoneofthemanygoodhomeopathicselfcarebooksavailable.

Rememberwhentreatingyourchildthattheirsymptomsmaychangeasthedays(orevenhours)goby,andwhenthesymptomschange,thechildwilltypicallyneedanewremedy.Forexample,BelladonnaorFerrumphosphoricummightbeindicatedintheearlystagesofanearache,butthesymptomsmaychange,callingforPulsatillaorHeparsulphurisasthedaysgoby.

Sometimespatients,especiallykids,justbouncebackafteradoseortwoofawellchosenremedyandgetbetterpracticallyovernight.Moretypically,however,theywillimprovesignificantlywithawellchosenremedyandthenspendanumberofdaysclearinguptheremaining,lessacute,symptoms.Inmyexperience,ifthechildisgettingbetteringeneral,theirearsarealsorecovering.

Theseremediesarenontoxicandsoldoverthecounteratnaturalhealthfoodstores

Herearesomeofthecommon,andtrulyindispensable,remediestoconsiderforchildrenwithearinfections.

Chamomilla.YoucanhearthechildwhoneedsChamomilladownthehallandthroughacloseddoor.Theyareuncomfortableandirritable,andtheywantyoutoknowit.Thereissomethingintheircrythatputsyouonedgeitsthekindofcrythatcausesadultstothinkthingslike,Wouldsomebodypleaseshutthatkidup!?Thechilddemandstobecarriedandscreamswhenputdown.Theydemandthisorthat,butthrowtheobjectoftheirdesireawaywhentheyfinallygetit.ApeculiarsymptomIhaveseenmanytimesisthatonecheekmaybeglowingred,whiletheotherispale.

Pulsatilla.AchildneedingPulsatillaisalsotearful,butquitedifferentfromtheChamomillapatientdescribedabove.Herethecryisusuallywimpier,creatingareactioninthesurroundingadultsof,Oh,thepoorthing!Thechildclearlywantssympathyandnurturing.Discharges(suchasarunnynose)areusuallyyelloworgreen,thick,andblandnotirritating.Theytypicallyhavelittlethirstorappetite,andtheygenerallyfeelbetterinfresh,openair.

Belladonna.InconventionalmedicalschoolIrememberbeingtaughtamemoryaidforthepatientwhohasbeenpoisonedwithBelladonna[inlarge,nonhomeopathicdoses].Itwentsomethinglike:Redasabeet,dryasabone,hotasafurnace,blindasabat,madasahatter.TheserepresentsomeofthecharacteristicsymptomsforBelladonnaandarehelpfulinrecognizingitshomeopathicpresentationaswell.WethinkofBelladonnaforillnesseswithsudden,violentonset.Thechildistypicallyhot,red,anddry.Thepupilsareoftendilatedandtheeyesseemverybright.Curiously,theheadisoftenhotbutthelimbsarecold.Thenervoussystemisaffectedinsuchawaythatthechildoftenexperiencestwitchingorjerkingperhapsintheirsleepandissensitivetolightandjarring.Theyareoftenexcitedandrestless.

Ferrumphosphoricum.ListedinthehomeopathicmateriamedicaforFerrumphosphoricumisthecomment,violentearache,acuteotitismediawhenBelladonnafails.Thatis,thechildneedingFerrumphosphoricummayatfirstbemistakenforoneneedingBelladonna.AndthisislargelyhowIhavecometothinkofFerrumphosphoricumsimilartoBelladonnabutlessintense.Thechildisoftenexcited,sensitivetolightandjarringbutnottotheextentofBelladonna.Theyareoftenred,butnotasintenselyredhot,butnotasburningeyesred,butnotsobright.AndlikeBelladonna,Ferrumphosphoricumiscommonlyindicatedinchildrenwithearaches.

Heparsulphuris.ThinkofHeparsulphuriswhenthechildischilly,sweatseasily,andoftenhasanaccompanyinghoarse,barkingcough.Dischargesaretypicallythickandyellow,andpainsareoftensticking(likesplinters).

Dosage:Theseremediesarenontoxicandsoldoverthecounteratnaturalfoodstoresandsomedrugstores.Thecommonlyfoundpotencies(suchasthe6th,12th,or30th)willbefine.Givenachoice,Iusuallyrecommendthe30thpotency.

Atfirstyoumightlackconfidenceinyourabilitiestotakecareofyourfamily.Remember,though,thatyouintuitivelyknowmuchmoreabouthealthanddiseasethanyourealize,evenifyoudontknowalltheterminology.Afterafewsuccessesyouwillstarttorealizethatthebodyhealsitselfwerejustgivingitalittlehelpwithhomeopathy.

AdaptedfromDoityourselflearningHealingearinfections,byTimothyR.Dooley,MD,NDinHomeopathyToday,April2004