Natural Ways to Combat Swimmers Ear

Do your children suffer from chronic earaches? Earaches can be very painful, making it tough for children to sleep or participate in day-to-day activities. Find out what you can do to naturally treat and prevent earaches — all without medicine.

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Swimmer’s Ear or Ear Infection?

The first thing you need to determine is what type of an earache you are dealing with. Most earaches fall into one of two categories: swimmer’s ear or middle ear infections.

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Swimmer’s Ear

Swimmer’s ear is an infection or irritation of the skin lining the ear canal. It happens when the ear canal gets wet and stays wet, creating an ideal environment for the growth of bacteria

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Swimmer’s Ear Symptoms

• Leakage of clear fluid from the ear
• Itching inside the ear canal
• Ear feels clogged
• The pain inside the ear canal increases when the ear is moved
• Pain worsens when you push on the tab of tissue in front of the ear
• Redness and/or swelling of the outer ear tissue

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Tips to Prevent Swimmer’s Ear

• After swimming, bathing, showering, or washing hair, tilt your child’s head to one side to let water drain from the ear
• Dry the inside of the ear with a hair dryer set on cool and low
• Use a solution of alcohol to dry up the inside of the ear (a couple drops in each ear will help the water evaporate)

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Middle Ear Infection

Ear infections occur because of infection inside the middle ear cavity. This happens when the eustachian tube becomes blocked and fluid collects there, which once again can become infected because of growth of bacteria. Ear infections are common in babies and young children (whose eustachian tubes are often small, narrow, or tilted such that they don’t drain well) or after colds.

• Middle Ear Infection Symptoms
• Impaired hearing
• Pain when you lie down (which makes sleeping uncomfortable or even very painful)
• Ear drainage
• Fever
• Pain inside ear
• Tugging at or pulling at one or both ears

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Acupuncture for Earaches

When it comes to clearing up earaches of either variety, the immune system is the most important piece of the puzzle. Acupuncture improves local circulation, clears energy blockages that may be hamstringing the immune system, reduces inflammation, and improves overall immune system function. Acupuncture is also a great way to naturally encourage the body to produce natural pain relievers, making it easier for your child to endure the pain of swimmer’s ear or a middle ear infection.

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Chiropractic Adjustments for Earaches

Chiropractic adjustments for earaches usually start with the identification of misalignment of the vertebrae in the neck and/or upper part of the spine since misaligned vertebrae place pressure on key nerves. When pressure on the nerves is released, the surrounding structures of the auditory system open, allowing fluid to drain out of the middle and inner ear. Reduced fluid combined with improved immune system function results in the body’s natural ability to fight off infection in the ears.

Research supports the use of chiropractic adjustments for children with chronic earaches. One study of 46 children, all of which were ages 5 and under, determined that 93 percent of all earache cases were improved following chiropractic treatment. Of the children who experienced improvement, 43 percent experienced relief after one to two chiropractic adjustment sessions, and 75 percent showed improvement within 10 days.

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Looking for a Natural Doctor in Huntersville that Treats Earaches?

Give us a call at 704-947-7272 for a free assessment and office tour. Dr. Doyle is a father of three children and has been treating children and adults for ear infections for over a decade. Ask questions, get answers, and find a natural way to live your healthiest life possible.