Ear Infections in Acworth

We see patients, especially our younger patients, come in with symptoms such as fever, irritability, tugging or pulling on one or both ears, moderate to severe pain, unusual amount of crying and cold symptoms (runny nose, congestion). These are typical symptoms that occur, sometimes even before the pain, with ear infections. Below you will see information on ear infections, traditional and alternative treatments addressed. If you are suffering from ear infections in Acworth, please contact our office today for help.

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Our office is passionate about treating ear infections

Acute Otitis Media (middle ear infection) is the number one reason for pediatrician office visits. In fact, more than half of all infants will experience a middle ear infection before they reach their first birthday; 75% will have had one prior to the age of three and 50% of those will have had three or more infections in that same period of time!

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Why do we get ear infections?

What causes these types of infections to develop? To answer that question, you need to know something about ear structure and anatomy. The ear is made up of three parts: the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear.

The Eustachian tube connects the middle ear to the back of the nose and throat. When your child gets a cold, with a buildup of mucous, or has allergies or a sore throat, the Eustachian tube in one or both ears can get blocked. A blocked Eustachian tube causes fluid to build up, fluid that creates the perfect environment for bacteria or a virus to flourish. The infected fluid causes the eardrum to swell and the result is…pain and a middle ear infection.

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The Traditional Approach

Traditionally, pediatricians routinely prescribed antibiotics for acute otitis media. In fact, for some children with chronic ear infections, daily prophylactic treatment, using smaller doses of an antibiotic, was often a recommendation to keep any fluid that might be collecting in the middle ear from becoming infected. In 2004, the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) issued the following updated guidelines for prescribing antibiotic therapy as treatment for middle ear infections:

If a child is younger than 6 months, prescribe antibiotics to treat a suspected or confirmed acute middle ear infection.

If a child is between 6 months and 2 years, prescribe antibiotics to treat severe symptoms and a suspected or confirmed acute middle ear infection.

If the child is older than 2 years, prescribe antibiotics to treat an ear infection if a child has severe symptoms and a confirmed acute middle ear infection.

When a child has recurrent ear infections that no longer seem to respond to antibiotic treatment, the pediatrician often refers parents to an ear, nose and throat specialist for a surgical intervention (ear tubes) to treat the ear infections. Still, 10 million antibiotic prescriptions for ear infections are prescribed annually, and approximately 8.5 million to 9.5 million prescriptions didn’t actually help the ear infection at all, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics! Not to mention the fact that frequent antibiotic usage causes the development of stronger, antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. This begs the question, “What will happen in the years to come when antibiotic treatment might really be warranted and there’s nothing available that’s strong enough to cure whatever ailment the person has?” Pretty serious stuff!

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Our Alternative Approach

Upper Cervical Care! It is a gentle and all-natural approach that helps your child’s Eustachian tubes drain properly. Body parts often don’t function as they should due to nerve interference in the upper cervical spine (neck region), specifically in the first vertebra, the atlas. Nerve interference often results from the birth process itself – just think about the amount of pressure that’s exerted on a baby’s neck because of all the pushing, pulling and twisting that’s part of any normal delivery!

Nerve interference in the upper spine affects vital communication between the brain and the body, causing the body to malfunction. Upper Cervical doctors receive specific training to locate, correct and remove nerve interference so that problems, like improper ear fluid drainage, are corrected, without drugs and surgery!

The mother of one of Dr. Lukas’ pediatric patients who had chronic ear infections sums it up this way:

“My daughter was scheduled for ear tube surgery when a friend suggested that I try Dr. Lukas and “Specific” Upper Cervical care as a last resort. I’m just sorry it wasn’t my first resort! The ear infections are gone completely and my daughter has never been happier or healthier!”