Re: Ear infection

Hi No_Biz,

You want to treat an ear infection and make it go away, especially if it is or has been in conjunction with other ENT stuff. This is one area where I would consider Antibiotics for my girls as a next step if I tried other things that did not work -- ear infections, left untreated, can migrate farther into the ear and damage hearing. Plus, the whole ENT area can harbor infections -- something can start in the mouth/teeth area and move up, for instance. Also, they are incredibly painful.

I would try giving her xylitol (you can get it at many health food stores) for a few days and see if you get improvement. It's a natural Antibiotic that helps reduce ear, nose, throat infections. I'd probably mix xylitol and Emergen-C and offer it as "juice" for about 5 days and see if that helps. (It comes in powder form and is a natural sweetener.) Use a course of probiotics after you finish with xylitol.

Topically, I'd use coconut oil in the ear. Warm, a few drops into the ear canal, and then rubbed in a bit. (You can use a "wick" too -- but you need to only put it in partially of course.)

I would not offer most dairy products, wheat, or other congesting foods until the colds/infection have been gone for a while. Kebod posted an interesting study recently, too, on sugars and how they suppress the immune response for a while after they are consumed.

If it does not clear up within a week or two, I would think abotu going to the doctor. At some point I think we have to use the tools available to us -- everyone is different in terms of when, but IMO, an ear infection plus a secondary infection would be worse than Antibiotics followed by probiotics/EVCO and a return to healthy eating.

I hope she feels better soon!

Laura Tweet