Recurrent Ear Infections

Recurrent Ear Infections

Our otherwise healthy three-year-old had spent the better part of the last year with recurrent ear infections. He would run a fever, have trouble sleeping, and be generally irritable. We worried about hearing loss and his speech development. We would know when he was getting another infection and take him to his pediatrician. We would get a prescription for and antibiotic and give it as directed for ten days and deal with all the side effects (nausea, diarrhea, etc.). When he went back for his “two week ear check” the verdict would usually be an ear infection. We would leave the office with another prescription for a stronger antibiotic and the cycle would begin again. We began to realize that even if his two-week ear check “was good”, Jamie would have another ear infection in 4-6 weeks. We wondered and then came to believe that it was the antibiotic that was causing the recurrent ear infections. We took Jamie to see Dr. Horning after he developed another ear infection. We had decided not to get the antibiotic filled and to see what would happen. What we were doing certainly wasn’t working. Dr. Horning saw Jamie every 3-4 days at first. He began adjusting him so his ears would drain, and started to build up his immune system. His immune system became more and more compromised with each antibiotic that we gave him. His body needed to be “built back up” so that it could take care of itself. We also started working with Eric and gave Jamie nutritional supplements to help his body repair itself. At first Jamie was catching everything that came his way (as he had been) but we noticed that he recovered more quickly and didn’t become as sick. Dr. Horning worked with Jamie to help his immune system fight off his infections by itself (without medication). I have to admit that I still took Jamie to his pediatrician to be sure that his ears weren’t getting worse. They weren’t. As a matter of fact, the infection in his ears was gone. It certainly began to make more and more sense to us that what we needed to do was to get his body working effectively again so that the infections wouldn’t occur, not treat the infection once it happened. His diet was restricted for a while to give his intestines a chance to heal and repair themselves. The normal flora and bacteria in his intestinal tract, essential for fighting off and preventing infections had been destroyed by the antibiotics. His diet is no longer restricted and he has not had an ear infection in 3 months. He is a happy, healthy three-year-old. We keep regular visits once a month. Six months ago you would have never been able to tell me that I would be bringing my toddler to a chiropractor for his immune system. What a change Dr. Horning and staff have made in his life.