How to prevent recurrent ear infections in children

Ear infections are a very common affection in babies and young children. They often lead to sleepless nights both for the child and parents alike. If your child is getting recurrent ear infections, here are a few tips on how to avoid ear infections in your children:

Take Precautions to avoid Infections:

Most of the time ear infection occurs after cold or respiratory infections which spread easily from one child to another. The following things can be kept in mind to avoid it:

• Keep the kids away from others having cold, flu, or sore throat.
• Whenever your kid has a cold, try to keep his nose clean. It will prevent further spread of infections.
• Teach your children to use hanky or tissue paper while sneezing or coughing
• Wash your hands often. This will set a good example for your kids and they will pick up the habit easily.
• Crowded daycare settings are a set up for germ sharing. If possible, switch your child to a small, home daycare setting. This will lower the risk of infection.

Avoid exposure to Allergens: Try to avoid allergic factors due to which your kid is getting frequent colds. This will also help the chronic ear infections in children.

Say no to sucking pacifier:  Use of pacifiers after 12 months of age is another common cause of chronic ear infections in children. Constant sucking motion may pull fluid out from the nose and throat and into the middle ear. Pacifiers can also be carriers for germs. If you are wonderinghow to prevent ear infections in babies, do try to wean your kid from the pacifier before 6 months of age.

Take care while feeding your kid:

• Several studies have confirmed that breastfeeding helps protect a baby from illness due to the immune-boosting components of breast milk.
• Feed your baby upright. Lying down while bottle-feeding can cause the milk to irritate the tube connecting nose and mouth to the ear. This can contribute to ear infections. Keeping your baby upright for at least 30 minutes after feeding is another trick on how to avoid ear infections.

Avoid smoking:

Avoid smoking: Kids who are exposed to smoke of tobacco are more prone for ear infections so avoid smoking when you are around your kids. This will help prevent chronic ear infections in children.

Boost the immunity of your child: Make sure your child drinks plenty of fluids and gets adequate rest.

Medical prevention:

• Keep a watch on vaccination schedule of your child: Give all the vaccinations on proper time.
• Use of Ear tubes: These are tiny tubes that an ENT specialist inserts into the eardrum under general anesthesia. They usually stay in place for 6 months to over a year. This is to provide an outlet for middle ear fluid to drain out as it begins to collect during a cold. This may help prevent a full ear infection.  But there are many controversies on use of ear tubes.

If the child still gets recurrent infections despite all the precautions the cause is most likely low immunity of the child. Children with low immunity cannot fight against the infections.

Instead of keeping your child on conventional treatment for every episode of ear infection, isn’t it better to go for something which increases your child’s long term immunity?

Homeopathic medicines work at the level of immune system of the body. They improve overall immunity and make your child stronger by correcting the deranged immunity so that they can fight against the infections. Many parents have found the solution in homeopathy to their question of how to prevent ear infections in babies.

Dr Rajesh Shah’s research based homoeopathic treatment for ear infections at LifeForce Homoeopathy have helped hundreds of patients. To know how homoeopathic medicines can help your child do get in touch with us. You can leave your details below and have one of our doctors’ call you back. Alternately you can get in touch with us via telephone (+91-22-66888888) or email (info@lifeforce.in).