Hear This! You Can Clear Ear Infections

“A homeopathic ear clinic … is quietly achieving impressive results. “By the time Melanie Creedy meets many of her small patients, they and their parents have tried almost everything to overcome their persistent ear infections and the whole family is at their wits’ end. “Regular courses of antibiotics and, in some cases, even multiple bouts of surgery have failed to correct the child’s nagging ear problems and it is cases like this where Ms. Creedy and her homeopathic Children’s Ear Clinic report success when other treatments have failed.”

—The West Australian newspaper,
Perth, Australia, January 30, 2007.

Ten years ago, I returned to Perth, Australia, from the UK, where I’d been training and practicing as a professional homeopath. Few people in Perth had heard of homeopathy at that time—it was almost like an underground culture.

Capital of the state of Western Australia, Perth is the most isolated large city on the planet! It is many miles from any other major population center—and closer to Singapore than it is to Sydney. About 1.5 million of Western Australia’s 2 million people live in Perth. The state covers a vast area of 975,100 square miles, and those who live in the “bush,” with limited access to health practitioners, are often interested in natural medicine to become more self-sufficient.

Tips on Dosing A simple method for acute problems by Melanie Creedy

Because many of my families are new to homeopathy, the classic wait-and-watch method of dosing can be a little confusing to them. For this reason, I have developed a formula that I offer parents until they are comfortable with the concept of giving a dose and waiting until the remedy is required again. People seem to get the hang of it easily. 1. If the situation is truly acute, for example, a high fever, intense pain, and high anxiety, give the remedy every 10 minutes for up to 5 doses or until the symptoms start to abate, then go to Step 2. Generally the child will fall asleep or become more peaceful as soon as the remedy works. If there is no change after 5 doses, consider another remedy. 2. If the situation is slightly less acute than above, give the remedy every 1 to 2 hours for the rest of the first day of illness, or as required if the child wakes up in the night. 3. Assuming that the symptoms seem to be improving, give the remedy 3 times a day for 3 more days or until the situation is resolved. 4. If the situation is of very slow onset over a number of days, start at Step 3, reducing the frequency of the dose as the symptoms improve, for example, 3 times a day, twice a day, once a day. 5. If symptoms are worsening or not resolving, or if you are unsure how to proceed at any stage in this process, call your homeopath or seek other medical help. It may be that a chronic remedy will need to be prescribed by your homeopath in order to completely resolve the illness.

Ear Clinic as an opening...

I set up the Children’s Ear Clinic in 2001 as a way of introducing the people of Perth and Western Australia to homeopathy. I considered starting an asthma clinic, but chose to specialize in ear infections instead because they are the reason for 80% of doctor visits in children under age 6 in Perth.

Many young children with chronic middle ear infections (otitis media) are on long-term courses of antibiotics and have had ear tubes inserted. During this procedure, which requires general anesthesia, small tubes are placed in the eardrum to allow for drainage and to equalize pressure between the middle ear and the atmosphere. [Approximately 2 million children in the US undergo this procedure each year as well.]

Many who visit our Children’s Ear Clinic have been through the conventional medical system until they can’t go any further, yet the child is still suffering with repeated and/or ongoing symptoms. Using homeopathy, ear problems are easy to treat successfully in most children, and parents can become confident quickly in taking care of acute ear infections safely at home.

The clinic aims to serve children six years and younger, but anyone with an ear problem can receive homeopathic treatment. In fact, only about 60% of the patients are children with ear problems. The clinic is a way of drawing people into homeopathy who may not otherwise have chosen this therapy. As I am fond of saying, “Ear problems may be just the tip of the iceberg!” The clinic helps educate people about homeopathy and encourages them to pursue chronic treatment with a homeopathic professional. Many patients become excellent home prescribers and advocates of homeopathic treatment.

Walk-ins and phone calls

I’m the sole homeopath in the clinic, which operates out of a chiropractic office. It is located on a main road, so our sign draws “walk-in” appointments. I see 30–40 patients, 4 days a week. I have an administrative assistant who confirms appointments, makes remedy kits for clients, and manages website sales. In addition to referrals from happy clients, I promote the clinic through local childcare centers and the local swim center, which teaches swimming to toddlers (and brings in many clients).

Because of great distances between cities in Western Australia, I treat a considerable number of patients by telephone and e-mail and find this very successful. I encourage patients to come into the clinic for the first appointment, but, for some, the distance/cost is a major consideration, so I work with a detailed questionnaire, photographs, and medical documents. These patients generally have no homeopathic or naturopathic resources and often not even a local health food shop. Homeopathic home prescribing is such a revelation to them, and they usually take to it like a duck to water. It gives them freedom and a sense of responsibility about their family’s health.

Each person is treated individually according to the principles of classical homeopathy. I typically ask families to commit to three appointments; usually after that time (about three months) we’ve seen good results. If the child arrives with acute symptoms of an earache, I always treat these first. Most new patients do not come into the clinic with acute ear infections, however, because they are usually taking antibiotics by the time I see them. For these children with chronic ear problems or other chronic conditions, I select the remedy that most closely addresses the whole child, taking into account their inherited tendencies (e.g., asthma, allergies). In addition, I may give the parents one or two remedies to take home for future use if the child develops acute symptoms between visits.

As for diet, the only change I make at the first visit is to ask the parents to take the child off cow’s milk, which can make a huge difference in mucus production. If symptoms fail to improve, I may examine the child’s diet further, but I firmly believe that good homeopathic treatment negates the need for excessive dietary changes in most children.

Good results

About 50% of the children I see with ear problems will only come for the first visit and one follow-up appointment; then they are “cured.” I have checked on many of these patients two or three years after the initial visit, and they have had no further problem with ear infections.

About 25% of children with ear problems see me for a total of three or four visits. They are still doing well six months to a year after the initial consult. They may require occasional visits for a relapse, but the frequency of relapses tends to lessen as time goes on.

Of the other 25%, some will be ongoing patients because they have other health issues or weaker immune systems. This means that I may see them regularly for perhaps a year, but then see them only once or twice a year thereafter. About 5% of patients do not experience improvement. This includes patients who didn’t return after the first visit or who were inconsistent with treatment. In six years running the clinic, however, I have had only three or four patients who have been really consistent with their visits yet have failed to progress. I do keep in touch with these patients and will often revisit their cases for another try as I gain more understanding over time.

Breaking the cycle is key

For a child with a reasonably strong immune system (especially if they have received some constitutional homeopathic treatment with the right remedies), I would expect acute homeopathic prescribing to resolve an ear infection quickly, without the need for antibiotics. Breaking the antibiotic cycle is the key to long-term improvement in this recurrent condition of chronic ear infections.

With small children, acute pain and infection are not always obvious, so it can sometimes be hard to determine their symptoms in order to match them with the characteristic ear infection symptoms written about in homeopathic books—and thereby select a helpful remedy. Some signs of ear infection in a small child or infant include:

• Poking finger into the ear or constantly tugging at the ear.
• Fever, restlessness, and/or loss of appetite for more than three days.
• Redness around the ear or redness of the face.
• Ear discharge of any type.

Since these symptoms are also common during teething, it’s important to examine the ears with an otoscope. If the child can’t get to the clinic for an exam, I will send the mom to the doctor and ask her to report back to me about the exam results so we can select an appropriate remedy.

Giving a remedy

With children under two years of age, I tend to dispense all remedies in liquid, as this is easier to administer. However, most kids love the pills (sugar balls or pellets), too, and they can easily be popped into water if a liquid dose is preferred.

For acute homeopathic prescribing, we usually like to give a dose of the indicated remedy, then wait and observe before deciding if another dose is required.

This concept can be a little confusing for many of my families who are new to homeopathy, however. So I have developed a formula that I offer parents until they are comfortable with the concept of giving a dose and waiting until the remedy is required again. I have shared this at the many home-prescriber workshops I teach, and people seem to get the hang of it easily. You can read about it in the box above.

A stitch in time

For acute ear infections, I typically use one of the familiar remedies: Aconite or Belladonna or Chamomilla for the early stages; Pulsatilla or Mercurius solubilis, or Hepar sulphuris calcareum for the later stages.

My all-time favorite, however, is a combination of Kali muriaticum 6X and Ferrum phosphoricum 6X, which works well for the beginning stages of an acute illness with just a runny nose and vague symptoms like perhaps a mild fever. It’s my “if you suspect they are coming down with something, give this” remedy! I use this combination remedy in liquid form and give it every couple of hours on the first day of illness and continue three times a day for two days thereafter, if things are not getting any worse. Many times this stops the ear infection in its tracks, and no other remedies are needed.

Kali muriaticum and Pulsatilla are also very helpful for cases of “glue ear,” which is a painless condition where thick, sticky fluid collects behind the eardrum [also known as silent otitis media or otitis media with effusion]. The fluid can cause impaired hearing, leading to delayed speech and development. I may prescribe one or both of these remedies in low potency over a period of months, along with a constitutional remedy to build-up the immune system.

Nip it in the bud. Five-year-old Tommy was a happy, well-balanced little boy who came to me with stubbornly recurrent ear infections and chronic glue ear. After receiving some chronic homeopathic treatment, he was much better, and with some tips about homeopathy, his mom was able to manage his acute symptoms on her own, avoiding further ear problems. For example, Tommy woke up one morning with a runny nose with a clear discharge, but he had no other symptoms. There was a virus going around at school and half the class was absent, so the mother immediately gave Kali muriaticum 6X and Ferrum phosphoricum 6X. She also put a few drops of this combination remedy in the child’s water bottle to take to school. When Tommy returned home that day, no further symptoms had appeared. On the second day, the mother again put the remedy in the child’s water bottle. By the third day, Tommy’s symptoms were gone, and no further treatment was required.  

More early stage remedies

Belladonna 30c. Use this remedy when the child develops a high fever and is agitated and restless. The child may radiate heat; that is, you can feel heat without even touching them, but they may have cold hands and feet. The face is likely to be hot and red. Often, they have no thirst with the fever. They may be lethargic and sleepy rather than restless. The pain seems to come and go. They are often worse at night, during teething, and from noise. I usually suggest three or four doses ten minutes apart, and if there’s no change, consider another remedy. If the remedy works, repeat it in single doses if the pain or fever returns. If the symptom picture changes, however, switch to another remedy.

Aconite 30c. Symptoms may come on after the child has been chilled or the weather has changed suddenly from hot to cold. Onset is very sudden, and the child often wakes around midnight with symptoms of fear or anxiety, fever with sweating, and great thirst. Sometimes a dry, croupy cough is present. While I generally find that Belladonna is best for the fever stage of an ear infection, some cases respond better to Aconite.

Chamomilla 30c. Children needing this remedy are restless, irritable, oversensitive, and will scream with the pain. They will whine and not know what they want. They may feel better briefly if they are carried, but will then want to be put down. Ear pain may be right-sided. These symptoms are common during teething.

Later stage remedies

Mercurius solubilis 30c. All discharges smell quite offensive and may be blood-streaked, especially if the eardrum perforates. The child may be irritable, very thirsty, drool excessively, and alternate between feeling too hot and too cold. They can be very sweaty, especially at night. Glands may become enlarged, and there may be pus or even ulcers on the tonsils.

Pulsatilla 30c. Unlike a child needing Chamomilla, these children will just want to be carried and cuddled. They can be irritable and clingy, but not to the extent of a child needing Chamomilla. They may have little appetite or thirst. They are generally quite warm. The nose may run with profuse, thick yellow-green mucus, as will the ears if the eardrum perforates. They may have glue ear. They often have a loose, chesty cough. Ear pain is frequently one-sided, often the left side. The symptoms may appear after the child gets wet, so playing in a puddle barefoot or getting rained on during a sporting event can bring on an ear infection. Additional indications may be “bad effects of grief” and a feeling of being forsaken—which pointed to the need for Pulsatilla in the following case.

Missing her dad. Two-year-old Sally, a current patient, woke one morning with a clear runny nose, which progressed quickly to streaming yellow-green mucus. Her right ear was red, and she was pulling at it. She was weepy, clingy, felt warm, and was generally unwell. Her mother reported that Sally wasn’t thirsty, had little appetite, and just wanted to sit on her lap. Since Sally had been well for some time, I asked what had been happening in the previous few days. Her mom explained that Sally’s father had returned to his job at the mine site where he worked two weeks on and one week off, and Sally was very upset. Since this was a phone consultation, I couldn’t examine Sally’s ears. In these situations, it is only the mother’s story that can help us find the remedy, so the more information she can provide, the better.

Based on these symptoms, I told the mother to give Pulsatilla 30c every two hours, to be continued as long as Sally experienced improvement. I prefer to give the remedy regularly, as I find that giving a single dose and waiting often results in a relapse. I told the mother that if the fever rose overnight and if the Pulsatilla didn’t seem to be working, she could give three doses of Belladonna 30c, a half-hour apart. I explained that if this became necessary and if the Belladonna worked, I would expect the child to fall asleep quickly.

The following day the mother reported that no Belladonna had been needed; Sally’s nasal discharge was now clear, the ear no longer seemed to bother her, and her appetite was better. I suggested that the mother give Pulsatilla 30c three times a day for two more days to ensure that the problem resolved completely—which it did.

Hepar sulph 6c. Like a child needing Chamomilla, these kids can be very irritable. I frequently find this remedy useful when the child is suffering from both an ear infection and tonsillitis. The breath will be offensive and sometimes the ears have an offensive odor. The child will generally have no thirst or appetite because of the throat pain. Those needing Hepar sulph are often cold and want to be wrapped up, but this is not always the case. They can be sweaty when unwell, and a few moms have told me that the sweat and the ear discharge smell like a wet dog! In my experience, this remedy works best in a 6c potency, and I’ve had less success with higher potencies.

Teething and tonsillitis. One-year-old Peggy had been getting tonsillitis and ear infections each time a new tooth came in and after each vaccination. When she first came to the Ear Clinic, she had a sore throat, high fever, pus on her tonsils, and a hoarse voice. She was already taking antibiotics. She was listless, miserable, and clingy—so out of sorts that she easily lost her temper and would throw things. I confirmed that there was fluid in Peggy’s right ear and the glands on either side of her throat were enlarged. She was teething again and the weather had turned cold, which always tended to make her worse. The mother could tell that Peggy was thirsty because she wanted to breastfeed frequently but she also showed distress on swallowing. Peggy’s mom mentioned that Peggy was prone to getting lingering, loose croupy coughs after such acute episodes.

I prescribed Hepar sulph 6c every two hours because Peggy’s irritability and physical symptoms matched the indications for this remedy. The next day, the fever had gone down and Peggy was breastfeeding less and without distress, which indicated that her throat was improving. Her mood and temper were better. The mother was happy with these results since Peggy’s past acute episodes had never resolved this quickly. I asked the mother to continue the Hepar sulph 6c for another two days, three doses per day, and we made an appointment for the following week to begin Peggy’s constitutional treatment.

After Hepar sulph helped this acute episode, I followed up with a chronic remedy to help strengthen Peggy’s immune system. Peggy had a family history of tonsillitis (both parents had their tonsils removed as children) as well as asthma and eczema. In my experience, these kinds of more complex cases take longer to resolve, and the inherited tendencies must be addressed as part of the chronic treatment or the patient is likely to relapse. Over the next few months, Peggy took a chronic remedy daily (an LM potency in increasing strengths). During this period, a few bouts of tonsillitis threatened, but when they did, I asked the mom to give Peggy Hepar sulph 6c for a few days, and the symptoms would always abate. The mother was again very pleased to be getting steady improvement without resorting to antibiotics. After nine months of constitutional treatment, no further acute attacks or threatened acute attacks occurred. Peggy’s ear problems and tonsillitis became a thing of the past. She is now five years old and continues to do well.

Strengthening the whole child

When I prescribe a chronic remedy to address the whole child, their unique symptom profile, and their overall constitutional state including inherited tendencies (as opposed to a more narrowly focused remedy for an acute earache), I use mainly LM potencies in liquid form, given daily. In my experience, parents are more comfortable “medicating” every day since they are familiar with this from conventional medicine, and LM potencies give nice gentle improvement, generally without aggravation of symptoms.

Because many of my patients are younger than age three, Calcarea carbonica, Silica, Sulphur, and Thuja—remedies with a history of being very helpful for children—tend to be the mainstay of my chronic prescribing. For miasmatic treatment (i.e., addressing inherited tendencies), I frequently use Tuberculinum because so many of these children also have allergies, asthma, and eczema. I find that Psorinum can be very helpful for children with chronic glue ear who either relapse or do not get better. I find the homeopathic remedy Gaertner useful in cases where the child has recurrent ear problems, loose offensive stool, diaper rash, allergies, and a history of excessive antibiotic use. It strengthens the immune system and returns the stool to normal, assisting in the reduction of allergies.

Vaccines a trigger?

Because vaccination is not compulsory in Australia, I have had the opportunity to compare the health of vaccinated versus non-vaccinated children. In my opinion, the difference in levels of health is a fact, not just a theory. I find that vaccination is a major trigger of ear problems (and lots of other conditions) in many children, with symptoms commonly appearing around 7 or 8 months of age (sometimes earlier) after they’ve finished their first set of vaccinations.

If a case isn’t progressing the way I anticipate that it should be, part of my chronic treatment may include “vaccination detox.” This means giving homeopathic remedies prepared from actual vaccines in order to strengthen an immune system weakened by vaccination. It is based on the work of Dr. Tinus Smits in Holland. I believe that vaccination detox reverses the adverse effects of vaccination without undoing the benefits. I have worked with Dr. Smits’ ideas for six years, altering his program a bit until finding what works for my patients (see www.tinussmits.com/english/ for more details).

The future of the Ear Clinic

After six years of treating children with ear problems in Perth and helping to raise the profile of homeopathy, I am having a “tree change” and heading off to Tasmania, a small island state off the southeast coast of Australia, to do it all again! I am referring new patients to my very able colleagues in Perth. Many current patients will continue to consult with me via e-mail and phone, and I anticipate opening another Children’s Ear Clinic in Tasmania to continue to spread the word about homeopathy in my new community.