Healing Otitis Media Through Homeopathy

Orthodox medicine offers antibiotics and myringotomy as the only
treatments for otitis media, both of which have been challenged in various
studies and suggested to be no more effective in preventing recurrences of
otitis than placebos. Otitis media is the most common complaint we treat in infants and can generally be treated homeopathically with great success. In the child’s first homoepathic interview, we spend an hour with parents and child gathering detailled information including explicit details of the otitis symptoms, a review of systems, prenatal and birth history, growth and
developmental milestones, mental and emotional charac- teristics, food desires
and aversions, behavior with adults, other children, and animals, family
history, diet, etc. There are many possible remedies to treat otitis media in
children, and it is not possible to interview a young child in the same manner
as an adult, so it is essential to rely on our observation of the child and on
information offered by the parents.

In a great majority of otitis cases, we find that the symptoms began after
lactation was dis-continued and cow’s milk or soy formula introduced. If the
infant is still on these products, we recommend their switching to goat’s milk,
which is generally very well-tolerated, In some cases, however, the otitis
occurs even though no dairy products have been introduced or lasts long after
all dairy products have been discontinued. We also use a pediatric
vitamin/mineral and chewable calcium for nutritional support and often offer
herbal ear drops with garlic oil as the main ingredient as a backup, mostly to
give the parents a feeling that they are doing some- thing for the child while
the homeopathic remedy takes time to act. We use homeopathy, however, as the
mainstay of our treatment for otitis and nearly always give the child a single
dose of a high potency remedy such as 200c or lM. Most of the time, a single
dose of the correct homeopathic remedy takes care of the otitis and we don’t
see the child again for another year or two when another acute childhood
illness of some sort arises. The following three cases are ex-amples of
successful homeopathic treatment of otitis media. (After studying each case,
read the correct prescriptions and case analyses at the end of the article.)

Case l: We treated L.R., age 22 months, in Winthrop, Washington. He
was a cute, active, blond-hair, blue-eyed child with a history of otitis media
since one year of age. Since that time the mother complained that every cold
went to his ears. He had a total of five episodes of otitis which were treated
unsuccessfully with Amoxicillin. He would develop a runny nose with his colds
with a thick green discharge. He pulled at both ears, his face was sometimes
red with a fever, and he could wake at night with ear pain. He’d get cranky,
but remained active. The otitis had no association with dentition. The
pregnancy had gone well. The mother had introduced some yogurt into his diet at
nine months and was still nursing him two to three times a day. The mother
drank milk the whole time she nursed him. His height and weight were at the
25th percentile and he was slow to teethe. He could skip a stool one day, but
would make up for it the next. His mother described him as extremely stubborn
and said he knew exactly what he wanted. He would scream and cry if he didn’t
get what he wanted. He was not yet talking, but was very inquisitive. He didn’t
like to be held by strangers. The mother noticed no improvement when she
recently removed cow’s milk from his diet. Another naturopathic physician had
treated L. with Pulsatilla repeatedly without noticeable effect.

Case 2. M.L. was l5 months old when his mother brought him to see
us. He was a somewhat shy, but very curious, child with brown hair, blue eyes,
and a rather slight build. He had had otitis four or five times since six
months of age when he first started teething and had been treated each time
with antibiotics without significant improvement. His otitis would begin with a
stuffy nose, then he would become fussy and develop a low-grade fever (l00F)
There would be some clear nasal discharge. M. had been breastfed since birth
and was never given much milk or cheese. He drooled with teeth and became quite
cranky. He wanted to be held or carried, the latter of which was the only thing
which would stop his fussiness. He always got a very hot, sweaty head while
teething. He was also at the 25th percentile in height and weight. He had had
no severe reactions to his immunizations. He suffered from severe colic as a
baby, at which time he would draw his knees up to his chest. He had been
treated with antibiotics for roseola the week before we saw him, from which he
developed abdominal pain. He was treated with anti- biotics for an infected
umbilicus at five days. He was generally a restless sleeper and was

quite stubborn. He had strong desires for salty, starchy, cheese, and eggs. His
parents were having serious marital problems at time of the first visit. On
otoscopic examination, both ear canals were erythematous. No bulging or exudate
were observed.

Case 3. D.S. was brought in recently at one year of age. He had
blonde hair, blue eyes, and was rather petite. For the past five months, he
suffered from constant otitis media of the right ear. Three months after the
otitis began, he developed a violent gagging cough and was treated with
Ventolin. He had received antibiotics repeatedly since then. He was still
nursing and had been given no food other than breast milk until six months of
age. He had been given some yogurt,

but no other dairy products. He pulled on his ears constantly, stuck his
fingers in his ears, bored his finger into his nose, screamed and arched his
body back three to four times weekly. His mother lamented that he’d be as stiff
as a board. He would have a thick, sticky, green nasal discharge with the
otitis, a loose, rattling cough, and he would whine with the pain. Nothing
would comfort him. He would thrash even in his mother’s arms. He teethed for
the first time three months after the first episode of otitis. He was slightly
below 50% in height and weight, might have experienced a mild case of rubella,
and had received no immunizations. He was uncircumcized. He would wake
frequently two to three times a night crying. He slept on his abdomen, got
along well with other children, could be clingy, and was standoffish with
strangers for the first few minutes. He was generally easy going and happy. He
was very thirsty. Examination of D.’s ears showed considerable scar tissue on
both tympanic membranes, particularly in the right ear.

Now study these cases and read on for the case analysis:

Case l. L.R. was initially given a dose of Calcarea
carbonica lM because of his recurrent otitis media, fair appearance,
delayed dentition, stubborness, and independent nature. There was no response.
A month later he was given one dose of Silica 200c because of the green
nasal dis- charge, recurrent otitis, somewhat delicate build, and slight
tendency to constipation. Three months later the mother wrote to report he had
no ear problems again after the Silica, even after reintroducing dairy
products into his diet. A month later we treated him for an acute cold with
Pulsatilla 30c for three days, but he still had no ear problems. We
called the mother again just before writing this article. She said she was
“thrilled with his success”. It has been seven months since the Silica and he’s
doing great. She treated him once more for two days with Pulsatilla 30c
for a cold, again with no ear sequelae. He’s not needed any more of the
Silica.

Case 2. Because of the association of the otitis with teething, his
fussiness, and amelioration of behavior from being carried, M.L. appeared to be
a clear picture of Chamomilla. He was given initially one dose of
Chamomilla 200c and has received several additional doses, including
Chamomilla lM, once due to an antidote following a MMR immunizatIon
which the mother chose to give him. He has had no more problems with otitis
over the past seven and a half months, and is ” a much happier guy”, despite
his parents having separated. We treated him acutely once with Ipecac
30c for vomiting and diarrhea, once with Belladonna 30c for a l04F
fever, and more recently with Drosera 30c for a dry cough and runny
nose. All the remedies worked quickly and symptoms were alleviated within a day
or two.

Case 3. It was a bit challenging to figure out what to give D.S. The
boring into the ears and nose suggested Cina, which also covered the
arching of the back (opisthotonos), rattling cough, and sleeping on the
abdomen. Howver, otitis media was the main complaint and Cina is not
listed in Kent’s remedy as an otitis remedy. Based on the otitis media,
shrieking with the pain, and rattling cough, we gave him Chamomilla
200c. He developed a sticky, green discharge from the eye the day after the
remedy was given, which went away quickly without treatment. At the followup
visit seven weeks after the initial visit, D.S was spending a lot more time
playing and a lot less time crying. He had experienced no more screaming or
arching, no thick, green nasal discharge, no loose, rattling cough, and no
thrashing. He was no longer waking at night, was sleeping on his abdomen, and
wasn’t clingy anymore. He was still boring his finger in his ear from time to
time, but no longer his nose. His face had much more color (noticeable to me as
well), and his mother described him as much more alert. His mother was ecstatic
at the improvement. He has had no more ear problems since.

Dr. Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman and Dr. Robert Ullman are licensed
naturopathic physicians and are board certified in homeopathy. They are
President and Vice President of the International Foundation for Homeopathy
where they teach homeopathy to licensed health care professionals. They
practice in Edmonds, WA at 131 3rd Ave., N., Edmonds, WA 98020 and can be
reached at (206) 774-5599. Their new book, The Patient’s Guide to Homeopathic
Medicine, is now available.