DOITYOURSELFLEARNINGhealingearinfections

homeopathytoday.org /2008/12/doityourselflearninghealingearinfections/
byTimothyR.Dooley,MD,ND
Ifyoucanmakesimpleobservations,youcanquicklylearnenoughhomeopathytopracticeonthehomehealth
level.Youdontneedtobeanexpertinanatomy,physiology,orpharmacology.Youdoneedtobeabletoobserve
yourchildssymptomsandanychangesinthem:thirst,skincolor,appetite,mood,discharges,modalities(what
makessymptomsbetterorworse),etc.Andyouneedtobeabletomatchtheseobservationswiththesymptomsand
changesthatmedicinescancauseandthereforecurewhenappliedhomeopathically.
Earinfections:Breakingtheantibioticcycle
Onecommonhomehealthproblemthatfrequentlyarisesisthatofmiddleearinfections,alsoknownbytheirLatin
name,otitismedia.Mostchildrenexperienceafewepisodesofotitismedia,usuallyassociatedwithacoldorupper
respiratoryinfection.Itiswellknownthatantibioticsareoverusedinthetreatmentofearinfections.Ihavetreated
manypatientsofallagesovertheyearsforthisdisorder,usinghomeopathyalmostexclusivelyandwithgreat
success.
Infact,Ithinkitissafetosaythattheuseofantibioticsinearinfectionsseemstocreateaselfperpetuatingcycle.It
isasiftheimmunesystemgetslazyandthisresultsinincreasingnumbersofsuchepisodes.Usinghomeopathy
seemstobreakthecycletheimmunesystemstartsfunctioningonahigherlevel,resultinginfewercoldsandear
infections.
Thismakessensewhenyourealizethathomeopathicremediesdontworkbykillingbacteria.Rather,theystimulate
aresponseintheoverallrecuperativeprocess,helpingyourchildsbodyfightinfectionsnaturally.
Paycloseattentiontothesymptoms.Howdidtheproblemstart?Howisthechildbehaving?Whatdothey
wanttoeat?Whatdotheywanttodrink?
Thetrickforgoodresultswithhomeopathicprescribingistopaycloseattentiontothesymptoms.Howdidthe
problemstart?Howisthechildbehaving?Whatdotheywanttoeat?Whatdotheywanttodrink?Howdothey
appear?Aretheychillyorhot?Aretheymorecomfortableindoorsoroutsideintheopenair?Whatisthenatureof
anydischargetheymayhave?Andsoon.
Changingsymptoms,changingremedies
Theremedieslistedarenottheonlyremediesthatmightbeindicatedinsomeonewithanearache,butjustthesefew
willhelpasurprisingnumberofcases.Ifnoneoftheseseemstofit,checkforotherremediesinoneofthemany
goodhomeopathicselfcarebooksavailable.
Rememberwhentreatingyourchildthattheirsymptomsmaychangeasthedays(orevenhours)goby,andwhen
thesymptomschange,thechildwilltypicallyneedanewremedy.Forexample,BelladonnaorFerrumphosphoricum
mightbeindicatedintheearlystagesofanearache,butthesymptomsmaychange,callingforPulsatillaorHepar
sulphurisasthedaysgoby.
Sometimespatients,especiallykids,justbouncebackafteradoseortwoofawellchosenremedyandgetbetter
practicallyovernight.Moretypically,however,theywillimprovesignificantlywithawellchosenremedyandthen
spendanumberofdaysclearinguptheremaining,lessacute,symptoms.Inmyexperience,ifthechildisgetting
betteringeneral,theirearsarealsorecovering.
Theseremediesarenontoxicandsoldoverthecounteratnaturalhealthfoodstores

Herearesomeofthecommon,andtrulyindispensable,remediestoconsiderforchildrenwithearinfections.
Chamomilla.YoucanhearthechildwhoneedsChamomilladownthehallandthroughacloseddoor.Theyare
uncomfortableandirritable,andtheywantyoutoknowit.Thereissomethingintheircrythatputsyouonedgeits
thekindofcrythatcausesadultstothinkthingslike,Wouldsomebodypleaseshutthatkidup!?Thechilddemands
tobecarriedandscreamswhenputdown.Theydemandthisorthat,butthrowtheobjectoftheirdesireawaywhen
theyfinallygetit.ApeculiarsymptomIhaveseenmanytimesisthatonecheekmaybeglowingred,whiletheother
ispale.
Pulsatilla.AchildneedingPulsatillaisalsotearful,butquitedifferentfromtheChamomillapatientdescribedabove.
Herethecryisusuallywimpier,creatingareactioninthesurroundingadultsof,Oh,thepoorthing!Thechildclearly
wantssympathyandnurturing.Discharges(suchasarunnynose)areusuallyyelloworgreen,thick,andblandnot
irritating.Theytypicallyhavelittlethirstorappetite,andtheygenerallyfeelbetterinfresh,openair.
Belladonna.InconventionalmedicalschoolIrememberbeingtaughtamemoryaidforthepatientwhohasbeen
poisonedwithBelladonna[inlarge,nonhomeopathicdoses].Itwentsomethinglike:Redasabeet,dryasabone,
hotasafurnace,blindasabat,madasahatter.Theserepresentsomeofthecharacteristicsymptomsfor
Belladonnaandarehelpfulinrecognizingitshomeopathicpresentationaswell.WethinkofBelladonnaforillnesses
withsudden,violentonset.Thechildistypicallyhot,red,anddry.Thepupilsareoftendilatedandtheeyesseem
verybright.Curiously,theheadisoftenhotbutthelimbsarecold.Thenervoussystemisaffectedinsuchawaythat
thechildoftenexperiencestwitchingorjerkingperhapsintheirsleepandissensitivetolightandjarring.Theyare
oftenexcitedandrestless.
Ferrumphosphoricum.ListedinthehomeopathicmateriamedicaforFerrumphosphoricumisthecomment,
violentearache,acuteotitismediawhenBelladonnafails.Thatis,thechildneedingFerrumphosphoricummayat
firstbemistakenforoneneedingBelladonna.AndthisislargelyhowIhavecometothinkofFerrumphosphoricum
similartoBelladonnabutlessintense.Thechildisoftenexcited,sensitivetolightandjarringbutnottotheextent
ofBelladonna.Theyareoftenred,butnotasintenselyredhot,butnotasburningeyesred,butnotsobright.And
likeBelladonna,Ferrumphosphoricumiscommonlyindicatedinchildrenwithearaches.
Heparsulphuris.ThinkofHeparsulphuriswhenthechildischilly,sweatseasily,andoftenhasanaccompanying
hoarse,barkingcough.Dischargesaretypicallythickandyellow,andpainsareoftensticking(likesplinters).
Dosage:Theseremediesarenontoxicandsoldoverthecounteratnaturalfoodstoresandsomedrugstores.The
commonlyfoundpotencies(suchasthe6th,12th,or30th)willbefine.Givenachoice,Iusuallyrecommendthe30th
potency.
Atfirstyoumightlackconfidenceinyourabilitiestotakecareofyourfamily.Remember,though,thatyouintuitively
knowmuchmoreabouthealthanddiseasethanyourealize,evenifyoudontknowalltheterminology.Afterafew
successesyouwillstarttorealizethatthebodyhealsitselfwerejustgivingitalittlehelpwithhomeopathy.
AdaptedfromDoityourselflearningHealingearinfections,byTimothyR.Dooley,MD,NDinHomeopathyToday,
April2004