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Ear infection treatment: Do alternative therapies work?
Alternative ear infection treatments aren't generally recommended for use in children — some have dangerous effects or may interfere with conventional treatments.
By Mayo Clinic staffYou may find many alternative ear infection treatments on the Internet and in books and magazines. They include chiropractic adjustments and homeopathy, among others.
You might seek out alternative ear infection treatments for several reasons. You may be concerned about overusing antibiotics or dislike their side effects. Or you may find that conventional medicines offer little relief.
In most cases, however, researchers haven't studied alternative ear infection treatments adequately using widely accepted scientific methods. For this reason, alternative ear infection treatments aren't generally recommended for use in children.
Homeopathy and chiropractic care are two therapies that have been studied — with mixed results — as ear infection treatments.
- Homeopathy treatment for ear infection is controversial. It involves using highly diluted preparations of natural substances, typically plants and minerals, to treat symptoms of illness. Study results have been mixed, and it remains unclear whether this treatment is of any benefit. Many such products aren't monitored and are subject to limited regulatory oversight by the Food and Drug Administration.
- Chiropractic treatment is another alternative therapy that has been tested as an ear infection treatment. Proponents of chiropractic manipulation claim that by using specific techniques, this treatment helps drain fluid from the middle ear and promotes better ventilation of the narrow passageway that connects the middle ear to the nose (eustachian tube). Though some people believe this approach to be helpful, long-term studies haven't verified its effectiveness.
Before your child uses an alternative ear infection treatment, be sure to:
- Learn about treatments. Understand your options and what's involved. Find out what benefits their practitioners claim the treatments provide and the potential side effects.
- Find out exactly what the treatment costs. Some alternative therapies aren't covered by medical insurance.
- Assess the credentials of anyone who advocates alternative medicine. Gather information from a variety of sources and evaluate the information carefully.
- Tell your doctor. If you decide to use an alternative therapy, it's important to tell your doctor. Some treatments — such as herbal supplements — may alter the effect of other therapies or medications. Others may create dangerous drug interactions.
- Breuner CC. Alternative and complementary therapies. Adolescent Medicine Clinics. 2006;17:521.
- Klein JO, et al. Patient information: Ear infections (otitis media) in children. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 11, 2009.
- Kemper KJ, et al. The use of complementary and alternative medicine in pediatrics. Pediatrics. 2008;122:1374.
- CAM use and children. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/children/D383_BKG.pdf. Accessed Feb. 17, 2009.
- Herbal supplements: Consider safety, too. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/supplement-safety/D190.pdf. Accessed Feb. 17, 2009.
- Altunc U, et al. Homeopathy for childhood and adolescence ailments: Systematic review of randomized clinical trials. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2007;82:69.
- Hawk C, et al. Chiropractic care for nonmusculoskeletal conditions: A systematic review with implications for whole systems research. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2007;13:491.
