Today we are going to delve into why going to your Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) may be the best treatment for your infant’s earaches. While Eustachian tube blockage from misalignment is not the only cause of earaches, it is often unacknowledged. And that’s unfortunate.
The Eustachian Tubes travel from part of your middle ear to your nasal passage. The purpose of this is to allow for changes in pressure in the ear by accessing the air outside your body through your nose. It also allows for drainage of fluids and mucus away from your inner ear. Ear infections can occur when there is a problem with these flows. The reduction or stoppage in flow can allow for waste build up and bacterial growth, resulting in inflammation and pain.
One reason these earaches are more common in children is the tubes’ angle changes as we age. In adults, the angle is steeper, allowing for faster flow of materials. In children, the tube is almost flat and parallel to the ground when we stand. This decreases the rate at which fluids and mucus drain from the ear, into the nose and out of the body. In turn, this allows for easier and faster buildup of materials when blocked.
As for how your Chiropractor can help your infant, it involves analyzing the top bones of your neck and the base of the skull for misalignment, or “subluxation.” These cases are very simple cause and effect. Your child’s Eustachian Tubes are normally at the same level as the base of the skull and top vertebra. And these flat, almost horizontal tubes are in such close proximity to the skull and upper spine that when the skull or top vertebra are out of alignment or subluxated, they easily press on the Eustachian Tube, decreasing the flow of materials. This can perpetuate build up of material and bacteria, resulting in inflammation. With the performance of an incredibly light pressure “adjustment” to gently realign this area, your DC can resolve this subluxation. The cause of the inflammation in these cases is then removed, and the pain eases quickly.
While subluxation may occur in anyone, when it occurs at these levels in infants, it can manifest as an earache. A visit to your Doctor of Chiropractic can be an easy, drug-free, long-term solution to chronic earaches in your infant.