Sounding a caution about ear drops

[Guest guest]

Dear Members there has been alot of talk lately of many children and

adults experiencing ear infections and becoming resistant to

antibodics. Then in the near future having tubes put in.

Just recently my three year old grandson has had another one of his

many ear infections and all medication that has been prescribed has

only worked for a very short period of time, if at all. (antibodics

and drops) We deceided to try white vinegar in his ears. He would not

lay still for any more than 10 seconds so it didn't stay in very

long. His mother could not believe what she saw the next several days

with just the one treatment. It kept balling up earwax and pushing it

out of the ear. This is the first time in a very long time that he

has not complained of his ears hurting. This has never happened

before. When she cleans his ears on a normal basis very little

discoloration is on the q-tip even with all the drops the doctors had

prescribed. So I would recommend this if you have not had much

success with antibodics and/or drops.

I have also received a great response on people using white vinegar

for foot and toenail (fungal) infections and on other scaley or dry

skin with great results. Just a thought.

KC

http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-

maincapsule2feb02,1,141746.story?coll=la-headlines-health

Sounding a caution about ear drops

Times Headlines

By Jane E. , Times Staff Writer

Antibiotic ear drops have become the preferred treatment for some ear

infections, specifically those in children with surgically inserted

ear tubes who still have problems. Because the medication is

restricted to the infection site, doctors had hoped the drops would

stem overuse of oral antibiotics, which has contributed to drug-

resistant bacteria.

But this treatment also appears to encourage growth of resistant

microbes. Dr. Glenn Isaacson, an ear, nose and throat specialist at

Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, examined two

sets of cultures from the infected ears of young children with tubes

who didn't respond to treatment. The first set was from children

treated principally with oral antibiotics in 1997-98; the second set

was from children predominantly treated with antibiotic drops in 2002-

03.

They found a " tremendous increase " in the incidence of fungal

infections and resistant staph infections in the youngsters' ear

canals, he told colleagues at a Jan. 25 regional meeting of the

American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society.

These infections can be persistent and painful, requiring months of

treatment.

" There was a simple, good treatment we were using for years that

wasn't doing this. Now we've all been persuaded to use a much more

expensive, broad-spectrum antibiotic of questionable value that is

clearly causing overgrowth by fungi and highly resistant bacteria, "

Isaacson said. He suggested that doctors rethink the standard

practice of using the drops first.

Some doctors point out that the drops may be given inappropriately,

contributing to antibiotic resistance in the same way oral drugs do.