Abusing Antiobiotics

Dear Racheli,

I have a baby who’s nearly a year old, and ever since he first got sick at two months old, he’s been constantly on antibiotics for an ear infection that won’t seem to go away. I am concerned because it’s been so long, but I just don’t know what else to do. Our doctor isn’t offering any other options.

Thanks,

Rivka

Rivka, I’m so happy you wrote me. G-d willing, we’ll fix this mess and have your baby off the medicine soon. First, I would like to clarify that I absolutely believe that antibiotics are a wonderful life-saving invention. However, there are many – too many, in fact – cases in which they are prescribed when they're simply not necessary.

Your son’s case is a classic example of this. Typically, babies under two years old are more susceptible to middle ear infections because the eustachian tube doesn't drain fluid as easily as an older child's or adult's.

I found this wonderful article that discusses the real cause of middle ear infections, and I highly recommend that you read it. In a nutshell, most middle ear infections are caused by inflammation, but not as a result of bacteria! One Dutch study found that 88% of children with otitis media did not need antibiotics! Many times it's actually an allergic reaction to a food, dairy products being the biggest culprit. Well, what a surprise. Dairy is known to cause all kinds of health problems, from increased mucus production to all sorts of digestive problems to skin rashes, particularly around the mouth. My advice? Get your kid off dairy immediately. That right there might be enough to resolve his recurrent inflammation.

Now let’s talk about your doctor. I feel that it is completely negligent for a pediatrician or any physician to prescribe repeated doses of antibiotics for non-life-threatening medical issues. But you should know why they do this. First, their hands are tied legally. They are placing their licenses on the line if they give their patients any nutritional or natural healing advice.

Second, they might really not know what other natural options are available, since it is well-known that nutrition and natural approaches to healing are not taught in medical school. So in reality, all they are left with is their little pen and prescription pad.

Some of you might remember the famous adage, "The pen is mightier than the sword." Well, I've just given it a 21st century makeover: The pen is deadlier than the sword. Believe me, I wish I were exaggerating. The CDC states that 2 million people per year become infected with antibiotic-resistant germs, and 23,000 of those people die as a result. Each year! If this were a plague, everyone would be running hysterically through the streets.

Even if a person doesn't die from repeated antibiotic use, they are placing their health in major jeopardy, because antibiotics act like an atom bomb when ingested. They kill off the bad and the good bacteria, which allows the bad bacteria to grow unchecked by the dead good bacteria, and the vicious cycle continues.

So what can we do to fix this problem?

First, stop seeing that doctor! Find yourself a good naturopath, homeopath, or doctor of Chinese medicine, and make that doctor their primary care physician.

Second, Mullein Garlic drops are excellent for relieving inflammation. Garlic is a powerful anti-viral, anti-fungal, and antibacterial healing agent! You can get it at the local health food store.

Third, we have to get back to basics. As I've said time and time again, the entire approach of modern medicine is backwards. Instead of focusing on building up the body's defenses, their entire aim is to break down the body's defenses, all in the name of killing the enemy. Let's put this strategy into perspective, shall we? If you were involved in a war with another country and you had to send your troops out to battle, would you drop an atom bomb on everyone on the battlefield, knowing that you will be killing your own soldiers in the process of trying to kill the enemy? What do you think would happen to a general who came up with such an insane tactic?

Fourth, get yourself the outstanding book "Raising a Healthy Child… in Spite of YOur Doctor." You'll do yourself big favors to read all of his books, but for our purposes, this book has a chaper on ear infections that is important for every parent to read. If it was up to me, this would be required for every new parent…

Fifth, get yourself some simle saline nose drops. Look for the ones with the least preservatives – which are generally the drops and not the sprays. You can even buy preservative-free saline in small bottles (what is used for nebulizers). Saline is a miracle for ear and nasal infections. It helps make the snot stuck in the Eustachian tubes more liquidy and thus easier to drain from the nose, plus the salt kills the bacteria! Even better, it's safe even for the tiniest babies (especially if there are no preservatives) with no side effects. For prevention, one drop in each nose, one to two times a day. Once the nose is stuffed and especially the ear is hurting, bump it up to 3-5 times a day. You can even do once an hour! When I'm desperate with myself or a kid, I also do the "double." One drop in each nose. I tell them to really sniff it up as high as they can and try not to blow it out. The faster it comes out, the less urgent the problem. Once they MUST blow their nose, they just can't hold it any longer – or after 5 minutes – have them blow their nose. Now, do another round of drops! This round will go much higher up the nose and into the ear canal, and this is where it really can get to work. I have used this with incredible results. With this method, my kids get over ear infections overnight, and they have NEVER taken or needed antibiotics for one! And with the nightly nose drop routine, my kids hardly get them anyway.

In order to rebuild your baby’s immune system, give him live probiotics. These help the good bacteria reproduce and strengthen his immune system. Here's a good article that explains the different types of probiotics for babies, and how you can give it to them.

Back to basics basically means that we have to focus on eating healthy and taking care of ourselves! Our diets are the main cause of our physical and mental states of well-being! Make sure you’re giving your baby only natural foods with no added sugars and other garbage.

Rivka, I firmly believe that we've got to stop having blind faith in modern medicine. We need to educate ourselves about natural healing methods and especially about how to keep ourselves healthy, so G-d willing, we won't need a doctor ever again! There is endless information online, and there are so many natural healers out there. It’s time we moved on from the traditional disease-oriented approach to medicine and started using the healing-oriented approach instead.

Hashem should bless your baby with a complete and speedy recovery, Amen!

Racheli