Recurrent ear infections are something I see very often in my practice. Finding and treating the root cause is usually simple. Most of the time children come to my office with recurrent ear infections, and/or frequent colds/flu. In my experience the root cause of these issues tend to be hidden or delay food allergies.
Hidden or delayed food allergies are different than acute food allergies. Acute food allergies i.e. peanuts, fish, etc are usually easily identified by their reaction. Acute food allergies present as a sudden or quick onset and have swelling of the mouth, lips and throat and can cause trouble breathing. They are caused by a quick acting immune cell IgE. Acute food allergies are a medical emergency and need to be treated as one. Where as hidden or delay food allergies are a different type of immune cell.
The reaction from a hidden or delayed food allergy may take 12 to 72 hours to present and the symptoms vary greatly. Hidden and delayed food allergies are caused by an IgG immune cell. When it comes to recurrent ear infections, hidden or delay food allergies can cause a low grade inflammation in the mucous membranes. These include the ear canal and Eustachian tubes. When the Eustachian tubes become inflamed, they do not drain the fluid from the ear properly thus leading to ear infections. In addition, treatment with antibiotics destroys the good bacteria in the digestive tract causing a weakened immune system, thus making recurrent infections more likely.
Luckily, finding hidden and delayed food allergies is a simple finger stick blood test by US Biotek Labs. Once the blood test is done and the results are in, we eliminate the reactive foods, this in turn allows the inflammation in the ears to decrease. Next, natural supplements are used to rebuild the immune system thus preventing future ear infections and recurrent antibiotic use. If you have any questions about frequent ear infections or food allergy testing please call 303-688-6698 or schedule your free 15 minute consult HERE.
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