Natural remedies (and some more IgA info)

The reason I'm posting this is because I've noticed a number of people stopping by this site using "IgA deficient" or "immune deficiency" as search terms. So, I wanted to share a couple of naturopathic, homeopathic, and regular ol' home remedies that helped Cora weather this cold (and get through an inner ear infection without antibiotics). It's the kind of information I was searching for when Cora was diagnosed. This is in NO WAY intended to be advice that you should follow over and above the recommendations of your caring pediatrician, but I have enjoyed Cora's new doctor so much because he's been a practicing MD for over 30 years and gets rave reviews from all his patients and he and his colleagues at this office are also knowledgeable about natural modalities.

(Note: If you're reading this post and you or your child has IgA deficiency, you might be interested in reading this entry as well.)

One thing worth noting is that Cora's former doctor explained that we should start treating an infection much more quickly and aggressively due to her IgA deficiency--using higher spectrum antibiotics quickly and for longer periods of time, if necessary. I do understand this point of view. However, Cora's new doctor pointed out that, while he absolutely prescribes antibiotics when necessary, antibiotics can lower IgA. Which makes sense, because IgA lives on mucosa sites. Antibiotics can lower healthy antibody levels (like IgA) along with other healthy flora that can help a body fight infection. This is one reason why people are more susceptible to infection in the week(s) directly following a course of antibiotics.

So, without a lot of further ado, here are a few of the things that Cora's new doctor and his colleagues recommended. Again, I want to make it clear that I'm not saying these products will necessarily help you or your children--but if they do, wonderful!

The first two items are daily doses for Cora. Honestly, I don't think there's any reason why any healthy kid couldn't benefit from these, simply to help augment their general nutrition intake, or to help round out any deficiencies in their diet:

*Liquid kid's multivitamin (I use Schiff because it contains iron, but Cora likes ChildLife better--no iron, no yucky metal taste). I found this at Whole Foods.

*Kid's acidophilous. We use Primadophilus Children by Nature's Way, which we found at Whole Foods. Cora's doctor gave me a list of acidophilous products that have been proven to contain the levels of bifidobacteria and lacobacilli that can populate the system with healthy flora, particularly those lost during infection or during antibiotic treatment. A lot of products lose their potency once they hit the shelves; supposedly this product doesn't.

These items may have helped clear Cora's ear infection:

*Honey Gardens Apitherapy Honey Organic Elderberry Syrup, with Propolis (www.honeygardens.com). I also found this at Whole Foods. Elderberry and Propolis are considered powerful anti-viral supplements. The honey in this mixture is locally sourced and organic. We gave her a teaspoon of this every hour the first day of her infection, and a teaspoon every 1-3 hours the second and third days of her infection.

*Saline drops. We used generic stuff from Safeway, but there's probably better stuff out there. 2-3 drops in each side of the nose as many times a day as necessary to help clear out the sinuses. (We use a kid's safety syringe to suck out the junk.) This is Cora's least favorite therapy, but the saline solution helps clear sinus infections--which, in turn, drain into kids' immature eustachian tubes, causing a build-up of bacteria that leads to an ear infection. I remember going to my doctor when I had a sinus infection and instead of giving me antibiotics, he told me to snort salt water three times a day for three days. It sucked, but it worked.

*Ear Oil from The Herbalist (www.theherbalist.com). CAUTION: Seek the advice of a pediatrician prior to putting anything in your child's ear. Don't put anything in your child's ear if liquid or pus is draining out of her ear. If using ear oil, test the temperature on your wrist before administering it; it can get warm quite quickly, and can become way too hot to put in someone's ear. This tincture contains mullein flower, St. John's Wort flower, and organically grown calendula flower with garlic essential oil in a base of olive oil. Sound stinky? It is. But as completely crazy at it sounds, the combination of garlic (a powerful antiseptic) and warm oil can sometimes help clear (and prevent) an ear infection. I just set the bottle in a cup of warm water before putting a few drops of the oil in her ears, then place a portion of a clean cotton ball in each ear to help absorb excess oil and protect her ears from drafts. For nap and bedtime, I put her in bed with her bad ear facing up, allowing the oil to drain more effectively into her ear.

*Cora also had a mild viral form of pink eye. We treated it with Similasan Pink Eye Relief (www.similasanUSA.com), a homeopathic remedy that helps alleviate the symptoms of pink eye and deliver relief. I also found this at Whole Foods. It totally worked for her. I think I gave it to her about 4 times a day for the first two days, then three times a day the 3rd and 4th days, and now just at night.

These techniques helped ease her pain without Tylenol or Motrin:

*Warm, dry ear compresses. I used one of Brian's clean athletic socks and filled it with rice, then zapped it in the microwave for about 45-60 seconds. I placed this on her ear after adding the ear oil, then read her a book or nursed her. I also put it on her ear while she was sleeping.

*Ear massage. This is one of the most simple things to do, and aside from compresses, is perhaps the one therapy that makes the most sense physically. I massaged gently around her ear, pressing in and down along her outer cheek, and in and down behind her ear. (For a cheesy how-to video, check this out.)

Lastly, we kept Cora off sugar and fed her mainly warm foods and liquids, like chicken soup and chamomile tea.

For more detailed information on ear infections, here's a link to Dr. Sears's perspectives.

Hopefully some of this information is useful. If you have any other ideas you'd like to share, please do so.