Chronic Fluid in the Ear: Chiropractic Treatments May Prevent Speech Delays in Children

Imagine how difficult it would be to learn a foreign language if your hearing was muffled. This is exactly what so many young children with Otis Media with effusion (fluid in the ear) deal with as they try to learn how to speak. Fortunately, there is a non-drug treatment for this condition. It's safe, and effective, and may prevent long-term speech delays in children.

When my daughter was two years old, and barely speaking any words, I had her assessed for speech therapy. During the assessment, they tested her hearing. I was stunned when the results showed that she had failed her hearing test in both ears. I had no idea there was anything wrong with her hearing.

I knew that my daughter had sinus issues. It always seemed like she was either getting a cold, having a cold, or recovering from a cold. But she never gave us any indication that it was affecting her ears or her hearing.

I brought my daughter to her Pediatrician, and she diagnosed her with Otis Media with effusion (fluid in the ears). She started her on antibiotics and recommended a follow-up visit. On the follow-up visit, the fluid was still there, and one ear was even worse. The Pediatrician prescribed a stronger antibiotic. After taking this new antibiotic, my daughter suffered from diarrhea and vomiting. I knew I had to try something other than antibiotics, so I brought her to a chiropractor.

The chiropractor, Jay P. Bertsch, DC, from Team Health Care, found that my daughter had chronic fluid build-up in her ears. Dr. Bertsch commented, "After assessing her, we were certain the problem was stemming from her upper neck where we found a slight misalignment in that area. This created interference to the nerves that go to her ears and restricted her tubes from properly draining. After performing a series of very gentle adjustments to her neck, the interference to the nerves was removed and her body was able to drain the fluid as a result."