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A month ago, my 4 year old daughter had her first ear infection. And it was a DOOOOZY! Weirdly, she didn’t complain of any ear pain, so I was shocked she had a really bad double ear infection when we got her checked out by the doctor.
This wasn’t just her first ear infection, but this was her first antibiotic ever. I knew this day would come, but it was hard pill to swallow as a microbiome lover. But, I am so happy that I have knowledge that could help reduce the negative side effects of the course for her.
I used these strategies when I had my first ear infection as an adult last year. YES, it was shocking to me too. I didn’t know adults got ear infections. Unfortunately, my ear infection wasn’t nearly as responsive to the antibiotics as Cece’s was, so I was in pain and discomfort for 2-3 weeks until it resolved on its own.
As someone with history of IBS, I am always leery to take antibiotics, but they are necessary in many situations. And I often remind myself, we should be happy that they exist because they save so many lives.
You still want to use antibiotics wisely. I believe that doctors have been a bit better with antibiotic prescriptions, but there are still some that overprescribe. Many mild-moderate ear infections are viral and will resolve on their own. Many physicians encourage waiting a few days in these cases to see if the infection resolves and antibiotics can be avoided.
First and foremost, discussing options with your physician may be helpful to avoid unnecessary use of antibiotics. Are the antibiotics necessary in your unique situation?
Sometimes the best option is antibiotics. I want to share in this post, how to navigate antibiotic use. Mainly, I want to highlight strategies that will help reduce symptoms and microbiome fallout from each course of antibiotics that you may have to take.
How to avoid unnecessary antibiotics?
What happens in the gut when you take an antibiotic?
Are probiotics helpful during and after antibiotics? If so, which strains?
Antibiotics for SIBO? How to best recover after antimicrobials or Rifaximin?
What dietary strategies are best while on an antibiotic?
What supplements do I recommend my patients take while on antibiotics?
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