Hello! I'm looking for some alternative medical help for my children because they both have infections and I can't take them to a doctor (no money and no health insurance). My daughter is 5 and will have health insurance on September 1st, so she just needs to hold on until then, my infant son, 9 months, was denied for health insurance because they want to put him on Medicaid and everyone thought he was already insured so who knows when I can take him to a doctor.

My daughter has an ear infection, and has for some time. Right now she must have fluid in her ear or something. It is giving her some pain and she says it feels like it's full of water. She normally can hear very well but right now I have to keep repeating things because it has affected her hearing. She also sometimes complains of UTI like symptoms.

My son is fighting a fever right now. He probably has an infection but I'm not sure.

I've started putting garlic into everything that they eat if possible, and am having them drink cranberry juice. Is there anything else that I can do? Would yogurt and other foods with probiotics help?

If it becomes life threatening I'll have to take them to the ER but I already have 2 ER bills from earlier this summer that I can't afford to pay, so I'd like to avoid that route if at all possible.

Having had a lot of problems with my ears, my first recommendation would be to juice carrots. Friend had baby with ear infection and dr recommended carrot juice. If you don't have a juicer and can't borrow one, I would slice very thin and put them in a blender (raw). You can buy it at health food stores and supermarkets but it's pasturized now and doesn't work quite as well as fresh and is expensive.

As for UTI, are you using REAL cranberry juice or the drink? The real stuff is strong and bitter without sugar. Parsley sometimes helps. I think might work better boiled and drunk as tea on a empty stomach rather than eaten.

If you have access to health food store where they sell bulk herbs, cornsilk tea works well for UTI. Yarrow tea is good for ears (and other infections). It seems to take down swelling so ears can drain. Linden tea is another good one and has mild flavor. Health food personnel probably have other suggestions but these work for me - and they're cheap. GOOD LUCK

There should be free clincis around. Alot of thgem are located in the hospitals, it is not through the er they are free clinics. You need to look around or call your town assembly and find out.

Hopefully you already have insurance by now and the ear infection is taken care of but for anyone else who could use the information, mullein-garlic oil is a miracle worker as far as I'm concerned. If you don't have that, plain olive oil can work in a pinch for pain. They say now that most ear infections don't clear up any quicker with antibiotics than without, so if you can just manage pain and ride it out that is generally best. Generally. Obviously there are exceptions.

The mullein-garlic oil has anti-inflammatory and antibiotic properties. Usually the oil base is olive oil. Directions: heat small dropper bottle of oil in hot water until oil is as warm as the child can tolerate. I test on my kids' inner wrists. Drop the warm oil into ear canal and plug with cotton. The warm oil on the ear drum causes pain to cease immediately for my kids! This not only works more quickly than analgesics but is non-systemic as well.

DO NOT USE IN EARS WITH TUBES OR IF PERFORATION IS SUSPECTED!

This is also AWESOME on airplanes or when going to higher altitudes, anywhere that pressure can cause ear problems. I have a son whose ears are extremely sensitive to pressure and after trying all the other usual remedies using this oil is the only way he can fly without pain (for the motion sickness we have slivers of ginger for him to put under his tongue). We have tested the oil on numerous flights and the only time it lost its effectiveness is when we could not heat it warm enough. I started bringing a thermos and getting some hot water on the plane from the attendant before takeoff to have in a pinch in case the attendants were unable to get us the hot water when we needed it. Putting hot water in the thermos before boarding is too soon, the water will cool.

Hopefully this information will be of use to someone else. Many times I don't know what I would have done without it.

Have the kids regularly drink green tea(decaf) as it really does help the immune system fight infections and viruses.

You can also decaf regular green tea by brewing 45 seconds in shallow water, pouring the water off after the 45 seconds, then re-brew as normal. This gets rid of 80% of the caffeine.

No one has mentioned diet yet. Poor diet can cause and/or be a major contributing factor in many of the problems young kids get, as their digestive systems are still immature.

When your kids have infections and fevers don't let them have any junk foods like candy, soft drinks, ice cream, cakes, white bread, burgers, fries, shakes, etc. Feed them fairly simple, bland foods like steamed veges and have them drink fresh fruit and vege juices.

They may well turn their noses up at this but as it is often the junk food that causes these problems in the first place it is up to you to try and develop healthy eating habits for them.

When my 2 young boys get coughs and colds etc we immediately monitor what they eat and drink for the next few days. I have no doubt this speeds their recovery.

All the best.

Hi,

This must be real scary time for you. I know that there are some free insurance for children--Atleast in NY, so you definitely may want to go online to your county's government page or call your local government office and ask them. I have done that for my father and they were very helpful.

Also, to try to prevent ear infections...try to have your children not sniffle. When you pull in the boogers in from your nose it actually fills up your ears.

Also, I use to get alot of ear infections and my doctor gave me a rx for eye drops to put in my ears. I have no idea if the over the counter works, but you may want to ask the pharmacy if it would hurt. Tell the pharmacist your situation and sometimes they have good advice. Gain a relationship with a pharmacist in your area. I have one with mine and he is very helpful.

I don't know if there is an age limit, but acidopholis is an excellent supplement. It is in yogurt and you must get the one that has live cells. It doesn't necessarily help infections,but it creates excellent stomach health that can help fight off infections before they come about. Expecially if yeast is involved.

Good luck.

Also, to the person that wrote about diet. As a person who grew up with many many infections, and as an adult I started to eat better--more fresh foods--less simple carbs (white bread, sugar) and switched to complex carbs (grains, wheat etc.) I also exercised and got a flu shot every year. I don't get as many infections-now.

Flu shots are offered many times in your local pharmacy (so check there) and they are usually offered for free or on a sliding scale.

It sounds like you maybe having some financial problems, therefore eatting healthy sometimes costs much more then not. So, I know how it is more economical to make pasta because it is realitively cheap. If you get creative, you can get good food reasonably. It isn't easy I know. Especially when you have so many other things to think about. But frozen veggies are usually frozen fresh and doesn't lose many vitamins and sometimes you can get the store brand which is less expensive.

Hope this helps.
Ta

GREEN TEA Is used to help fight viral infections.

ECHINACEA Used as a tincture to reduce drainage and speed healing.

GARLIC OIL Is applied to a cotton ball and placed inside ear to help fight infection.

MULLEIN OIL Relieves inflamed lining in ear canals. It is applied to cotton and inserted into ear.

OLIVE LEAF Tinctures and capsules are used to fight infection.

Mullein and Garlic Ear Drops

1 ounce Mullein Oil

1 ounce Garlic oil

1 teaspoon glycerin

Combine ingredients and stir well. After making sure that the ear drops are warm enough not to cause any discomfort, place 2 drops in each ear. Then, gently rub around the outside of the ear to work the drops in.