Treating the child with antibiotics without correcting the cause will likely create a continuing cycle of repeat ear infections. Many children are dealing with this. The symptoms disappear in about a week or two, but return again in the near future, since the original cause was not addressed. The child goes back to the doctor for more antibiotics. The cycle continues.
Some children spend months or even years on antibiotics, with recurring ear infections.
Research has shown that when antibiotics are used at the beginning of an ear infection, the frequency of recurrence may be almost three times greater than if antibiotics are delayed or not used. Antibiotics Don't Discriminate Antibiotics do not just go after the pathogenic or bad bacteria. They also indiscriminately destroy the beneficial bacteria necessary and vital to good health. Among the more important beneficial bacteria are lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacterium bifidus. They help protect the body against infection.