Expert: Dr. Kristina Conner - 12/10/2008

Question
Hello Ms. Conner

I recently went into my ear doctor's who told me I have a slight loss of high-frequency hearing in my ears, more so on my right (I don't notice it because its very high frequency), which occured after I went out to a "louder" club on Saturday. I had a fullness/slight humming all day Sunday (had this happen before but it usually went way within a day). Well, come Monday, I suddenly start getting pressure in my ears (like on an airplane). Humming/buzzing has gone down but the pressure is there...doctor prescribed a 6 day dose of Prednisone. I read about some bad side effects on this and am very sensitive to medication (I tend to avoid it at all costs and use natural alternatives). Is there a natural alternative that acts like an anti-inflammatory agent to help move along this slight hearing loss/nerve inflammation? Thank you!


Answer
Hello Eva,
Thanks for your question.  If there is still pressure, it may because there is fluid in the middle ear, not draining properly.  The goal of an anti-inflammatory is to reduce swelling in the area, for instance in the Eustachian tube, which will then allow the fluid to drain and the pressure to dissipate.  There are manual therapies such as joint manipulation or Eustachian tube drainage, that would likely help--to have these done, of course you would need to see a chiropractic or naturopathic doctor, because you can't do it yourself.  You can use alternating hot & cold packs on the skin right behind the ear, or massage in that area, which may help.  Also helpful would be including lots of fluids and staying away from inflammatory foods like sugar, alcohol, dairy, peanuts, refined grains, corn, and most meats (except grass-fed meats or fish).  There are supplements that have antiinflammatory properties such as fish oil, tumeric, bromelain, and ginger; in moderate amounts, none of these would be as strong as prednisone.  You would have to decide, with your physician's input, whether an alternative with less activity would be acceptable.  
If you are committed to using natural therapies in place of medications, I'd suggest finding a naturopathic (www.naturopathic.org) doctor or holistic (www.holistic.org) doctor in your area, so you can consult that person in future matters.  In many places, we are licensed as primary care physicians, so you can see an ND for conditions first; we refer for drug therapy as needed, but use natural therapies primarily.  
In health,
Dr Conner