Xylitol Can Prevent Middle Ear Infections

Acute otitis media (AOM) is commonly know as a middle ear infection. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) it is the most common infection for which antibiotics are prescribed. Also, about 80% of all doctor visits in the United States for otitis media results in the doctor prescribing an antibiotic.

Despite the high frequency of antibiotic prescribing for otitis media, this may not be the best course of therapy. It is common practice in some European countries to treat just the symptoms AOM initially and use antibiotics only if symptoms do not improve.

One reason to avoid antibiotic treatment initially is the possible development of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Antibiotic resistance is when bacteria change in some way that makes them less sensitive to antibiotics thereby making the antibiotic less effective or not effective at all. Antibiotic resistance is one if the CDC’s top concerns. Also treating resistant infections can be very difficult and expensive. Learn more about antibiotic resistance from the CDC here.

Another reason to avoid antibiotics in AOM is the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines support symptom treatment with observation for otherwise healthy children over 2 years old with non-severe uncomplicated AOM. See Dr Greene’s web page Antibiotics and Ear Infections for more info. Be sure to talk to your doctor about your options and the benefits and risks with antibiotic treatment versus observation.

Prevention of Acute Otitis Media

The best way to avoid antibiotic use for AOM is to not get AOM. There are a few things that can be done to reduce the frequency of AOM. First, reducing the number of upper respiratory tract infections by avoiding daycare can help reduce the incidence of otitis media. Also, breastfeed during the first six months of life results in fewer middle ear infections. Finally, xylitol has been shown to reduce the frequency of AOM.

Xylitol

Xylitol is a sweetener found in some chewing gums. It was originally derived from birch trees but can now be made from many sources. It known to prevent the growth of some bacteria. It was found to decrease tooth decay in people who chewed xylitol sweetened gum over those who chewed gum sweetened with sucrose.

In 1998 the journal of Pediatrics published an article in which xylitol was studied to see if it could prevent AOM. They studied xylitol gum, xylitol lozenges and xylitol syrup against a placebo. They found a 30% reduction in AOM for the xylitol syrup, a 40% reduction for the gum and a 20% reduction for the lozenge. As a result of this study the researchers noted a decrease in antibiotic usage in the xylitol groups. Dr Greene has another great article Ear Infections and Xylitol

Given this information, a new product is now available in the United States. Xylarex (xylitol) oral solution by Arbour Pharmaceuticals. It is a prescription only product but it is classified as a medicinal food. When given as 3.3 grams (5ml) three times daily it has been show to decrease the occurrence of AOM by 39%

For more information about xylitol or to purchase xylitol gum visit www.xylitol.org

For more information about Xylarex visit www.Xalarex.com

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