The future health of thousands of UK children could be affected because their ear infections are not being treated properly. Deafness Research UK says that antibiotics are given routinely in many cases, but often do not work. Children whose hearing is regularly affected may suffer developmental problems, but many parents are unaware of what to do, it said.
Deafness Research UK Dr Ian Williamson, a senior lecturer in general practice at Southampton University, said that too many GPs turned to antibiotics to treat the condition. He said: "Ear conditions and their root causes are not necessarily best tackled by antibiotics. "We are concerned that time pressure on the NHS - combined with a deeply held cultural myth by the public that antibiotics are a cure-all - means that many children and parents aren't receiving the best advice possible on how to treat and prevent ear infections."
Instead, Dr Williamson is urging the NHS to take a more "holistic" approach, with children suffering recurrent infections identified quickly so that other treatments can be provided. The charity also warned that overuse of antibiotics could help breed resistant bacteria and kill "good bacteria" in the nose and throat which actually helped prevent infection taking hold.
Steve - where have we heard this before?
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