My Ear Hurts! : A Complete Guide to Understanding and Treating Your Child's Ear Infections

(Paperback)-Cuts bleed, sore throats look red, and bee stings leave visible bumps, but ear infections seldom offer such obvious clues to their severity. My Ear Hurts! equips parents with a succinct guide for assessing symptoms, choosing the best course of treatment, and reducing their child's chances of developing further infections. The lesson begins with ear basics: how the outer, inner, and middle ear function; why kids are prone to ear infection; and how to discern which part of the ear is infected, based on a child's symptoms. A helpful description of causes and risk factors nicely segues into the "good parts," where professor of otolaryngology Ellen M. Friedman, M.D., and James P. Barassi, D.C., talk shop about doctor visits, medications (primarily antibiotics), surgery, and alternative treatments (herbal remedies, homeopathy, chiropractic, and massage). Their chapters on preventing ear infections and coping with an ill child offer many simple steps to aid frustrated parents. Throughout the book, Friedman and Barassi maintain an empathic tone, steering clear of confusing doctor-speak. Large, simple diagrams, helpful lists, and bullet items in the book's margin make My Ear Hurts! an effective resource for every family's library. --Liane Thomas