or removed altogether. Earaches In Chinese medicine, the ear and the kidney are related; that is, disturbances in the ear reflect imbalances in the kidney-adrenal system. This concept gets some support from Western science, which has determined that, in the embryo, the ear and the kidney develop at about the same time and eventually turn out to be of similar shape and size. In my experience, the major causes for ear infections are:
• Dairy foods, such as milk, cheese, and ice cream
• A high-protein diet The first one is by far the most common cause of ear problems in our society, especially with young children. The most effective short-term remedies are the following: For mild earaches:
• Dairy-free vegetarian diet for at least a few days.
• Hot compress on the ear— a washcloth wrung out in very hot water, plus a woolen hat over it to keep it in place. This one works very well in the middle of the night when both parent and child want to go back to sleep. For more severe earaches and ear infections:
• Shoyu-kuzu with umeboshi( this page) once or twice a day for two days.
• Vegetarian chicken soup( this page), grains, and vegetables; include ginger, garlic, and radishes in the meals( this page).
• No dairy or animal protein.
• Hot compress on the kidney: Prepare a pot of very hot water, and make eucalyptus tea( use a handful of eucalyptus leaves tied in a cheesecloth for two quarts of hot water), or ginger tea( use a handful of grated ginger tied in a cheesecloth for two quarts of water). Take a dish towel and fold it lengthwise so that you have a four- to five-inch-wide strip. Hold it by the ends, dip the middle in the pot, wring out by twisting well, and place it on the back above the waist. It should be as hot as can be taken without undue discomfort.( CAUTION: DO NOT USE THIS COMPRESS ON PEOPLE WHO CANNOT ARTICULATE HOW THINGS FEEL TO THEM, such as infants, older people, or very sick people.) Place a couple of dry towels on top, changing the compress every two minutes or whenever it cools, for a total of twenty minutes. Do once a day for three days.
• In the case of infection, if the ear is discharging pus and fluids, place a cold compress( a washcloth wrung out in cold tap water) on the mastoid bone behind the ear, to keep the infection from spreading.
• Using a bulb syringe, wash out the ear with lukewarm chamomile tea. If the earache lasts more than two days, or if it causes crying or extreme discomfort, consult a specialist. In the case of a persistent earache but no accompanying feeling of sickness, fever, or lack of appetite, don’ t overlook the possibility that there is a foreign object in the ear, such as a stone or insect. Neither hot compresses nor antibiotics are effective against an earache caused by a bedbug. Skin Problems In a systems view of the body, input of all kinds relates to output of all kinds. Food, therefore, would have a definite relationship to matter pushed out through the skin. I am continually amazed that dermatologists persist in viewing the skin as merely a protective envelope for the body, ascribing its eruptions to“ viruses” and imprecise malfunctions and supporting the myth that“ diet has nothing to do with acne.” In my experience, diet has everything to do with acne. Not only did I fix my own bad skin through correct eating but I have seen among my students a number of severe cases— the large purplish kind of acne on cheeks and chins— completely cured within three months by a change of diet. The systems perspective that views the skin as an organ of elimination, as a“ third lung” or a“ third kidney,” is much more useful and accurate than the one that sees it as separate from the rest of the body system. Toxic matter that is not eliminated through normal channels will often find its way out through the skin. Treating these discharges with external applications of chemical potions is seldom effective; lightening the load of the inner organs through a change in diet, on the other hand, can work wonders within ten days to three months. Like many a teenager in our milk-and-sugar culture, I’ ve had my share of skin problems. Thus, I’ ve studied the subject at length. According to my observations( limited by my daily experience, which does not include rare and serious illnesses), there are at least three causes of skin disorders:
• Fat, protein, and sugar excess
• Mineral-water excess
• Organ malfunction( usually kidney or lung) The simplest way to deal with skin discharges is by eliminating the cause, or the input that brings them about;