Medicine of the past: Could over-the-counter prescriptions be making a comeback over antibiotics to treat ear infections?

On the surface it sounds ridiculous to think that a pain killer you can buy at your local convenience store might be just as effective at treating your child's ear infection as antibiotics. Recent research has suggested that children may become immune to antibiotics over time, a revelation that has many parents looking for answers. Dr. Betsy Stephenson, an Omaha pediatrician, says these findings could spark change in the medical field.

"I think there's room for change, but I don't think anything drastic is necessary," said Stephenson. "Children with ear pain will still be treated with antibiotics, however immunity could see doctors look at other options such as pain killers. Ibuprofen would help with the pain and the fluid in the ear would treat itself."

Although Stephenson says that children will still need to be monitored closely, this could mean easier treatments in the future. Families have already begun using over-the-counter pain killers such as Tylenol to treat pains from teething, so this will be a massive relief to mothers who need not overreact to small illnesses.