Home remedies for ear infections work in most cases where antibiotics are not required. Generally middle ear infections do not need such harsh medication. Children get more often affected by the middle ear infections. In such ear infections you can use natural ear drops and other natural methods to get relief from ear pains.
Ear infections can also occur in the outer and inner ear also and they can be severe. However, middle ear infections are milder and respond well to alternate methods.So. Let us look at natural ear infection treatment to get ear pain relief.
But before that…
What is an Ear Infection?
Ear infections can be caused by bacteria as well as viruses. Infection can occur in any of the 3 sections of the ear - outer, middle and inner.
Outer Ear Infection - Outer ear can be infected by swimming and that is why it is generally called swimmers ear.
Inner Ear Infection - The inner ear infection also known as Labyrinthitis us the most severe type of ear infections in which hearing and balance get affected. Some temporary or even permanent hearing loss can occur in this case. People with inner ear infection experience vertigo.
Middle Ear Infections - Most of the infections usually occur in the Middle ear. The middle ear is responsible for transferring sound from outer ear to inner year. It is the air filled sack between the eardrum and oval window of the ear.
Middle ear infection is mild compared to the other two. It can be bacterial, viral or caused by cold or allergy.
Fluid buildup takes place in the ear due to ear infection. You get earache which gets worse in lying down position. Other symptoms include temporary decrease in hearing ability.
The middle ear infections are medically termed as acute otitis media. We will look at treating middle ear infections naturally in this article.
5 Natural Ear Drops for Ear Infections
1. Olive Oil
Olive oil is an age old folk medicine for ear infections.
- Warm olive oil a bit
- Squeeze 2 drops of warm olive oil in one ear by keeping the other up.
- Hold the position for 2-3 minutes
- Now reverse the position of ear and repeat the same steps in another ear
Do not heat up olive oil. Just warm up a bit. Test it on a finger to ensure that it doesn't give a burning feeling. Too much warm oil can damage eardrums.
2. Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil has excellent antibacterial, antiseptic, antifungal and anti inflammatory capabilities. Mix it with olive oil or coconut oil to make oil drops.
Add 5-10 drops of tea tree oil in a teaspoon of olive oil and mix well. Keep the mix in a dark glass bottle away from heat and sunlight.
Add two drops of this mix in the aching ear.
3. Helichrysum Oil
Helichrysum oil is an excellent remedy for a number of ear problems including ear infections. It can also help in reversing hearing loss. Helichrysum oil is good for Tinnitus. It stops ringing in ears. With it's antibiotics capabilities it heals ear infections and reduces ear pain.
You can add it in a carrier oil such as olive or coconut oil or any other oil before using.
Add 5 drops of helichrysum oil to a teaspoon of olive oil mix well and store in a dark glass bottle away from heat and sunlight for further use.
Add 2 drops of this mix in the infected ear twice daily
4. Ginger Juice
Ginger is anti inflammatory and antimicrobial. It can get rid of mild ear infection and stop ear ache
Extract juice of ginger root by shredding it fine and straining. Add half teaspoon of ginger juice in one tablespoon of olive oil. Store it in a dark glass bottle
add 2-3 drop of ginger olive oil mix in the affected ear 2-3 times a day
5. Garlic Oil
Garlic oil is a natural antibiotic. It kills the germs and relieves you from the ear pain. Most doctors now don't use conventional chemical antibiotics for milder ear infections as they may cause allergies in children.
Add 3-5 drops of garlic oil in a one teaspoon of carrier oil like olive oil or coconut oil and store it a dark glass container. Use a dropper to drop just one drop of this mix in the affected ear.
Other Home Remedies
Warm and Cold Compress
Both warm and cold Compress individually or alternate warm and cold Compress help to reduce ear pain.
Place a warm compress or a damp warm cloth on the ear. You can keep it for 30 seconds and remove it for a few seconds. Apply again. Do it for 5-10 minutes.
You can do the same with cold Compress.
You can also use 30 second warm and 30 second cold Compress alternate for 5- 10 minutes.
Take Rest
Taking rest is one of the best remedies to get rid of most of the mild and viral infections. Test improves your immunity and your body focuses on fighting with the infection during the rest period.
Neck Exercises
If you have ear pain but no infection then it is most likely that the ear canal is pressured. Some neck exercises can relieve the pressure to stop your earache.
You can sit straight back on a chair or stand straight to do the exercise.
- Raise both your shoulders high as if you want to touch your ears with shoulders.
- Slowly rotate your head to right as much as you can
- Now slowly rotate it slowly towards the left.
- Continue the alternate move from right to left and left to right moves for 5-6 times in one go,
- Do it more often throughout the day.
Allergies
Food allergies such as gluten allergy can cause frequent ear infections. Identify and eliminate the root cause of the underlying allergy to get complete relief from resulting ear infections.
Precautions and Tips
Ear Infections are serious conditions to deal with. Do not ignore them as they can turn into more difficult to deal with complications if remain untreated. Having said that, most middle ear infections are easy to treat and some of them do not require any treatment. Your autoimmune system can resolve them. Key is to understand which ear infection is difficult and which is not. Take the following precautions.
- Ear infections can be viral and bacterial. The bacterial infections may require antibiotics.
- Children get more affected than adults from ear infections. Most ear infections can disappear on their own if you focus on improving your child's immunity.
- Use natural remedies as a defence to deal with ear infections.
- Contact a pediatrician or a GP if the body temperature is above 101F, swelling or sudden hearing loss.
Over use of medication can cause ear damage, be careful in using.