How to Treat an Ear Infection Using Home Remedies

Having an ear infection is painful and irritating. An infection can happen after a cold or other respiratory ailment. When you get an ear infection, you will often get a fever with it, but not always. Once you determine you have an ear infection, go to the doctor and then use home remedies along with whatever medication the doctor recommends to get rid of the infection. Home remedies are cheap, and most of us already have them in our homes. When you find the right home remedies, they can ease the pain from the ear infection and help get rid of the infection altogether.

Things You'll Need

• Salt
• Sock
• Washcloth
• Hot water
• Pure almond carrier oil
• Lavender essential oil
• Chamomile essential oil
• Tea tree essential oil
• Gum

Instructions

1. Take a washcloth full of hot water and wring it out. Hold the hot washcloth onto the infected ear until it cools. The moist heat increases the circulation and reduces the swelling and the pain. This will not reduce the infection but will likely provide comfort.

2. Take 1 tbsp. of pure almond carrier oil, add 2 drops of lavender essential oil, 2 drops of chamomile essential oil and 3 drops of tea tree essential oil. Mix the oils and heat them up. Put 2 drops of this warm oil mixture inside the infected ear twice a day for comfort.

3. Chewing gum--or food for that matter--will open and close the mouth, causing the Eustachian tube (where an ear infection typically resides) to ventilate and may allow for drainage. This may help to relieve some pressure from the infection and provide comfort.

Tips & Warnings

• Another way to use the warm oil treatment to relieve the pain from an ear infection is to rub the oil mixture onto the inside and outside of the ear itself and the affected side of the neck.

• An even faster way to get rid of pain from an ear infection is to get the oil mixture hot, dip it in a cloth and use the cloth as a compress on the infected ear. Don't make it too hot or you will burn your ear.

• Antibiotics prescribed by your health care provider are your best bet at eliminating ear infections. Use home and natural remedies in conjunction with medical treatment from your physician.

• If you have a punctured eardrum, do not put any oil or drops in the ear canal.

• If you seem to get a lot of ear infections, you might be allergic to certain foods such as dairy products, egg whites, wheat, peanuts or soy.

• Those who get a lot of ear infections might also have too high of an intake of fatty foods.

References

• Mother Nature.com: The Doctor's Book of Home Remedies
• Ear Infection Cures: Safe Natural Cures

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish