Ear Infection
Home Remedies
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Ear infection is
normally referred to infection of the middle ear. The middle ear is the
small part just inside the eardrum. When the Eustachian tube which connects the
ear to the throat is blocked due to swelling (e.g. in the case of colds),
this will prevent fluid from draining. Middle ear which filled with trapped
fluid become a place for bacteria to grow and lead to infection. The
infected middle ear will then swell and resulted in severe pain.
Other symptoms include fever, headache, stiffness and yellow
fluid discharge on the ear. Infants and young kids are tend to suffer from
ear infections as their tubes are smaller and get blocked more easily.
Most ear infections will recover without
any treatment. However, you might want to relieve the severe
pain caused by the infection. You may take the
over-the-counter pain reliever like acetaminophen or apply
eardrops prescribed by doctor. You may also try using home
remedies to ease the pain.
Here are home remedies to reduce the pain
from ear infection:
Hot Compress:
Fill a clean sock with salt and warm it in the microwave
oven to the temperature which is acceptable by the body.
Place the hot compress on the infected ear and lay down on a flat surface. This
will help draining the fluid inside the ear. Hot compress is
the best way to remove the fluid from the ear.
Garlic-Olive/Mustard/Castor Oil: Put 2 cloves
of chopped fresh garlic in a double boiler and add in some
oil (either olive oil, mustard oil or castor oil).
Cook until the garlic turns black and the oil mixture is
ready. Strain the oil into a small glass bottle and keep
refrigerated. Before using, pour some oil in a warm spoon to
warm it. Then, use a dropper to apply 2 drops into the
infected ear
and clog with cotton ball. Repeat 2 times daily for a few
day.
White
Vinegar-Alcohol: Mix white vinegar and
alcohol in 3:1 ratio. Apply 2 to 3 drops to relief earache
instantly. It also helps to
clear the ear wax.
Apple Cider Vinegar-Alcohol:
Mix apple cider vinegar and alcohol in 1:1 ratio. Fill the ear canal
with the mixture and leave it for about 10 minutes then drain it out. Repeat 3 times
daily for a few days or until the pain is gone.
Vitamin E Oil/Garlic Oil
Capsules: Pierced the capsule with a sterilized pin and drop
the oil into the ear. This is good for curing ear infection.
Essential Oils:
The essential oils of peppermint, cloves or calendula can be used to reduce
ear infection. Add 1 drop of essential oil to 1 tbsp of almond oil and apply
2 drops into the ear.
Hot Steam:
Add a few drops of essential oils of either ginger,
peppermint or eucalyptus into a bowl of hot steaming water. Cover your head
with a towel and inhale the steam.
Vitamin Supplements:
Increase Vitamin C intake to strengthen the immune system and zinc to reduce
ear infection.
Hydrogen
Peroxide: Lay down with your head turned
sideways and put the hydrogen peroxide into your ear. Leave
it for about 8 min until it
stops fizzing and drain it out. Then flush your ear with warm water and dry
with clean soft cloth. This will
help cleaning the ear wax and kill the infection in the ear. Repeat this a few times.
Onion: Half an onion and grill in pan until hot.
Cover the hot onion with paper towel and apply the flat side to the ear. It
will help drawing
out the infection and alleviating pain in the ear.
Home remedies are an effective way to treat ear
infection problems. However, if there is no improvement after trying the home
remedies, it is advisable to seek treatment from medical professional.
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