6 home remedies for ear infections

Some common signs someone is suffering from an ear infection are pain in the ear, tugging at the ear, difficulty sleeping, headache, poor response to sounds, high fever, fluid draining from the ear, vomiting, and diarrhea.

The ear is made up of three parts: outer, middle and inner. Each part has specific functions that help a person hear. The outer ear, which is shaped like a leaf, captures the travelling sound waves. In the outer part of our ear, there is a section called as pinna and through this section the sound waves enter into the ear canal. Through the ear canal the sound waves reach the eardrum which is located in the middle part. In addition, the middle section of the ear also has other important ear organs like hammer, anvil, stirrup, semicircular, and middle canal. Through the canal, sound waves travel to the inner section of our ear. In the inner part of the ear, there are important parts like the cochlea, Eustachian tube, and nerves. Sound waves from the canal are sent to the nerves so the brain can process the sound to be recognised and understood.

An ear infection can occur in any of these three parts. Inner ear infections are the most serious. It is important to treat an ear infection to prevent complications, including damaging or rupturing the ear drum. Untreated ear infections can also lead to chronic recurrence and can even cause deafness. It is important to consult a doctor, but for immediate relief you can try some natural treatment.

Here are some simple and easy home remedies to help get rid of the pain and other symptoms of an ear infection.

Salt: Heat up to one cup of salt on a pan over low heat for a few minutes. You can also heat it in a microwave or double-boiler. Place the hot salt on a cloth and seal the open end with a rubber band or tie a knot. When it is bearably hot, lie down and put the cloth on the affected ear for five to 10 minutes. Heat generated from the salt will help draw out fluid from the ear and relieve swelling and pain. Repeat as many times as needed. Alternatively one cup of rice can be used in the same manner as above.

Garlic: It has antimicrobial properties and natural pain relieving qualities, making it highly effective in the treatment of ear infections. Make garlic oil by cooking two garlic cloves in two tablespoons of sesame oil or mustard oil until it turns black. Strain solution and when it is bearably hot use two or four drops of this oil in the infected ear as ear drops. Alternatively, you can also boil two to three fresh garlic cloves in water for five minutes, then crush them and add some salt. Put the mixture in a clean cloth and place it against the affected ear. Consuming two to three cloves of raw garlic daily also helps speed up the healing process.

Basil: Holy basil can also be used to treat minor earache and infection, relieving pain and reducing infection. Crush four to five fresh holy basil leaves gently to extract the juice. Apply the basil juice on or around the infected ear. Avoid getting the juice in the ear canal. Alternatively a few drops of holy basil oil with an equal amount of carrier oil like coconut oil can be mixed. Soak a cotton ball in the mixture and gently wipe just inside the ear, around the outer edge and behind the ear. Repeat process twice daily.

Apple cider vinegar: A good option to get rid of fungus causing ear infection. Mix one part apple cider vinegar with an equal amount of water or alcohol. Soak cotton ball in solution. Put the cotton ball in the ear like a plug and leave it for about five minutes. Remove the cotton ball and lay down on your opposite side to drain the liquid from the ear. Use hair dryer to dry your ear as much as possible. Try also gargling with apple cider vinegar if infection is in Eustachian tubes.

Olive oil: One of the main causes of an ear infection is wax in the ear catching some fungal or bacterial growth leading to a blockage in the Eustachian tubes. That can easily be cleared by olive oil. Warm some olive oil slightly. Put a few drops of the warm oil into the infected ear. The oil will cause the wax to soften and you can remove the infected wax with a cotton-tipped swap. Be careful not to put the swab too far in the ear or you might damage the eardrum. Mustard oil can also be used.

Warm water bottle: As soon as possible apply some heat to the infected ear. This will quickly relieve some of the pain and will also prevent micro-organism infestation. A warm water bottle, heating pad or a warm compress made of a clean washcloth in lukewarm water with excess water ringed out can be placed against infected ear. Only five minutes at a time.

People tend to make the simplest mistakes with their ears, but they can be costly in terms of pain, medication, time off work and even long term damage.

• Flying with a cold or flu can hurt the ears and lead to a damaged eardrum.

• Scuba diving with a cold can also be detrimental to ear health.

• Being rough with ear buds – gentleness is key.

• Inserting foreign objects into the ear canal including cotton buds.

• Not wearing ear protection when working in noisy environments.

• Ignoring signs of ear strife. These include pain, discharge, deafness, dizziness, and ringing (tinnitus).

Lizel Britz 072 243 7707