15 natural, effective and easy-to-do home remedies for ear infections

By Jenny Smith From Olwomen

Ear is the most sensitive part of human body which is responsible to convey us the speech of the world. A little problem to you ear can cause major problems and can cut you out of the else world. The most common problem I am talking about here is an ear infection. Such infections damage your middle ear the most and are caused by bacteria and viruses from the environment. Middle ear is the section of the ear which is behind the eardrum and is considered as the most sensitive section. Children are more likely to be affected from such infections the most and these are painful for them. If not taken care of these infections can not only be painful but can damage your hearing as well. These infections in ear create irritation in ear, swelling of ear sections and build up extra fluid in ear. The main causes of such problems to ear, apart from attacks of bacteria and viruses, are more likely:

Allergies
Cold
Excess mucus
Internal injuries
Smoking
Infection in other tissues like adenoids
These are the main causes of an ear infection. Sometimes not knowing the symptoms of an ear infection you could not figure out when to consult a doctor and that infection become severe. Listed below are some symptoms which can make you understand whether you have an ear infection or not.

Pain and irritation inside the ear
A pressure feeling inside the ear
Difficulty in sleeping
Pus
Difficulty in hearing
Fever
If the infection is not treated on time it may cause serious hearing problems. Don’t worry we have some simple home remedies for you through which you can fight these infections and can prevent their serious health damages. These remedies can be easily available at home any time and you can use them whenever you find any of these symptoms. Let’s have a look at these home remedies:

15. Salt
Salt is easily available at home and is considered as a simple home remedy to prevent ear infections. Natural salt can absorb the puss from ear and can clear the path of voice to ear. Salt is also an effective healer and heals different wounds. The same healing property can help us in ear infections. You can apply salt on your ear infections like:

Take a cup of salt and heat it.
For infants keep it semi-warm but for adults it should be quite warm.
Put the warm salt in a clean cloth.
Put this cloth near your ear for a warm effect to it. Heat effect will also help to lessen the pain.
Do it for 5 minutes each day.

14. Garlic
Allium sativum or should I say Garlic has some anti-bacterial properties which makes it a famous anti-bacterial food to fight infections. Garlic is very effective to cure toothache and earache as well. In ear garlic lessens the pain of infection and reduces the swelling. Due to such properties garlic is in this list. You can use garlic in many ways as a medicine for infection. Some of the better ways are highlighted as follows:

Put few drops of garlic extract, after mashing it, in your ear to fight infection.
Crush garlic and put the paste in a small cloth. Put this cloth in the ear for 30 minutes to help lessen the pain.
Add garlic cloves in mustard oil and heat the oil. Once it is heated and the extract of garlic cloves gets mixed in the oil, put that oil in the ear after it is cool.

13. Vinegar
Vinegar has a sour taste and has acidic properties to fight against the bacterias and viruses that cause ear infections. It stops their reproduction and save your ear from worse. It can also be used to get rid of the fungus that also causes ear infection. Some ways to use vinegar for better results are:

Take vinegar (White or Apple cider) and put 1-2 drops into ear with infection directly. Please don’t apply excessive amount of vinegar as it could have some harsh effects.
Mix a part of vinegar with warm water. Soak cotton in the solution and put it in the infected ear for five minutes.

12. Mustard Oil
Mustard oil also has some anti-bacterial properties that makes it compatible to fight infections. It is used in many medicines for this purpose and qualifies for the best home remedy for ear infections. At first, its application may cause some irritation in the ear but its health benefits come in package with such irritation. It will easily wipe out the pain from the ear and heal the wounds in the ear. You may apply mustard oil as follows:

Put some drops of mustard oil in the infected ear.
Let the drops absorb far in the ear tube.
After five minutes you will see the results.
Repeat the process when needed.

11. Basil
St. Joseph’s wort or basil is a herb with effective antibiotic properties to cure different infections. The combination of anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of basil makes it a relieving herb in earache. To prevent infections in ear or to treat earache, you can use basil extracts as following:

Grind some basil leaves and extract their juice in a pot.
Apply this juice around the ear’s infected areas.
Do not let this juice get in the ear tube.
Apply the juice on for some time and then rinse off gently.
For more good results you can also add mustard oil and can apply the oil in the ear.
The method to apply the combination in ear is listed above.

10. Onion
Onions have been used as anti-bacterial treatment for centuries. Onion has power to reduce inflammation and fight against infections. Onion has a special taste and smell which is its key ingredient to heal infections. It is a good antiseptic to treat the ear infections and lessons the pain. There are many ways to apply onion to have better result, some of which are as follows:

It is advised to consume onion in your daily routine to prevent infections at first place.
You can apply the juice extracted from an onion to the infected areas around ear.
Cut an onion in half and put its half clove in a cloth. Put this cloth on the infected ear for some time. This process will relive your ear from pain.

9. Tea Tree extracts
Tea is a special diet which helps reliving pain from your body. Whenever you feel pain in head or in stomach you must hear your mother suggesting to take tea. Yes! Tea helps reliving the pain so it is also a suggested remedy for ear infections and fighting its pain. The extracts of the tea tree has effective anti-bacterial extracts to fight ear infections. You must follow the steps below to treat your ear infection with tea tree extracts:

Take the tea tree extracts (Oil form) and add 2tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp vinegar to it.
Warm this mixture for some time.
Let the mixture cool and then soak cotton in it.
Apply this soaked cotton in the infected areas of ear for five minutes.
Follow the procedure whenever you feel pain.

8. Olive Oil
Oils of any kind are very useful for ear infections as all the oils have anti-bacterial properties. Oils also help drain out the pus from ear, clears the way to ear tube and kills the bacteria.

Olive oil in particular, helps clear the blockage in the path to ear tube and prevents reproduction of bacteria and fungus in ear. It helps make the ear wax softer so you can easily remove it then. With such benefits olive oil helps fight ear infections. It also reduces the ear pain and irritation in the ear. If you have olive oil just, do not think of any medicine to help in ear infection because olive oil is the best remedy.

Warm olive oil in the pot.
Put some drops of warm olive oil in the ear with the infection.
After five minutes, clear your ear wax with cotton bud.

7. Mango Leaf
Mango has its own health benefits but its tree is not less for health. The leaf of a mango tree has anti-bacterial properties to fight infections. The extracts of the mango leaf is an effective cure for ear infections. Mango leafs can easily be accessed from the mango tree. To make a medicine for ear infection please follows the underneath steps:

Take three mango leaves. Crush them to make a paste.
Warm this paste to extract the juice out of it.
Put 3-4 drops of this juice in the infected ear.

6. Breast Milk
Nature has its wonderful gifts for human which includes the breast milk. The following milk has great benefits for children and helps avoid different diseases. Ear infection is also one of the many diseases which can be cured with help of breast milk in children. It is the best healer and can be used to fight infections in eyes as well. Breast milk reduces the pain and swelling of ear infection and save your hearing.

Put few drops of breast milk in your infected ear.
Repeat the process every hour till 2 days to get best results.

5. Warm Water
Warm WaterWarm water makes the ear warm and helps to reduce pain and swelling caused by ear infection. Warm water is a quick way to relieve the pain.

Add warm water in the bottle and put that bottle near your infected ear for some time.
This will absorb the pain from the ear and will relieve it.
But do not apply much heat to the ear.
You can also take shower with hot water to lessen the pain.

4. Steam
Like warm water, steam has its own benefits in ear infection. Steam helps clear the nasal path and ear drums from pus (Thick ear wax). Steam also helps fight the cold and cough in winters and reduces the pain thus makes you feel better in an ear infection.

Boil some water in a big pot.
Take it off the burner.
Bend on the pot a little and cover your head with the towel.
Inhale in the steam for some time.
Repeat the process every night for better results.

3. Honey
Honey’s medical importance is not a hidden now. The world has admitted its health benefits. Here we will look to its benefits to fight infections. Honey has anti-bacterial properties which provides a full protection against bacteria and viruses. Honey is also famous for its healing activity. Honey heals the damage after the infection and absorbs the pain during the infection. Due to such benefits of honey, we find it suitable home remedy for ear infections. Honey is only effectual for adults don’t use honey to cure ear infection in children.

Put some drops of honey in your infected ear.
Lay down for some time with infected ear on top.
Clear your ear wax gently with cotton bud after that.

2. Mullein Flower Oil
Mullein oil is extracted from the mullein flower and has some very effective properties to cure ear infection. It helps relieving the pain, with its analgesic properties, which is caused by the ear infection. The oil its self is also useful but its combination with garlic has some wonder effects on the infected areas of ear. This is also an ancient remedy to cure ear infections because both (garlic and mullein oil) of these have antibacterial properties.

Soak the cotton in the mullein flower oil.
Place this soaked cotton in the ear.
Leave it applied for 5-10 minutes and then remove it.
You can repeat this process whenever you are in pain.

1. Peppermint
The leafs and oil of a peppermint plant is used in different medicines. Peppermint is different in taste that is why its flavor is also used in different candies.

Peppermint is used to fight against different pains like headache, eye ache, toothache and earache. It also helps in infections and reduces the pain of infections.

You can apply peppermint oil to the infected areas of the ear directly.
Mix peppermint oil with olive oil for drastic effects in ear infection.
The juice extracted after grinding the peppermint leaves is also effective and has anti-bacterial properties.

Take few drops of this extract and put them in your infected ear.
Repeat until the earache is vanished.
Prevention is better than the cure so following are some Do’s and Don’t you need to follow to protect your ears from infection at first place. We have listed some Do’s of Don’ts that will help you understand the best and worst practices in an ear infection.

Do’s
Wash your hands properly and many times a day.
Take seasonal vaccination for ear.
Consult a doctor if the pain lasts for a day or more.
Take proper rest.
Use warm liquid (Oil or juices of useful herbs) to put in the ear every week.
Don’ts
Avoid high music and used ear phones.
Avoid crowded places.
Don’t smoke.
Don’t try to remove ear wax alot.
Don’t scratch inside your ear.
Don’t give pacifiers to children.
Just by following few of these tips and techniques you can save your hearing. If you want to follow the world and discover the hidden meaning of the world protect your ear from bacterial attacks and live a complete life.

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