8 Effective Remedies To Treat Ear Infection

What causes earaches? What truly are the causes of the debilitating pain in your ear that makes you spend wakeful hours in the middle of the night? We would love to know all of that, as we have suffered from the same at some point in our lives. Earaches are usually caused by ear infections. Viruses, bacteria or rarely yeast affect the ear. There are three areas in the ear that are prone to ear infections and plague both adults and children. Let us get down to the places where your ear mostly gets affected.

It is usually noted that viruses cause middle ear infections. The ear pain takes time to go, at least two or three days, and it is a sign that your body’s natural immune system tries to fight and cure the infection, much like the common cold. People suffering from middle ear infection sometimes have to get it treated by a medical practitioner when the condition progressively worsens.

People may think that earaches are just a minor nuisance, but they can cause debilitating pain. While waiting for medical care or for antibiotics to work, some home remedies can help.

Ear pain is sometimes unbearable, your quality of life gets affected and daily chores seem like an uphill task. Children find it particularly hard to deal with ear pain. So, it is important to treat ear infections with earache remedies. This can provide you with instant relief, and help people deal with the acute pain. However, if symptoms do not go away with home remedies, you have to get it treated by a doctor.

# Apply heat

Heat application is one of the more effective ways of reducing inflammation and pain in the ear. You can buy a heating pad at a store near you or online too, whichever is more convenient for you.

Use the hot pad to apply heat for 20 minutes, not only to your ear but the surrounding areas as well, such as the neck and throat with the hot pad.

Take care that the heating pad is not too hot, as it may scald you, and remember when you are administering the same to your child, you have to be even more careful.

# Cold

A cold pack is as effective as a hot pack to get relief from an earache and is one of the top home remedies for ear pain.

You can use paper towels for this particular ear therapy. Wrap ice in paper towels or use a freezing cold pack while you cover it with a light cloth. Apply this on your ear and the area around for 20 minutes. Ensure that cold is not too uncomfortable and be mindful of your kid’s sensitized skin. You can alternate between hot and cold packs too, this is as effective for ear aches, if not more.

# Ear drops

How do ear drops help in reducing pressure in the ear? Ear drops can help reduce pressure in the ear usually caused by fluid and earwax. You can buy them over the counter or even online. But before trying out any medications, do read out the directions carefully and it is important you talk it out with your doctor, especially when you are trying it on a young child.

Also, randomly selecting any ear drops may not turn out to be a good alternative to prescription medication. So, don’t use them for extended periods of time. Also, be very careful of the symptoms, and if they still persist, you have to get it checked by a medical practitioner. Do not use ear drops on a child whose has tubes inserted in their ears or whose eardrum has ruptured.

# Massage

A massage a day can keep most health issues at bay, and earaches are no different. A gentle massage is particularly useful in pain relief, especially the pain that radiates from the jaw or teeth, something that gives you a tension headache. It is a potent ear infection treatment.

Be gentle with yourself, or whoever you are administering the massage to. Massage the surrounding muscles with a sort of gentle kneading. If the area behind your ear hurts, try and massage the jaw and the neck area. It is the easiest way to get rid of earaches. Use a downward motion and gently prod behind the ears and slowly down the neck. Continue to work downwards and in the front of the ears. This type of massage helps to drain out the excess fluid accumulating in the ears that causes pain.

# Garlic

Eating a clove of garlic a day may help treat many infections, even ear infections.

Garlic has been an integral part of folk medicine for years to treat any kind of pain. Garlic has antimicrobial properties that are effective in the fight against infections. Garlic is also known as a natural antibiotic and can accelerate the healing process.

Sometimes garlic ear drops are also greatly effective in reducing pain and prevent an infection from getting chronic. There is another way you can treat ear infections by using garlic. Cook two or three cloves, crush them and cook them in two tablespoons of either mustard or sesame seed oil until they turn brown, then strain the mix. Then, apply a drop of this concoction in each ear.

# Onions

Onions are another way of fighting an ear infection, much like garlic. They can help fight infection and minimize pain. Try the following remedy for an earache.

Heat an onion in the microwave for a few minutes. Then, strain the liquid and administer several drops of this liquid to the ear. Lie down for at least 10 minutes and for the liquid to flow out of the ear. Repeat this as often as required.

# Olive Oil

One of the reasons you have an ear infection is because of accumulation of ear wax; and when the ear wax is attacked by a fungal or bacterial growth, it leads to a blockage in the Eustachian tubes. Cleaning this obstruction is fairly simple, especially with the use of olive oil.

Warm up the olive oil on a stove and dribble it into the infected ear. This will soften the earwax and then it will be easily removable with a cotton swab. Take care not to insert the cotton swab too deep as it may potentially damage the eardrum.

# Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar has a cure for all ailments, well almost all. As your grandmother will say, keep a bottle ready in your kitchen pantry. But do get the one that is organic, undiluted, with the mother culture, as this is the one which is the most effective. It has an acquired taste, most people do not take to the taste of ACV, but you know what, it boasts of a number of benefits. It has antibacterial and antifungal characteristics, which work against viruses that lead to an ear infection.

Combine one part apple cider vinegar with one part water. Saturate a cotton ball in the solution and place the same in your affected ear and let it sit for a few minutes, say five minutes. Now, remove the cotton ball and lay down on the opposite side so that any residual vinegar drains from your ear. Dry your ear with a hair dryer set on low temperatures.