Your ears, consist of three parts. The outer, middle, and inner ear and ears have one of the most important functions and that is hearing. However our hearing can sometimes be in a bit of a trouble since our ears can be attacked by various bacteria and viruses that can cause ear infections.
Ear infections as we know are more common in children, but adults are not immune to that either. While all parts of the ear can be infected, the most common one is the middle ear infection, and the most severe one is the inner ear infection.
The most obvious symptom of an ear infection is of course, pain in your ear(s), as well as worse response to various sounds. Other symptoms of an ear infection can be headaches, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, fluid draining, as well as being unable to sleep well.
However, it is always best to consult your doctor first so as to check whether the symptoms you may be experiencing are indeed the symptoms of an ear infection.
If you do have an infection, then it is crucial to treat it as soon as possible in order to avoid potential damage to your eardrums or even deafness. If you cannot bear the pain until your doctor’s appointment, then we suggest several ways to relieve and even cure ear infections in one day.
Here are 10 natural remedies for ear infections:
Salt
Salt is the most available remedy in case of an ear infection. If you’re wondering how salt works against that, then don’t worry, it’s pretty simple. You just need to heat the salt in a microwave or in a frying pan on low heat for several minutes.
After that, put the lukewarm salt on a cloth, put it on the painful ear and hold it for 5 to 10 minutes. The heat from the salt will draw the fluid out and you should do this on a daily basis until the infection is gone.
You can also use an alternative to salt which is rice. It will have the same effects.
Garlic
This smelly but healthy vegetable is beneficial for so many different health problems and ear infection is certainly one of them. For starters, the mere consumption of garlic can help ease ear infection when having it.
But it is also helpful to try using it in a different form in order to have better results. Boil 2-3 cloves of garlic for 5 minutes, then crush the boiled cloves into a powder and add salt.
Place the mixture on a towel or a cloth and hold it on your infected ear until you start feeling some easement. Or you can boil 2 cloves in a mustard or sesame oil, drain it, and put 2-4 drops into the infected ear.
Onion
A relative to garlic, this vegetable is also very effective in curing and relieving ear infections. Bake an onion for 30 minutes, cut it in halves and place one half in a cotton cloth, then, put the cloth on the painful ear and hold it for 5 minutes.
After that you should remove the cloth and wait for 10 more minutes before placing the cloth on the ear again. Another way to use the properties of onions is to chop an onion, place it in the microwave, heat it up for a couple of minutes, and leave it to cool.
Then, strain out the juice and place 2-3 drops in the infected ear. Leave it like that for several minutes, and then lay down on the other side to drain it out completely.
Basil
Basil is an herb that soothes pain and is also very helpful in treating infections, so it is also one of the best natural remedies in this case. You should get five fresh basil leaves, extract the juice of them, and pour it around the ear, but be careful not to let it get inside the ear.
Another helpful tip is to mix some carrier oil (like coconut oil for example) with a few drops of basil oil in equal amounts, soak a cotton ball in the mixture, and use it to wipe the inside of the infected ear, behind it, as well as around the outer edge of the ear. Do this twice a day to relieve the pain.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is greatly helpful in clearing the Eustachian tubes in your ear, which can easily get blocked by all the wax.
The way to do this is very easy – just heat the olive oil until it gets pleasantly warm and then put several drops into the infected ear which will help soften the wax and make it easier to remove it. You can also use mustard oil as an alternative to olive oil.
Apple Cider Vinegar
If your ear infection is caused by fungus, then apple cider vinegar is the best way to cure it! You just need to take equal amounts of apple cider vinegar and water (or alcohol) and mix it all together.
Soak a cotton ball into the mixture and put it into the infected ear like an ear plug. Leave it like that for 5 minutes and then remove the cotton ball.
After that, lay on the other side in order to drain the solution from the infected ear and then dry it gently with a hair dryer.
Mango Leaf Juice
Get a few mango leaves and crush them (or grind them) in order to extract the juice from them. After that, get the juice and heat it to a pleasantly warm temperature.
Then, put 3-4 drops of the warmed mango leaf juice in the infected ear which will ease the pain. You can do this for several days until the pain is gone.
Tea Tree Oil
Ear infection pain can also be greatly reduced with the potent antibacterial properties of the tea tree oil. Just mix 3 drops of tea tree oil with colloidal silver and a few tablespoons of olive oil, warm the mixture and then put several drops of it into the infected ear.
Leave it for 5 minutes, then turn on the other side in order to drain the liquid out of the ear. This is to be done twice or 3 times a day, for several days until the infection is gone.
Warm Water Bottle
This is a great method to help prevent the infestation of micro-organisms in your ear, and to quickly soothe the pain of an ear infection. A heating pad or a bottle with some warm water can be used to place it against the painful ear.
If you use a warm compress, just dip a clean washcloth in some lukewarm water, drain the excess water, and apply it onto the ear. Hold it like that for 5 minutes, remove it and repeat the process afterwards.
Breast Milk
Breast milk may sound weird to use in this type of situation, but it contains antibodies that accelerate the healing process of any kind of ear infection.
Therefore, it is another effective solution to treat this kind of pain, and it will also reduce the swelling and soothe the pain. It can be used for both adults and children, and it relieves the pain in only 2 days.
You just need to put a few drops of breast milk into the infected ear every two hours until you feel relief of the pain. In case of no relief, then you should definitely visit a doctor.