Home Remedies for Ear Infections

With summertime approaching and allergy season in full swing this is the time of year when ear infections are more common. Some of the most common causes of ear infections are in fact swimming and allergies.

There is a tube in your ear called the Eustachian tube, and this connects the nose and the ear. When this tube swells it causes the ear to ache and it is unable to drain fluid causing an infection and pain in your ear. Ear infections are not fun, and for those of you that have experienced them they are quite painful and annoying. I have researched some natural remedies for ear infections and have enlisted the suggestions from friends and family to provide some remedies that you can use at home to help overcome this painful ache.

If you think that your eardrum has ruptured seek a doctors attention immediately.

Prop your head up while sleeping- This can help you start to drain, and with draining your pain will ease up as well.

Oil- My mother in law told me about this one, and it does really work. Warm some oil She said that any oil would do even cooking oil. Warm this to room temperature and drop one or two drops to affected ear. This provided me with instant relief.

Take a sock and one cup of rice or one cup of salt -Take the rice/salt and heat for 1 to 2 minutes in microwave. Then pour into sock. Place sock against hurt ear and the heat reduces swelling thus allowing ear to drain.

Onion- this is widely used within my family. Chop 1/2 of a small onion and microwave for a minute or two. Then take the onion juice after it cools and apply a couple drops to affected ear.

Some preventive measures that you can take to avoid an ear infection are

Take equal parts alcohol and white vinegar and drop one to two drops in each ear after swimming or bathing to help evaporate the water left in the ear.

Taking Zinc and Vitamin C helps boost immune system and protects against ear infections.

If you want to save yourself some grief and you are prone to swimmers ear just invest in some ear plugs.

Clean the ears out once a week with 1/2 peroxide and 1/2 water let set for 10 minutes then turn to let drain, I then gently dry mine out with a q-tip just to get the excess moisture.