Natural Remedies for Ear Aches and Infection

When my children complain of ear pain from ear aches or infection, the very first thing that I try is garlic oil. I can only think of one instance in my eight years of raising children when this simple natural remedy did not immediately provide relief for my kids' aching ears. This can be accomplished in a number of ways. The easiest involves simply keeping a bottle of garlic oil capsules in your medicine cabinet. When your child complains of ear aches or infection, simply prick a garlic oil capsule open and squeeze the contents into the offending ear. What I typically do, however, is use fresh garlic and olive oil. It is great if you keep some crushed garlic steeping in olive oil in your fridge at all times. However, you can also make some in a pinch, if your child complains of ear aches or infection. Crush some garlic by smashing it or using a garlic press, and combine the crushed garlic with some olive oil. Pour into a glass or jar and heat by setting the jar in a pan of water on the stove. Be careful not to get the garlic oil too hot! Test it on your own skin before inserting into your child's ear. Plug the ear with cotton and have the child rest. You may progress your child's comfort by gently applying heat and even massaging the garlic oil around the exterior of the ear and neck for a lymphatic drainage massage.

Another successful natural remedy that I once used for treating a child's complaint of ear ache or infection (I was out of garlic!) was onion juice. I read of this remedy in a terrific home remedy resource called The ABC Herbal by Steven Horne. Simply cook an onion in its skin by steaming or baking. Then extract some of the juice and use the warm onion juice (don't forget to test the temperature on your own skin first) in your child's ear to relieve ear ache or infection pain. This is a terrific remedy that also provides immediate relief for ear pain.

Another important component of your child's ear health is taking precautions to prevent ear aches and infection in the first place. Train your child not to ever insert objects into his ear and to blow his nose gently and carefully, one nostril at a time. If your child swims frequently, considering using ear plugs in the ears; and protect your children's ears and overall health by not allowing them to be exposed to cigarette smoke.