Middle Ear Infection Remedies (Otitis Media)
It’s a fact that prescription drugs can cause more harm than good for the treatment of middle ear infections. Fortunately there are many natural middle ear infection remedies which you can use to boost your immune system and relieve the painful symptoms of ear ache, muffled hearing, swollen glands, fatigue and fever.
Here are some of my favorite middle ear infection remedies that I use with my patients:
Essential oils
Warm a teaspoon of vegetable oil like olive oil, and add to it 3 drops of tea tree and 2 drops of lavender. Soak a piece of cotton wool in this and use to plug the ear. You can also use a massage oil around the ears, neck and cheeks. An effective massage oil combination is 1 drop of thyme, 3 drops of tea tree and 2 drops lavender.
Garlic
Garlic is great for ear infections. Some of my elderly patients swear by peeling a clove of garlic, wrapping it in gauze and placing it in the affected ear overnight. You can put some olive oil in the ear first to prevent any skin irritation. You can also drip some warmed garlic oil or liquid garlic extract in the ear every 2-3 hours. These middle ear infection remedies should not be used if the ear drum is perforated.
Improve your diet
An imbalanced diet with too much refined food causes an accumulation of toxins and a breeding ground for bacteria. It is important to base the diet around fresh fruit and vegetables, quality proteins, natural oils and small amounts of whole grains.
Homeopathics
Iron phosphate and potassium chloride are good middle ear infection remedies that can reduce inflammation and mucous in the ears.
Herbs
Antimicrobial herbs like olive leaf, echinacea and golden seal are powerful middle ear infection remedies that can help reduce bacteria and viruses in the ears
Heat
Hot compresses, heat bags or hot water bottles on the affected ear can ease the pain of ear middle ear infections.
Raise the head of the bed
Raise the head of the bed or crib to help the ear tubes drain naturally. Children rarely complain of pain in their ears during the day because they’re upright and the tubes are draining freely. When they lie down at night, the tubes fill, causing pain
Drink plenty of fluids
The very action of swallowing helps the ear tubes to open and drain, so drinking lots of fluids – preferably warm or hot, will help.
Use a vaporizer or steamer
It’s also helpful to use a vaporizer in the room at night. This will help to keep the air moist and encourage the thinning of fluids in the ear.
N-acetyl cysteine
One of my favorite middle ear infection remedies is N-acetyl cysteine – a natural amino acid supplement that can help reduce the severity of ear infections. It has been shown to be helpful in keeping mucus fluid and thus helping the ears to drain. 200 mg twice daily is recommended as a starting point.
Fight colds
For some people who are prone to recurrent ear infections after they get a cold it may be worth treating the cold vigorously with immune boosting nutrients, herbs, a vaporizer and if necessary a decongestant, especially at night.
Vitamins and minerals
Immune boosting nutrients like Vitamin A, C, E and zinc are essential middle ear infection remedies important in treating and preventing ear infections.
Treat allergies
Allergies are one of the major predisposing causes of ear infections. When you or your child’s respiratory passages become clogged with mucous in reaction to an allergen, the ears are more likely to harbor infection. Dairy products, wheat and eggs are the most common food allergens, however environmental allergens like dust mite, animal hair and pollen can also be a problem.
