Ear infections -also know as “acute otitis media”- usually occur when a common cold, throat infection, or allergy episode causes fluid to become trapped in the middle ear: air-filled space behind the eardrum that contains minuscule bones that vibrate. Symptoms may include thick, yellow fluid coming from the ears, ear pain (especially when in horizontal position), tugging or pulling, loss of balance, headaches and high temperatures.
Children are the main target for this type of aching, because their immune systems are still immature and their small ears don’t drain as well. Although, the symptoms for this affliction usually resolve themselves rather quickly and there is no need to visit a doctor, nature provides us with natural remedies to ease the pain. A natural remedy for ear infection is usually the safest treatment.
You can boil four table spoons of baby oil and use it as ear drops, or damp a towel in warm water and place it over the infected area. Both of these homemade reliefs produce a warm sensation which provides a calming effect, specially before turning to bed. Find a local pharmacy that sells herbal extracts and healthcare products, and buy a bag of sea salt. Warm it up in a microwave oven for five minutes at regular power, strain it and use it as drops.
A somewhat traditional and long-standing cure for this kind of infection, was to apply half an onion (having previously removed the center) inside the ear channel, after cooking it in the oven for thirty minutes. Another recipe that involves items from the kitchen suggests to peal a few garlic cloves, dip it in virgin olive oil and put it inside the inner side of the ear, without letting it go further up. People who have tried this remedy recommend removing the clove after a period of eight to twelve hours.
One of the main causes for ear infections, is the accumulation of solid wax residue in the hearing channel. This build-up may be the root of the inflammation and, therefore, the discomfort. In order to prevent it, you will need to damp a piece of cotton in lemon juice and put it as close to the enlargement as possible.
Parents appeal to arrange homemade drops because they appear to be the most adequate solution for acute discomfort. Nevertheless, we have found a few simple exercises that can help to relax the affected area by applying pressure: make a “V” shape with your index and middle finger (resembling a peace sign), place them below the earlobe and start a restricted movement going upwards and downwards while stressing the ear, and repeat it forty times with relaxing intervals of thirty seconds.
Ear infections can be averted by paying attention to the behavioral shifts in children, their body temperature and sleeping habits. The soreness can be overlooked and mistaken for a simple tantrum, but keep in mind that children communicate their distress along those lines. Public pools and inadequate hygiene regimes can contribute to the problem as well.
