Warning Signs Of Ear Infections And Best Home Remedies For Fast Relief
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The cause of ear infection is bacteria or viruses in the middle ear. Ear infections happen more often with children than adults. Some of the common signs for an ear infection are pain in the ear, tugging at the ear, difficulty sleeping, headache, poor response to sounds, high fever, fluid draining from the ear, vomiting and diarrhea.
The ear is made up of three parts: outer, middle and inner.
Each part has specific functions that help a person hear. The outer ear has a shape like a leaf captures the traveling sound waves. This external section is called “pinna” and it channels sound waves into the ear canal. The sound waves through the ear canal reach the eardrum which is located in the middle part.
The middle ear starts with the Tympanic membrane. As sound waves travelling down the ear canal reach the Tympanic membrane, it vibrates like a drum. Behind the eardrum is an air-filled space containing three tiny bones, the smallest bones found anywhere in the human body. The vibrations in turn cause these bones to vibrate. The Middle Ear consists of the eardrum, these tiny bones (Malleus, Incus and Stapes) and the air pocket in which they reside.
In the inner part of the ear, there are important ear parts that are the cochlea, Eustachian tube, and nerves. Sound waves from the canal are sent to the nerves. Our brain processes the sound that it gets from the nerves, enabling us to recognize the sound and understand it.
Each part of the ear can get an ear infection. The most serious ones are the ones that happen to the inner ear. Complications, like damaging or rupturing the ear drum can be prevented by treatment. Untreated ear infections can lead to chronic recurrence and even cause deafness! It is important to consult a doctor, but for immediate relief you can try some natural treatments.
There are easy home remedies that you can try to treat the ear infection and get rid of the pain. We have selected the top 10 old wives’ remedies for ear infections:
1. Salt
Salt is probably the most available home remedy.
Heat up one cup of salt on a pan over low heat for a few minutes. Place the hot salt on a cloth and seal the open end. When it is warm (not hot!), put the salt on the ear for 5 to 10 minutes.
You can repeat this as many times as you need during the day. The heat helps draw out fluid from the ear and stops the swelling and pain.
Alternatively, you can use one cup of warm rice instead of salt.
2. Garlic
Garlic is a very effective remedy for pain and can be use to treat ear infection in several ways.
Make garlic oil by cooking two garlic cloves in two tablespoons of sesame oil or mustard oil until it turns blackish. Strain the solution. When it is bearably warm, use two to four drops of this oil in the infected ear as ear drops.
Alternatively, you can boil two or three fresh garlic cloves in water for five minutes, then crush them and add some salt. Put the mixture in a clean cloth and place it against the affected ear.
Consuming two to three cloves of raw garlic daily also helps speed up the healing process.
3. Basil
Basil reduces infections and stops pain.
Extract juice from five fresh basil leaves. Put the juice around the ear. Do not get juice inside the ear. You can also mix a few drops of holy basil oil with an equal amount of carrier oil like coconut oil. Soak a cotton ball in the mixture and gently wipe just inside the ear, around the outer edge and behind the ear. Repeat the process twice daily.
4. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is the best option if the ear infection is caused by fungus.
Mix one part apple cider vinegar with an equal amount of water or alcohol. Soak a cotton ball in the solution. Put the cotton ball in your ear like a plug and leave it for about five minutes. Remove the cotton ball and lay down on your opposite side to drain the liquid from the ear. Use a hair dryer on low blower to dry your ear as much as possible.
5. Olive Oil
If the Eustachian tubes are blocked due to wax in the ear, you can clear it with olive oil.
Warm some olive oil. Put a few drops of the lightly warmed oil into the infected ear. The wax will then soften. Remove the infected wax.
You can also use mustard oil in place of olive oil.
6. Warm Water Bottle
Heat will quickly relieve some of the pain and prevent micro-organism infestation.
Place warm water bottle or heating pad against the ear. You can also use a warm compress. Dip a clean washcloth in lukewarm water, wring out the excess water and then place the washcloth on the infected ear. Do not put heat for too long. Start with five minutes, then remove it. Wait for a while and put again.
7. Onion
Beside its uses in cooking, onion is effective for treating an ear infection.
Bake an onion for half an hour, cut it into halves and put one half in a thick cotton cloth. Place the cloth on the infected ear for five minutes. Wait for 10 minutes and then repeat the process.
8. Tea Tree Oil
The mild antibacterial properties present in tea tree oil can give instant relief from earache.
Put three drops of tea tree oil, two tablespoons of olive oil, a teaspoon of colloidal silver and a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Warm the mixture very lightly. Put the mixture in the ear and leave it for 5 minutes. Then turn and lay on your other side so that the mixture drains out of your ear completely. Repeat this two to three times a day till you have full relief.
9. Mango Leaf Juice
Mango leaf extract is a quick and effective treatment.
Crush or grind two to three soft mango leaves to extract the juice. Slightly warm the juice. Using a dropper, put three to four drops of the juice into the infected ear. Within a few minutes, you will feel relief from the pain. Follow this remedy two to three times a day for full relief from ear infection.
10. Breast Milk
Breast milk has natural antibodies that can help speed up the healing process of any kind of ear infection. It will alleviate swelling and discomfort and can get rid of an ear infection within one or two days. This remedy works for both children and adults.
Using a dropper, put a few drops of freshly-extracted breast milk into the affected ear.
Repeat the process every few hours as needed.
Breast milk also can be used to treat eye infections, minor cuts and minor burns.
These remedies can help treat minor ear infections. If there is no improvement within a couple of days, seek medical attention.
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