Three Easy Herbal Remedies For Treating Ear Infections

Ear infections and earaches are very common among children, but the problem may persist for some well into adulthood. Unfortunately, while ear problems are very common among children, they are not so common with most adults because adults don’t have the small Eustachian tube that plague infants and children. This tube runs horizontally, stretching from the nasal cavity to the ear.

The placement of the small Eustachian tube allows bacteria to access this sensitive area relatively easily. The fully formed Eustachian tube is long and vertical and allows air pressure to equalize on both sides of the eardrum. This helps keep most bacteria away, however not everyone is blessed with a perfectly operating Eustachian tube.

For those adults unlucky enough to develop an ear infection, the first sign is the presence of a persistent earache. Most people who develop ear infections will develop them in the outer ear or the ear canal. One of the most common types of ear problems is obitis external, better known as swimmer’s ear.

Other ear problems may be caused by allergies, colds, sore throats, or tooth pain that has ‘traveled’ to the ear. If you find that your ear problems are not very severe or recurrent, then you may be able to treat the occasional ear problem with herbal remedies that can easily soothe your ear problems. Here are three such herbal remedies that can help soothe ear ailments.

1. Garlic. Also known as the poor man’s penicillin, garlic is one of the most potent natural healers. To get rid of an earache, take a capsule of bacteria-fighting garlic oil, or put a couple of fresh garlic cloves into your sandwich. Or you can take a store-bought garlic oil capsule and pierce it with a pin, allowing a few drops to fall on a cotton ball.

Then, with great care, place the garlic-infused cotton ball into your ear. Leave the cotton ball in your ear for at least an hour during the day, and leave it in overnight. Make sure you place the cotton ball inside your ear, but don’t push it in too far into the ear canal. You can also take garlic oil capsules. Most herbalists recommend taking two 500 milligrams of garlic everyday for at least seven days.

2. Mullein. You can think of mullein as garlic’s best friend. Simply add some mullein oil to your garlic mix to help soothe the skin of the ear canal. Mullein not only helps soothe the infected area, it can also help reduce the inflammation and relieve the physical pain caused by an ear infection. Simply add a few drops of mullein oil onto your garlic-infused cotton ball.

3. Lavender essential oil. Lavender contains many antiseptic properties that make it ideal for treating ear infections. Lavender also helps support the immune system, and its scent is well noted for its relaxing properties. To make sue of lavender’s healing properties, simply fill a bowl with a cup of boiling water and add a few drops of lavender essential oil. Place a towel over your head and inhale the lavender scent for five minutes or so.