Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Natural Cure for Ear Infections and Earaches

I know that this subject doesn't fall in line with the topics I've been discussing this past week, but I felt that it's a great time to fit it in. It seems like there are plenty of people dealing with sick kids, earaches and ear infections. Up until this year, we hadn't ever experienced an earache or infection in our household. We were going on 5 years. Well, we took a trip up to see some family for Christmas, and on the airplane's descent, our 2 1/2 year old started screaming and crying that her ear hurt. She and her big sister had both had mild little colds the week before, the snot, coughs, etc. I figured that the elevation and pressure changes caused some issues with some remaining mucous. Anyway, long story short...she was up all night. The next day she was still out of it and had a fever by that point. I did a bunch of research...because if you haven't figured it out yet...that's just what I do, and read about some GREAT remedies and cures. After reading LOTS of materials, I created the recipe below, her ear infection was gone in less than 2 days. With ZERO complaints after the fact.

Fast forward a little over a month to last weekend. Scott and I are watching TV (our favorite Friday night activity is catching up on "our shows" from that past week) and we hear our 4 1/2 year old crying upstairs. Talk about a date night killer! Anyway, she was complaining that her ear hurt and using this newly beloved remedy, the pain was gone and she was back to sleep within 2 hours. No more complaints.

This past Sunday night, she woke up again...other ear! Now, a couple weeks before they had both caught a nasty bug that has been circulating around our parts; they got the mild end of it...which is typical for us because they eat so well, and using the remedy...she walked back upstairs and fell back to sleep within 20 minutes of waking up.

We are believers!

All Natural Earache & Ear Infection Remedy
Cold-Pressed Olive Oil
Garlic Clove
Tea Tree Oil
Rice Pack
Cotton Ball


Both raw garlic and tea tree oil are anti-bacterial on top of so many other amazing things. Click on both of those links for some great info on each of them. I'll discuss further some of their benefits later, but anyway, to the remedy we go!

*Pour some hot water into a small cereal bowl. Take a small ramekin or something similar and pour some cold-pressed olive oil into it. Take a fresh garlic clove and crush it a little bit, so that it opens up. Place the crushed clove into the oil. Set the small oil-filled bowl inside the cereal bowl with hot water in it. *Note -Make sure there is only enough hot water that it comes up the sides of the small ramekin and doesn't spill into the oil mixture. Using a fork, further mash the garlic clove so that it releases its oils into the olive oil. You can also add a drop or two of tea tree oil into that mixture as well. After the oil is just warm to the touch, make sure it is only luke warm as you do not want to scald the ear or ear drum! Have your child tip their head to the side. Using a spoon, drop a few drops into the ear, pulling the ear gently so that you see air bubbles signifying the oil is entering. It is sort of a weird feeling for them, but praise them for being brave. After the oil is in for a moment, tear a small piece of cotton ball and just barely set it in the outer ear so as not to soak up all of the oil you just put in, but just to keep it from spilling out all over the place.

Warm a rice pack, (you could just put some rice in an old sock and tie it off) Only heat it until it is warm...not hot. Have your child, or help your child, hold the warmed rice pack to their affected ear. It will soothe the pain and it will also help draw the infection out. Of course have them drink lots of water during the time that they are affected, and also cut out all sugars and immune weakening foods. Repeat as necessary. You'll know when it's time to do it again.  

I hope this helps!

1 comment:

  1. Tried this one out tonight. Clarissa was asleep when we did it which definitely helped, but I couldn't see how much oil was getting in there. Hopefully we got some in there far enough!

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