Health Care

By Amy B

What Causes An Ear Infection?

An ear infection is a common side effect of a cold, a sinus infection, and other problems. The small tube that connects the inner ear with the nose becoming blocked usually causes earaches. Moisture builds up in the ear, and pressure increases. Thus, we get an ear infection. There are a variety of options if you are looking for a home remedy for ear infection. Here are just a few of them.

Ways You Can Ward Off An Ear Infection

Many people consume zinc supplements to help act as a home remedy for ear infection, as well as other illnesses. A few drops of three percent hydrogen peroxide solution in each ear, sitting for about ten minutes, will help cure earaches caused by an ear infection.

Onions and garlic are known to have anti-bacterial properties. Warm onion juice can be used as an eardrop. You can also warm up two garlic cloves in a couple of teaspoons of mustard oil until the oil turns black. Once it is cool, this oil can then be used as a simple home remedy for ear infection.

Use Some Oil

If the ear is simply irritated, you may be able to soothe it by applying a few drops of olive oil. Likewise, mustard oil, applied daily, can help to reduce your chances of getting an ear infection or at least speed the healing up if you already have one.

You can put together two drops of lavender oil, two of chamomile oil, and three drops of tea tree oil in an almond oil solution. Use this mixture, slightly warmed up, as an eardrop three times a day. Chamomile is also known to sooth inflammation, and tea tree oil has well documented anti-microbial properties.

Heat Things Up

Holding a warm, wet cloth to the ear will improve circulation in the ear, and help remove wax that is creating a blockage.

Applying heat to an earache can usually reduce the pain. Heating pads and electric blankets can be a useful home remedy for ear infection. Remember never to put anything into your ear to try to remove a blockage. You could injure your ear, or push blockages in further.

Other home remedy for ear infection suggestions include eardrops made from mashed, peeled turmeric root in water, or a one to one ratio of rubbing alcohol and white vinegar. Turmeric has traditional uses as a natural antibiotic, so it's a good choice for an ear wash.

In the other home remedy, the alcohol's drying action will reduce the moisture in the ear canal, and vinegar's cleaning action can kill fungi or bacteria infecting the ear.