There are actually quite a few home remedies people try for ear infection but the best ones will usually come from a professional health care giver or physician. If the condition is severe it is highly recommended you seek the help from your doctor, however there are pretty good natural remedies for ear infection you can try at home first. Read on to learn about them and to gain some very useful tips for dealing with ear infections in you or in your kids.
Those who have never suffered symptoms from an ear infection should thank their lucky stars. It is such a terrible condition that only parents whose kids have gone through it will understand. Luckily, modern medicine lets people have fast and easy access to ear infection remedies and people usually get better within a few days.
Infections of the ear have a huge impact on the lives people no matter who they are. These infections can occur to people during childhood and can stay on throughout their lives.
While there are so many remedies for ear infections and the fact that people claim relief from several ear infection therapies, one has to understand that only a qualified medic can be able to make the correct diagnosis as regards the extent of the problem.
Causes
Ear infections are also known as otitis media and actually occur in the middle ear, the location between one’s inner ear and ear drum. The most common causes of ear infection are some kind of fungus or bacteria in that grows in that area. However, there are other causes such as cancer which may bring similar effects. Further causes include congestion often linked to common cold,viral respiratory infections, and allergies.
Ear Infection Symptoms
- Pain: The first sign of an ear infection is mild to severe pain in one’s one ear or both. Fortunately, adults and older kids can tell people about their ear problems, making it much easier for anyone to assess their symptoms. However, children below the age of two may not know how to say it when they get pain from ear infections. They will end up pulling/tugging and scratching their ears.
- Crabbiness or loss of appetite and vomiting: Adults normally tend to ignore symptoms such as crabbiness, vomiting or loss of appetite, instead thinking that they are caused by other things in life. But these symptoms are also very common in kids, especially in those who eat well and are always active. Vomiting also occurs among kids with ear infections.
- Drainage: Ear wax is your way of maintaining cleanliness. However, when wax builds up, or when there is drainage coming out of the ear, it can be a sign of something being serious with regards to an ear infection. Any sort of drainage (including blood) that comes from the ear has to be attended to urgently by a doctor because this could be the sign that ones ear drum has ruptured.
- Fever: Anytime one is struck by an illness, the body automatically raises its own temperature to allow ones immunity to fight the infection. When a child is complaining of pain and has an abnormally high fever, chances are that he has an ear infection.
- Trouble hearing: With some ear infections, some people will often find it hard to listen with one or both their ears. Sounds can be received as distant or muffled. Some people may experience ringing in their ears or buzzing.
Recognizing It In Your Kids
ear infection signs in child
Parents will also notice that their usually alert kids look confused or dazed as a result of ear infections. For older kids, one can ask them if they are experiencing ringing in the ears or buzzing.
Ear infection symptoms that manifest in kids are quite different from those that are in adults. The symptoms can vary in severity from one person to the other. However, if you or your child gets any one of the above ear infection symptoms, it is recommended that you should not ignore them. Consult with your doctor about ear infection and get treatment for yourself or your child at once.
There are also many treatments and home remedies that one can pursue if they have symptoms of ear infections. The type of treatment will also depend on the severity of the condition and from one person to another.
Symptoms of ear health appear so rapidly so it is better if one seeks immediate medical attention once they develop the symptoms. But the good news is that ear infection symptoms can be treated in several different ways and one can get relief in a few days.
See more on ear health here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001662/
Ear Infection Remedies
The first thing that happens when one is trying an ear infection remedy is to try and reduce the pain they are experiencing. The most commonly used pain relievers for this include ibuprofen or acetaminophen which are both taken orally.
The use of antibiotics is one of the basic remedies of an ear infection. Most ear infections can be treated by a simple antibiotic regime that lasts two or three days. An antibacterial agent called Amoxillin is the most commonly used drug by doctors. This medication is taken orally and cures almost all ear infections. However, sometimes the bacteria develop resistance to this medicine. When this happens, another oral medication, co-amoxiclav is used. This medicine is a combination of antibiotics, Amoxillin and potassium. Penicillin is also used sometimes but a vast majority of doctors shun it because of its perceived weakness.
In cases of chronic ear infections, ear surgery can be the only remedy. There are other remedies for ear infection but none of them have proved quite effective. These remedies include homeopathy, acupuncture, herbs, osteopathy, and chiropractic adjustment. In general, ear infection remedies can include medicines prescribed by a doctor, home remedies, and natural remedies.
Medication
- Acetaminophen and ibuprofen are pain killers that can relieve pain caused by infection of the ear
- Sudafed is an over-the-counter medication that can ease pressure to the ear
- Oral antibiotics for ear infections are normally advised for people with discharges from their ears, mouths, or noses. Antibiotics should be used even after the infection has cleared, preferably for five or more days.
- In addition, one should get plenty of rest and avoid activities like scuba diving, bending, sneezing, coughing, and any attempts to equalize ears. If the pain persists, discontinue the treatment and seek medical attention from a doctor.
Home Remedies
- Increasing the amount of zinc intake in order to reduce infections of the ear
- Increasing the intake of vitamin C to boost immunity and fight infection
- Eating a healthy diet that includes plenty of calcium
- Avoiding the consumption of processed foods as well as hydrogenated oils
- Washing hands regularly
- Avoiding the touching of ears and nose
Home Remedies for Children
- Taking antibiotics such as Septra, Amoxillin, Ceclor, Bactrim, Suprax, Augmentin, and Pediazole can help. Improvements can be seen in about two to three days but the antibiotics have to be taken until the infection goes away.
- Analgesics such as Acetaminophen can relieve the pain and fever.
- Nasal or sinus congestion can be eased by decongestants and/or antihistamine.
Herbal Remedy for Ear Infection
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Other Natural Remedies
Before antibiotics were discovered, people used to have home remedies to treat ear infections. A vast majority of these remedies were really effective and helped in the treatment of mild infections of the ear. Some of the most effective natural home remedies for ear infection in both kids and adults include the following:
- Relieving the pain in the ear by pressing a warm bag of salt or warm bottle of water on the ear might help.
- Putting tea tree oil drops in the effected ear to treat bacterial ear infections
- Garlic or onion juice is an old and popular remedy for ear infections. One just needs to put 2 or 3 juice drops on the ear and then lie down by their side for a little while. The juice will get into the ear and deal with the infection.
- One should not use ear candles for removing wax from their ear as the infection can be pushed further into the ear.
Other natural ear infection remedies can include avoiding the consumption of dairy products, using herbs such as Echinacea and Goldenseal to clean the body and mixing hot water with essential oils such as eucalyptus and peppermint and then inhaling the steam from the mixture with a towel placed over ones head.
Ear ache is one of the common problems that occur to people with ear infections. It is a common disorder among children and adults. Ear ache is characterized by sharp pain which is unbearable at times such that one might not get some sleep. Ear ache remedies are many and the most people tend to rush to a doctor or specialist when they get the problem. However, there are many natural and home remedies for earache that can also be effective in pain relief.
In fact, ear infections are some of the most painful disorders to affect people. And it is not just pain alone but also the risk of going deaf that’s scary. It is not something anyone can countenance. Thus, ear infections can have an overall detrimental effect on one’s health. It is very important for people to get all the information as much as they can when looking for the best ear infection remedies. And medical professionals or doctors are the best placed to provide such information.
In this video acupuncture physician and registered herbalist Robert Linde discusses one of the classic ear infection remedies that is based on garlic and other herbs.
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