Ear

Ear infection occurs most commonly in children rather than adults. Whenever the water gets trapped in the ear canal due to the buildup of wax, then it results in the growth of bacteria and thereby infection.

It is also caused due to an upper respiratory infection, allergy, or fluid buildup in the ear due to internal injuries, etc. This infection can be either viral or bacterial. Earache, fever, headache, fluid leakage, unable to hear properly, difficulty sleeping, pressure changes, etc. are observed as the symptoms of the ear infection.

Treating with conventional antibiotics will give relief but includes some side effects, as it disturbs the whole body functioning by killing good bacteria.

Fortunately, there are some natural remedies for ear infection like garlic or olive oil for treating the infection. In this article, we learn on how to clear ear infection with amazing tea tree oil. Let’s get started.

How Does Tea Tree Oil Treats Ear Infection?

• Tea tree essential oil exhibits natural antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties that kill the bacteria or virus causing infection in the ear.
• It acts as an antiseptic agent that helps a lot in treating wounds or infections.
• It has an anti-inflammatory property that helps to reduce the pain, irritation, and inflammation in the ear.
• It effectively removes dirt, impurities and excess fluids that clog the ear with its drying effect and causing infection.

How to Treat Ear Infection using Tea Tree Oil?

Here are the best and effective ways of using tea tree oil for clearing ear infection. Have a look at these methods and follow them regularly to kick out the infection.

Method – 1: (Tea Tree Oil)

Tea tree oil should not be used directly. It should be diluted with water, carrier oil or any other things before application. Here are few ways of using tea tree oil diluted with warm water.

• Steam is the best process to cover all respiratory parts for treating the infection. Pour 3 – 5 drops of tea tree oil in a bowl of hot water. Cover your head using a towel and inhale the steam for few minutes (Or) add few drops of tea tree oil in your humidifier.
• Stir 3 drops of tea tree oil in 1/4 cup of warm water and pour in a dropper. Lie on your side with infected ear facing upwards and with a towel under your head. Pour 3 – 4 drops of this mix into the ear and turn over after 5 minutes to drain out the fluid and ear infection. Repeat regularly for 2 – 3 times daily.
• Mix 3 – 5 drops of tea tree oil in 1 tablespoon of warm water and use this water to rub all over the ear and all around the ear area gently. Continue this application regularly till you get relief from the infection.

Method – 2: (Tea Tree Oil with Olive Oil and Apple Cider Vinegar)

Olive oil has an antimicrobial property that clears the bacteria or virus causing infection and it also removes ear wax that blocking Eustachian tubes. Apple cider vinegar balances the pH level of the ear which in turn makes prevents the growth of microbes.

• Mix 3 drops of tea tree oil and 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
• Stir well and warm the mix slightly.
• Lie down on your side by placing a towel under the head and facing the infected ear upwards.
• Pour this warm mix into the ear using a dropper and let stay in that position for 3 – 4 minutes.
• Then turn the side with infected ear facing down on the towel to drain out the extra mix.
• Continue the same for 2 – 3 times daily for 2 – 3 days.

Note:

• Also, add 1 teaspoon of colloidal silver in this mix before application for best results.
• Or you can simply mix 3 drops of tea tree oil in 1/4 cup of warm olive oil (or any carrier oil or vegetable oil) and pour in the infected ear using a dropper (just like as said above).

Method – 3: (Tea Tree Oil with Lavender Oil)

Both tea tree oil and lavender oil are essential oils that exhibit antimicrobial property to fight against the bacteria or virus causing infection.

• Mix 5 drops each of tea tree oil, lavender oil, and juniper oil.
• Pour in a small bottle with a dropper and then pour 2 drops in 1 ear.
• Cover the ear with a cotton ball so that the oil doesn’t drip.
• Wait for 3 minutes and tilt down your head to drain the mix out of the ear.
• Do the same with the other ear and repeat it regularly till you get relief from the ear infection.

Note: Or mix 10 drops each of lavender oil, tea tree oil and chamomile oil (optional) in 1/4 cup of olive oil. Apply this mix all around the infected ear with gentle massage to get rid of ear infection and its discomforts.

Method – 4: (Tea Tree Oil with Neem oil and Sesame Oil)

Neem oil exhibits an antibacterial property that clears the ear infection by preventing the bacteria. Sesame oil is used as a base oil to prevent irritation caused by both tea tree and neem oils.

• Mix 10 drops each of tea tree oil and neem oil in 2 tablespoons of sesame oil (or olive oil).
• Lie down on your side and pour this mix into the ear using a dropper.
• Wait for 2 minutes and turn down to drain out the oil.
• Or use a cotton swab to clear the excess oil and to clean the ear.
• Repeat regularly till you get rid of the ear infection.

Tips and Precautions:

1. The natural remedies are effective in treating middle ear infections. But be sure to consult your doctor if you’re suffering from chronic ear infection (or) ear infection with severe pain and fever that lasts for more than 2 days.
2. Tea tree oil might cause some allergic reaction. So, it’s best to do some patch test before using tea tree oil for your ear infection.
3. Never ever use tea tree oil for internal purpose, as it causes some serious health problems.
4. Always prefer to dilute tea tree oil with any carrier oils (like coconut oil, olive oil, castor oil or almond oil) before its application for best results.
5. Pregnant or nursing women and children should not use tea tree oil without getting prior advice from their doctor.
6. Get plenty of rest and consume a healthy food that boosts your immunity to prevent ear infection and its recurrence.
7. Make sure to clean your ears regularly without any water, wax or fluid buildup in the ear to prevent this problem.

Try these natural tea tree oil methods for treating your ear infection. Do you know any other successful methods for curing ear infection? Then share it with us in the below comments box.

Ear infection commonly occurs due to the accumulation of fluids in the middle ear which is caused by cold, allergies, bacteria, flu, wax build-up, environmental allergies and other viral presence in the ear. Pain in the ear, headache, tugging at ear, fever, fluid draining from ear, difficulty in sleep, etc. are some of the common symptoms experienced by the people suffering from ear infection.

However, the untreated ear infections can lead to chronic recurrence and thereby causes deafness. So, it’s important to consult doctor but for getting some relief from pain and acute ear infection, you can try time-honored, simply and effective natural remedies at home.

Garlic is one such natural home remedy that effectively treats ear infection and the following article will tell you how it works and how to use it for curing the infection.

• It has anti-bacterial, anti-oxidizing anti-viral properties that treat the bacterial action on ear causing infection.
• It reduces the swelling, pain and infection caused in the ear with its excellent antibiotic property.
• It contains allicin, an antimicrobial containing sulfur compound that works against the infection and pain in the inner ear.
• It has anti-inflammatory property that works wonders at reducing the pain, swelling and inflammation caused due to infection.
• It has some powerful aromatic compounds that have anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties that can be absorbed easily through the skin and eardrum and thereby into the inner ear surrounding tissues to cure the pain and infection.
• It is rich in vitamin C, manganese, selenium and other essential nutrients that strengthen the immune system to fight against infection causing microbes and to clear the infection completely.

After getting an idea on how it works, let’s know how to use garlic for treating the ear infection. Here we are providing 3 best garlic methods for treating the infection on the ear.

Method – 1: (Garlic cloves)

Garlic alone can be used as an effective remedy for curing the ear infection.

Steps to be followed…

• Take out few garlic cloves from the garlic bulb.
• Crush (or cut it into slices) and wrap it in a small cloth or tissue.
• Place it on the ear and leave it on for at least 30 minutes.
• Remove the cloth or tissue whenever you got relief from the pain.
• Do the same process regularly to get relief from the pain and thereby infection.

Note:

• For more effective results, place the garlic wrapped tissue or cloth on the ear at night before bed time and let it sit for overnight.
• Or else, place a garlic clove on the ear as your ear plugs and cover it with a gauze or band – aid. Be sure that not to insert the garlic clove inside the ear.
• Alternatively, dip a cotton ball in freshly extracted garlic juice and dab it in the infected ear. Let it sit for few minutes and take it out.

Method – 2: (Garlic with Olive Oil)

Olive oil soothes the outer ear and forms a protective layer against bacteria or any other infection causing things inside the ear. This combination helps you to get quick relief from the ear infection and swimmer’s ear.

Steps to be followed…

• Cut few garlic cloves and place it in a bowl.
• Add some St. John’s Wort and mullen flower in the bowl.
• Pour extra virgin olive oil in the bowl and warm it slightly for few minutes.
• Extract this oil mixed and use a dropper to pour few drops of this oil into the infected ear.
• Be sure to tilt your head or sleep by placing the infected ear up to get the oil into the infected area.
• Leave it on for few minutes and repeat the same process regularly to get rid of the problem.

Note:

• Or simply infuse few sliced cloves of garlic in warm olive oil for few minutes and pour few drops of this oil into the infected ear and also massage the ear surrounding areas to get rid of pain and swelling. You can also place a warm rice bag on the ear after pouring the oil to get quick relief.
• Also, use mustard or sesame oil instead of olive oil in this process.
• Alternatively, use garlic oil directly which is available in the herbal and health stores for treating the infection. Massage with the oil all around the infected ear for few minutes.

Method – 3: (Garlic Cloves with Salt)

Salt helps to remove the moisture that caused due to bacteria and garlic clears the infection. So, this combination is very effective in getting rid of the infection quickly.

Steps to be followed…

• Boil 5 – 7 cloves of garlic in water for 3 – 5 minutes and turn off the heat.
• Crush the cloves finely with some salt.
• Place this mix on a cloth and put it on the affected ear.
• Allow it to sit for about few minutes to clear the moisture and bacteria from the ear.
• Take it out and wipe your ear to clean it and to make it free from infection.
• Continue doing the same process regularly until you got complete cure from infection.

Tips and Precautions:

1. Include garlic in your daily diet to enhance the immune system that in turn helps to fight against the infection causing bacteria or virus.
2. Simply use garlic supplements like garlic pills or garlic oil capsules by opening it and pouring the content into the infected ear and place a cotton ball over it.
3. Always prefer to use freshly chopped or crushed garlic cloves, as it has most potent compounds that are essential for treating the infection rather than dried or bottled one.
4. Never ever place or pour the liquid into the ear that has broken eardrum, as it worsens the infection rather than curing it.
5. Remember to keep your ears clean and dry to avoid any ear infection in future. Children and kids are more prone to this ear infection, so have a regular check-ups and treat the infection quickly.
6. Be sure that garlic has natural blood thinning property, so reduce or limit its consumption if you’re taking blood-thinning medications.
7. These methods are not meant for one-time usage, you have to follow them regularly until you get complete relief from the infection.
8. Check with your doctor if you didn’t find any relief from the infection after using garlic for ear infection to get proper diagnose and treatment as per your health conditions.

That’s all for now, use garlic for treating your infection and feel free to share your experience with us about your ear infection and which garlic remedy works well in curing the infection.

Ear infection is most common in children rather than adults, that caused by bacteria or virus affects in the middle ear. Wax buildup, environmental pollutants, genetics, upper respiratory infections, internal injuries and nutritional deficiencies are some of the factors contributing to the ear infection. Suffering from ear pain, difficulty in sleeping, headache, fluid draining from ear, vomiting (seen in children), poor response to sounds, etc. are some of the signs and symptoms of ear infection.

Although there are many over the counter antibiotics and pain relievers used for treating the infection but in a long run, it exhibits many side effects on the body. So, the usage of natural remedies is a wise choice for treating the infection long lasting results and with no more side effects.

Olive oil is one among those amazing natural home remedies that widely used to treat many health and skin problems, including ear infection. Here are some of its properties that explain you on how it works for treating the infection in the ear.

• Ear wax is the main cause of infection in the ear, as this wax will catch some bacteria or fungus growth which in turn blocks Eustachian tubes and thus results in infection. Olive oil is very effective in clearing the wax easily to clear the obstruction and thereby infection.
• It reduces the irritation in the outer and inner ear to ease the pain, discomfort and inflammation with its anti-inflammatory property.
• It opens up the Eustachian tubes to reduce the infection and prevent the buildup of earwax to clear water draining out of the ear canal.
• It provides a protective layer on the outer ear to prevent the bacteria or virus attack or any other infections inside the ear.
• It contains strong antibacterial and antiviral properties that cure the infection caused due to bacteria or virus.
• It has antioxidants and fragile polyphenols that protect the cells from damage and gets control over the inflammation.
• It strengthens the immune system to fight against the bacterial and other microbes causing ear infection. It also has natural analgesic that relieves you from the pain.

Olive oil can be used for treating the infection in many ways, either alone or with the combination of other ingredients to eliminate the ear infection along with its symptoms. Here are the 3 best olive oil methods.

Method – 1: (Olive Oil)

In this process, we are going to know how olive oil alone can be used to treat ear infection. It helps to alleviate the pain.

Steps to be followed…

• Warm some olive oil slightly for a minute or two.
• Pour this lukewarm olive oil into the infected ear.
• Cover that ear with a cotton ball and let it sit for few minutes.
• Remove the ball and clear the wax with the help of cotton swabs.
• This process will soften the ear wax and thus remove it to prevent the infection.
• Be sure that not to put the swab too far in the ear as it damages the eardrum.
• Repeat the same process for few times a day till you got complete relief from the infection and pain.

Note:

• Or dip a cotton ball in warm olive oil and dab it on the affected ear areas. Let it sit for few minutes and take it out to clear the infection.
• Alternatively, pour olive oil in the infected ear by using an ear dropper and then cover the ear with a warm compress to get quick relief from the pain and infection.

Method – 2: (Olive Oil with Essential Oils)

Essential oils are very effective in treating the infections on the ear and to enhance its effectiveness, you have to mix the essential oils with olive oil.

Steps to be followed…

• Warm some olive oil and add few drops of any essential oils like tea tree oil, lavender oil and peppermint oil, eucalyptus, etc.
• Pour this warm olive oil mix in a bowl and let it cool for a minute or two.
• Lay on one side and pour this oil mix into the infected ear by using a dropper.
• Cover the ear with a cotton ball.
• Let it stay for few minutes and then turn to the other side to remove the oil mix along with the infection.
• Do the same process 2 – 3 times daily for few days to heal the infection quickly.

Method – 3: (Olive Oil with Garlic)

This combinational process is very effective in curing ear infection. It acts as a natural antibiotic and pain killer that relieves you from infection.

Steps to be followed…

• Add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a pan.
• Add few crushed cloves of garlic in oil and stir it well.
• Warm the mix slightly for 2 – 5 minutes.
• After that, strain the oil and pour this oil mix in the affected ear with the help of a dropper.
• Cover it with a cotton ball and relax yourself for few minutes.
• Regularize the process for few days to get rid of the infection.

Tips and Precautions:

• Avoid applying olive oil in the ruptured eardrum or suspecting to get ruptured or having any ear injury which will worsen the problem along with some side effects.
• Always use extra virgin or virgin olive oil rather than normal oil for treating your health and skin problems (that includes ear infection).
• Consult your doctor (ENT specialist), if your symptoms persist or worsen or suspecting any inner ear infection to get proper diagnose and treatment as per the problem.
• Check the temperature of olive oil before putting it in the ear, as it should be warm but not hot.
• As a preventive step, pour 2 – 3 drops of olive oil in each ear canal before going to swim to prevent water from getting into the ears.
• Always keep your ears clean and dry to prevent the recurrence of this infection or any damage to the ears.

Give a trial of using olive oil for treating your ear infection. Or do you have any other remedies for treating this infection? Then share your experience with us.