| Since the people first started populating the planet, they have had to deal with infections. Ancient peoples did not have the same understanding of antibiotics as we do today, so they had to rely on other remedies to treat the problem. While modern people can get prescriptions to fight infection, that's not any reason to discount the power of home remedies. It should be pointed out that professional medical attention is still the best option, but home remedies do have their place.
One of the most common types of infection, particularly found amongst children, is an ear infection. They can range from the bothersome on one end to the torturously painful at the other end. Read on for more information on home remedies for ear infections.
A lot of parents, perhaps you, have had nights where their child has woken up holding their ear and crying in pain. While it may be best to see a doctor, it's difficult to find one in the middle of the night. It's situations like these where a few home remedies for ear infections come in handy.
The first thing you should know is that home remedies can only do so much. Some do a good job of curing mild cases, while others work better for temporarily easing the pain (allowing the sufferer to get some much-needed rest) until a medical professional can be seen.
An age-old home remedy is applying a hot water bottle or bag of salt to the problem ear. This is often enough to suppress the more minor infections, and will typically provide a certain level of pain relief.
Tea tree oil is another remedy that some people turn to, but it should be noted that irritates the skin of some people who try it. For those that can tolerate, though, it has some power to fight off infection. This makes it a good choice, but other options exist without the potential side effects.
One such alternative is an extract that goes by the name of Otikon. It is made from a combination of several different plant extracts. These extracts produce an anesthetic property which works well at relieving the pain of ear infections. It's an excellent choice for those that need to deaden the pain so they can rest.
While the above remedies are effective, there is another method that has been proven not to work: ear candling. This is a process where cone made of wax-covered paper (the candle) is inserted into the ear and then lit. Some purveyors of this method claim that it draws the infection out of the ear and up through the candle. It simply does not work that way. In fact, many people create more serious medical problems by using them. Any claims of their benefits are nothing more than mumbo-jumbo, and have been repeatedly disproven. In other words, ear candling should never be used to treat ear infections.
Keep in mind that even though some infections are minor, if they are not treated properly they can lead to more serious problems. Home remedies are best as a temporary treatment until proper medical attention can be found. But for minor irritation, home ear infection remedies may be enough to do the trick. |