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How To Naturally Get Rid Of Ear Infection

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Its Not Just Kids Who Get Ear Infections Adults Can Have Them Too Heres How To Reduce Your Risk

How To Get Rid of Ear Infection|Top Home Remedies for Ear infection

If you feel pain or fullness in your ear, notice fluid leaking out or are having trouble hearing, you might have an ear infection. Although more common in children, adults can get them, as well especially in the winter, when colds and flu lead to secondary infections.

Ear infections occur when your middle ear gets clogged and air cant get through, creating a moist breeding ground for bacteria.

Simple acute ear infections can occur if the Eustachian tube, which connects the nose to the middle ear space, gets blocked and fluid builds up, says John S. Oghalai, MD, an otolaryngologist at Keck Medicine of USC, and chair and professor of otolaryngology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Children are more likely to get ear infections, because their Eustachian tubes are shorter and more horizontal, so they dont drain as well.

Home Remedies For Ear Infection In Children And Adults

The ear is made up of three parts: outer, middle, and inner.

Ear infection is one of the most common diseases in young children, and if this infection is untreated, it can cause permanent hearing loss. Ear infection often causes an initial infection of the nose and throat. The infection spreads from the throat along the pipe to the middle ear.

Home Care To Relieve Ear Pain

If you have ear pain, itâs a good idea to talk with your doctor about it.

Thereâs little research to say whether or not home care works, but most doctors agree these treatments are safe to try yourself:

A cool or warm compress. Soak a washcloth in either cool or warm water, wring it out, and then put it over the ear that’s bothering you. Try both temperatures to see if one helps you more than the other.

A heating pad: Lay your painful ear on a warm, not hot, heating pad.

Over-the-counter ear drops with pain relievers. If they help at all, itâs only briefly. You shouldnât use these drops if your eardrum has a tear or hole, so check with your doctor first.

Pain reliever. Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen can often relieve the pain of an earache. Ask your doctor which is right for you.

Chew gum. If youâre on an airplane or driving at high altitudes and your ear pain is from the change in air pressure, chew some gum. It can help lower that pressure and ease your symptoms.

Sleep upright. While it may sound strange, resting or sleeping sitting up rather than lying down can encourage fluid in your ear to drain. This could ease pressure and pain in your middle ear. Prop yourself up in bed with a stack of pillows, or sleep in an armchair thatâs a bit reclined.

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Is It Really An Infection ^

According to Dr. Allan Lieberthal, pediatrician and lead author of the American Academy of Pediatrics new guidelines for diagnosing ear infections, the medical community has contributed to the over-diagnosis of infection.

How does this happen? Dr. Haggerton, a pediatric and family chiropractor, explains:

Many of us have gone through this in the past: Weve taken our child to the pediatrician because they are obviously in pain, acting funny, or pulling at their ears, and the doc looked in their ears with the otoscope and said, Yep, its red. Little Johnnys got an ear infection. Ill write you a script for an antibiotic.

Think about that for a minute. How did the doctor know, just from the color of the tympanic membrane , that your child had an infection? He didnt. The only way to truly diagnose an infection in the ear is by doing a swab of the ear and culturing the area. Then they can see for sure whether or not your child actually has an infection. If they dont do that, the problem more than likely is fluid buildup behind the eardrum.

Earaches Usually Go Away On Their Own

Cleaning the ear is one of the most neglected everyday ...

When it comes to ear infections, many will clear up on their own within a 2-10 days.

Earaches are often not even caused by bacteria, so antibiotics arent the best treatment. This is why it breaks my heart when children get placed on antibiotics over and over again for reoccurring ear infections. This practice is usually not effective and can set up a lifetime of digestive and health issues.

Thats why its a good idea to treat an earache with natural remedies at home first to avoid unnecessary antibiotics.

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When To See A Doctor About An Earache

Dr. Nguyen-Huynh recommends seeing a doctor if:

  • Yoursymptoms remain after twoor three days, even if youve tried over-the-counter or home remedies.
  • Yourear is very painful, oryou have other symptoms that bother you.

Other common conditions, such as temporomandibular joint dysfunction , can masquerade as earache infections. TMJ causes ear pain because the ear canal and the jaw joint share a nerve. If you have ear pain along with trouble chewing, talking or yawning, then you should see a dentist or TMJ expert to be sure youre treating the right condition, notes Dr. Nguyen-Huynh.

The good news? Hot and cold compresses and OTC pain relievers can also help relieve TMJ pain until you sort things out.

How To Use Warm Oils For Earaches

Straight-up olive oil: Warm the olive oil to body temperature and put a few drops into the ear. It works by soothing the inflamed eardrum.

Homemade garlic oil: Crush a clove of garlic and heat in olive oil to infuse. Cool the mixture to body temperature and place a few drops into the ear. The addition of garlic adds an antimicrobial property which can help fight infection.

Garlic Mullien oil: This special and potent oil is A MUST for a child who is susceptible to ear infections! . Mullein oil is an analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, tranquilizer, anti-microbial, and a muscle relaxant. If youre not convinced just read the reviews:

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When To Call The Doctor For An Ear Infection

Some symptoms of an inner ear infection can be the same as a stroke. If you have vomiting, headache, vision changes, fever, weakness in one side of your body, slurred speech or are unable to walk, seek medical care right away.

Infections involving high fever, discharge or bleeding from the ear canal, headache, vomiting, dizziness, loss of hearing, or severe pain should be seen by a doctor. A doctor should see most people with an inner ear infection.

Foods With Healing Power: The Benefits Of Garlic

Ear Infection || How to Get Rid of Ear Infection Fast || Home Remedies for Ear Infection Treatment

Try this power food

The Cleveland Clinic puts garlic on its list of 36 power foods, and for good reason. Garlic is a rich source of phytochemicals. These plant chemicals are thought to ward off disease and help boost your immune system.

So-called power foods provide loads of nutrients but little calories. That translates into lots of potential benefits for your body and overall health. Eating nutrient-rich foods as part of your regular diet can help lower your risk of many health conditions, including heart disease and certain kinds of cancer.

, garlic has traditionally been used to treat many health conditions, including:

  • high blood pressure
  • heart disease
  • different types of cancer

Some of these folk uses for garlic have been supported by modern scientific studies, while the jury is still out on others.

NCCIH . Taking garlic supplements may be especially helpful if you have chronically high blood pressure, or hypertension.

Raw garlic and garlic supplements contain the compound allicin. This compound may help relax the smooth muscles in your blood vessels. When those muscles relax, your blood vessels dilate and blood pressure drops.

NCCIH reports that garlic may slow the development of atherosclerosis. This is a condition in which cholesterol-containing plaques build up in your arteries. They harden and narrow, which raises your risk of heart attack.

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Try Out Apple Cider Vinegar

Another ingredient that has been used in herbal remedies for centuries is apple cider vinegar. This is an excellent option when the reason for the infection is fungus growing in or around your ear. The vinegar is acidic and will kill off the bad that is collected within the ear. It is also full of other nutrients that will support the immune system and reduce inflammation in your ear.

The great news is you dont just necessarily need apple cider vinegar. You can use white or distilled vinegar. However, you will want to get apple cider vinegar as much as possible.

Depending on where the infection is, you wont necessarily want to put the vinegar directly into the ear. This can cause some discomfort. If you are going to place it directly into the ear, make sure you dilute the vinegar with some water.

The best thing to do would be to put the diluted vinegar onto some cotton wool and create an ear plug with it. Place this in your ear and allow the liquid to get to work. You only need the ear plug for five minutes. You can then use a hair dryer to dry out the ear, but do make sure your setting is as low as possible to avoid damage to the ear drum.

Another option is to massage the diluted vinegar around the ear, allowing the skin to soak it in. If you have sensitive skin, you can find this becomes an irritant.

Avoid Antibiotics And Steroids For Your Dogs Ear Infections

Vets will often prescribe antibiotics, steroids, and topical medication. These medicines may help clear up your dogs ears at first but the problem often returns later. Thats because drugs only treat the symptoms you can see. They dont address the underlying condition thats causing the symptoms. And they can have negative side effects.

Antibiotics used for bacterial ear infections disrupt the bacterial balance in your dogs gut, which can lead to more health issues due to bacteria or yeast that grow out of control.

Steroids work by suppressing the immune system and can cause harmful side effects. So avoid them if you can.

Discharge and inflammation in the ears is a sign the bodys trying to remove toxins absorbed through food, medications and her environment. Thats a good thing! Your dogs body is working to heal itself by getting rid of harmful substances. When you close off that exit route by using suppressive drugs, it can drive the disease deeper. Itll come back somewhere else. And that means your dog will get sicker often with a more serious disease.

So, finding the cause of your dogs ear problems is the key to ridding her of them once and for all. Fortunately, there are ways you can do this at home.

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How To Treat Bacterial Infection With Baking Soda

As you know, baking soda is used for numerous purposes varied from cooking to taking care of health and beauty. How to treat bacterial infection with baking soda is what we would like to show you next. In accordance with a study on the antibacterial property of sodium bicarbonate , which was published in August, 2006 in the Journal of Food Science, baking soda was proved to have the powerful antibacterial activity. Thanks to the ability to regulate the PH balance of your skin and body, home remedy baking soda is able to treat many infections caused by bacteria such as respiratory infection, bacterial skin infection, and intestinal tract infection. Moreover, when you mix a half teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water, it can help to treat respiratory infections and stomach infection. Another way to use this kitchen staple on how to treat bacterial infection is that you can pour a cup of the ingredient into a tub of lukewarm water. This treatment can be used daily as a rinsing and soaking agent.

Ii Symptoms Of Bacterial Infection

Home Remedies for Ear Infections

Actually, it is hard to list out all of the symptoms of bacterial infection. In this context, we would like to show you some most common ones. Normally, the symptoms of bacterial infection are among inflammation, vomiting, cramping, fever, diarrhea, coughing, fatigue and sneezing as well. Therefore, if you have some of those symptoms, you should think of how to treat bacterial infection after that because you seem to suffer from this.

Specifically, bacterial infection is divided into several forms, including bacteria causing food poisoning, sexual transmitted diseases, and others.

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What Type Of Ear Infection Is It

There are two common types of ear infections:

  • Otitis media: This ear infection affects the middle ear . Middle ear infections are common in kids and tend to cause trouble hearing, fevers, and pain without much outward signs such as ear drainage or swelling.
  • Otitis externa: This infection affects the ear canal, and is commonly known as swimmers ear because water exposure is a risk factor for it. Swimmers ear is painful, too, and tends to have more visible signs such as a swollen ear canal or pus drainage.

There are several home remedies for earaches, says Dr. Nguyen-Huynh. Try these for the first two or three days if symptoms are mild.

It Might Not Cure Cancer But

Some research suggests that eating garlic may help prevent certain kinds of cancer, reports the National Cancer Institute. For example, studies have found a link between a diet rich in garlic and lower risk of stomach, colon, esophagus, pancreas, and breast cancers.

While this research is promising, no clinical trials have explored the potential cancer-fighting perks of a garlic-rich diet, warns the

NCCIH . It can thin your blood, which may be risky if you have a bleeding disorder or upcoming surgery. It can also interfere with saquinavir, a drug used to treat HIV. Ask your doctor for more information about potential risks and side effects of taking garlic for your health.

Although the strong garlic flavor can be wonderful in food, you may not love its effects on your breath. To help ward off bad breath from garlic, eat it with an apple or a mix of apple vinegar and water with honey. A lemon wedge may also do the trick.

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Earache Remedies For Kids

Since children are especially prone to ear infections, given their smaller eustachian tubes, there are some medications on the market specifically for earaches in kids. Drugstores sell pain-relieving eardrops that can help your child feel better if their earache is due to a cold or flu, swimmers ear, or allergies.

In addition, childrens formula acetaminophen or ibuprofen can be used as earache remedies to help ease discomfort from inflammation in kids 6 months or older. Be sure to consult your childs pediatrician before giving an kind ofanti-inflammatory medication and avoid aspirin for children under 16.

How To Tell What Type Of Ear Infection Your Dog Has

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Different types of ear infections can appear in three parts of the ear.

Otitis externa: Inflammation or infection of the external part of your dogs ear .

Otitis media: This is inflammation or infection of the middle ear parts. In about a sixth of dogs with otitis external, the infection can spread into otitis media. This is a problem in more than half of dogs who have chronic otitis externa. It can also mean a foreign object has penetrated the ear drum.

Otitis interna: This is inflammation or infection of the inner ear. Unresolved otitis media can spread to become otitis interna. It can lead to loss of balance and deafness.

Can You Manage Ear Infections At Home?

That depends on the type of infection. You can easily manage otitis externa at home. For deeper ear issues , some of the home remedies well recommend can help. But you may need to ask your holistic vet if youre not sure which type of infection your dog has.

What Happens If Ear Infections In Dogs Are Untreated?

Otitis externa can progress to otitis media, and in some cases, that could develop into otitis interna. So its important to deal with ear infections promptly before they become more serious. In severe cases, your dog could develop facial paralysis, deafness, or symptoms of vestibular disease.

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Stop Eating Food Youre Allergic Or Intolerant To

Your ear infection is a symptom of a problem. If theres no pus and no physical infection, its very likely that your ear infection is a symptom of an allergy. This is especially common in children, where the immune system isnt as developed. If you continue to eat the food that youre allergic to or theres a dietary intolerant to, you will find that the ear infections are more common and get worse over time.

Make a note of all the times that ear infections have happened. Track the type of food given and look out for any patterns. Its not just ear infections, either. Youll want to look out for any digestive problems and other signs of illness. This can be difficult in children, as theyre not always the best at communicating their problem.

You can talk to your doctor about getting a food sensitivity test. However, doctors may want you to do a trial and error test instead, which is something you can do at home. Cut out the food that you believe your child is/you are allergic to and see how common the ear infections occur. If you believe multiple foods could be a problem, cut everything out and add it back into the diet one at a time.

Dairy and gluten intolerances or allergies are some of the most common issues linked to ear infections. It may not be all dairy, as goats milk is sometimes fine, but cows milk causes a problem. Its due to the amount of lactose and other natural elements within the cows milk. Nut allergies or sensitivities can also be a problem.

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