ear infections Archives

Ear infections can be really uncomfortable and painful for children and seeing your child in pain is something no parent wants. Though ear infections are more common in younger children, grown up kids and adults can also have it. Good thing is that for most of the ear infections or ear pain, your child might not even need medications. In this article, you will know about the best and most effective home remedies for ear infections.

What is an Ear infection?

An ear infection is an infection of the middle ear, the air-filled space behind the eardrum that contains the tiny vibrating bones of the ear. It might be caused by a bacteria or virus in the ear. Ear infections often happen as a result of allergies, colds, or upper respiratory problems. When the tubes inside the ear fill up with fluid and mucus, this causes an infection. Acute Otitis Media (AOM) is the most common ear infection.

Signs and symptoms of ear Infections in Children:

Ear pain, especially when lying down
Tugging or pulling at an ear
Trouble sleeping
Crying more than usual
Fussiness
Trouble hearing or responding to sounds
Loss of balance
Fever of 100 F (38 C) or higher
Drainage of fluid from the ear
Headache
Loss of appetite (Tips to improve appetite?)
Sore throat

When to see a Doctor?

It is important to get an accurate diagnosis and rule out any other severe conditions. You should call your child’s doctor if:

Symptoms last for more than a day
Your baby is less than 6 months old with any of the above symptoms
Ear pain is severe
Your infant or toddler is sleepless or irritable after a cold or other upper respiratory infection
You observe a discharge or fluid from the ear

Your doctor will advise medications or suggest going with the home remedies depending on the severity of the infection. The latest guidelines from the American Association of Pediatrics suggest that doctors should focus on pain management, not antibiotics, for ear infections. This is because ear infections often go away on their own, and the overuse of antibiotics could lead to antibiotic-resistant infections.

Causes of Ear Infections in Children:

Many times, ear infections are caused from another illness like cold, flu or allergy, that results in congestion and swelling of the nasal passages, throat and eustachian tubes. (What are some foods & remedies for cough and cold?)

Other possible causes for an earache or ear infection are mentioned below:

Cavities
Sinus infections
Earwax
Tonsillitis
Teeth grinding(How to prevent teeth grinding?)

11 Home Remedies for Ear Infections in Children:

1.Cold or Warm Compresses

One of the best home remedies for ear infections in children is using warm and cold compresses. Hold either a hot pad or cold washcloth against the ear for 10 to 15 minutes or alternate between hot and cold.

2. Neck exercises

Ear infections cause pressure in the ear canal which can be relieved by Neck exercises. Here’s how to do neck-rotation exercises:

Sit or stand up straight.
Rotate your neck to the right, so it’s parallel with your right shoulder. Hold for five to 10 seconds.
Repeat this exercise on the left side.
Raise your shoulders high like you’re trying to reach your earlobes with them. Hold for five to 10 seconds.
Repeat these exercises throughout the day.

3. Olive oil

Though there is no solid scientific evidence to prove that drops of olive oil in your ear canal can soothe ear pain. However, according to the American Association of Pediatrics, putting a few warm drops of olive oil in the ear is safe and could be moderately effective.

For young children, it is advisable to consult a doctor before giving oil. Another important point is to make sure the olive oil is no warmer than your body temperature so as to avoid burning the eardrum.

4. Mullein

Oil made from the flowers of the mullein plant is an effective pain reliever for ear infections. Mullein is available at most health food stores as a stand-alone tincture or as an ingredient in herbal ear drops.

5.Vitamin D

Vitamin D may seem unrelated to ear infections, but it is known to boost immunity. And a healthier immune system is less likely to be susceptible to ear infections. (How some foods can help to boost immunity?) According to a 2017 study, the risk of ear infections might be reduced by increasing serum levels of vitamin D through food consumption, supplementation, and direct sunlight.

6. Garlic oil

Due to its antimicrobial, antiviral, and antifungal properties, garlic oil ear drops can be applied to the ear canal to help kill bacteria or viruses that might be causing an ear infection. You can also soak crushed garlic cloves in warm olive oil to make your own garlic oil ear drops. Hence, garlic oil is one of the best home remedies for ear infections.

7.Chiropractic

Chiropractic adjustments may help relieve tight muscles around the ear, which will allow trapped fluid to drain. According to this study where 46 children aged 5 & below participated, 93 percent of them showed improvement following chiropractic adjustments. 43 percent of the children felt better after only one or two sessions.

8. Hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide can help keep ears clean and prevent dirt or additional bacteria from entering the middle ear. It is especially useful for preventing swimmer’s ears. Swab a tiny amount of hydrogen peroxide onto the ear canal, but be careful that too much doesn’t get into the ear itself.

9.Ginger

Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and thus applying ginger in juice form or as infused oil to the outer ear canal can help to relieve the ear infection. But never put it directly into the ear.

10.Sleep positions

Resting or sleeping sitting upright 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 a reclining armchair. (Foods for sound sleep?)

11.Distraction

Sometimes distraction helps to take your child’s mind off the pain or discomfort they are suffering.

You may want to:

Put on their favorite movie
Engage them in colouring or drawing activity
Allow them a bubble bath with lots of toys
Let them play a game on your phone or tablet
Give them their favorite snack (Healthy recipes for kids?)
Find other things for them to focus on

If your child is of teething age, offer cooled teething toys for chewing.

These home remedies for ear infections should help to relieve your child from any discomfort or ear pain. But if the problem continues, it is advisable to see a pediatrician.

Recipe for Laddu with Sesame, Jaggery, hidden nuts and herbs

Let’s make every dish tasty and nutritious by ‘hidden’ nutrition of veggies, herbs and nuts.

Check the Recipe made with Iyurved’s secret health ingredient- DAILY NUTRITION spread.

Check more healthy recipes loved by kids.

ProductS:

We are happy to introduce our range of nutritious & tasty kids Ayurvedic food!!
We know that preparing and feeding healthy foods everyday is a huge task. Even more tough when kids are picky eaters. Kids prefer certain foods and formats. It is not easy to feed kids bitter Ayurvedic herbs, variety of vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds everyday.
Mixed with Ayurvedic herbs, this unique Ayurvedic spread is an easy solution to feed daily nutrition for Immunity, Brain development, Bone strength and overall-growth to kids without any fuss.