Ear infections.

[echelon]

My sister in law lives in Germany and they're pretty keen on using alternative/herbal medicine out there. Her kids used to suffer from frequent ear infections and they don't like prescribing antibiotics due to the risk of resistance. This is what the German doctor recommended to her:

Warm some olive oil in a pan and add some chopped onion to it - you can also add some garlic cloves as well if you don't mind the smell. Don't fry the mixture, just gently warm through. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to just warm. Drop a couple of drops into the affected ear 3-4 times a day. Pop a small wad of tissue into the opening of the ear to prevent the oil from running straight back out - don't force it in though.

Make a fresh mixture up every 24 hours. The oil in the onion and garlic is antibacterial.

This will get rid of the infection. Don't do this if the ear drum has perforated though.

I've tried this on my youngest child and it works really well. The warmth of the oil eases the pain too.

[Meanqueen]

I have a hearing aid in my ear

Ilona

[echelon]

*lol* No, you don't actually put the onion/garlic into the ear - just the oil that they've been soaking in! *lol*

and

Yes, you need to remove the hearing aid during treatment! *lol*

You lot are funny

[wendy]

Me also.... in one ear, Ilona LOL

[Meanqueen]

It's my left one Wendy, which one is yours in? I had a lot of infections when I was a child, it all comes down to that, now I've lost 70% in that side. The hearing aid is very good though, a bog standard national health one, couldn't manage without it.

Ilona

[chickenchaser]

During a particularly nasty ear infection I had a couple of years ago, my Doctor said the smallest thing that should go in my ears is my elbow

I will try the garlic & olive oil if I need to, though. It sounds like it should work

[p.penn]

I tried olive oil when my ear was blocked once and then some sort of 'oxy action' for ears which was supposed to shift wax. In the end, they made me so much worse I had to have my ear syringed!!!

Then there was the night a moth flew into one... I tried pouring jugs of water in and everything!!! Still flapping all night! When I rang the docs next day they said to come in straight away but everyone (including the doctor) was laughing when I got there! He syringed my ear again but it had obviously vacated while I was asleep!!!!!

Why do these things happen to me????

[Bollybarb]

Olive Oil is fab, before Christmas the ENT dr wanted to take my DD to theatre to remove wax and possibly grommits.

I asked if we could try and remove wax which we did by daily warm olive oil, saw the Dr thursday and he manged to remove some wax (think shrek candles!!) and could see her drums and said that she didn't need grommits for the tme being. I'm so pleased she does not need an op.


But often before you have your ear syringed you need to put olive oil in for a few days as it softens it all.

PPen insects in ears are horrid and you made a medical professional smile, thats worth a lot!!

[wendy]

right ear Ilona.
Always had ear problems as a child as well, and it has steadily gone as I have got older. This hearing aid has been a revalation. It also is a NHS one.
Wendy

[Sunny B]

The olive oil infused with garlic is a great favourite of mine, I use it for myself and the children, it works way quicker than antibiotics, without any of the nasty side effects.