How to Heal an Ear Infection Naturally

As a family wellness chiropractor I see a lot of kids with ear infections. Or little ones come and see us for the first time because parents hear that chiropractic can help ear infections in kids. I have also seen my fair share of kids that come into the office with a history of ear infections with a lot of antibiotics and they are still having ear infections.

Does this sound like your child? Or someone’s child that you know? I want to share with you my favorite natural remedies to heal an ear infection naturally and without antibiotics.

Why are Antibiotics Prescribed? 

Did you know that most ear infections are caused by a virus and not a bacteria. So an antibiotic (anti-bacterial) doesn’t help anyways? Many MD’s are starting to not prescribe antibiotics for ear infections, but most still do. It’s tradition and it’s part of their system and honestly most parents walk into a doctors office wanting the antibiotics. They don’t want to see their children suffer (nobody does) so they think that antibiotics are what treats an ear infection.

The antibiotic has side effects. They not only kill any bad bacteria (remember most ear infections are viral anyways) but they also kill good, beneficial, necessary bacteria in the digestive system. Many children on antibiotics have side effects of allergies, diarrhea, skin rashes, yeast infections, and respiratory conditions. You don’t want these side effects, especially if there is a more natural and effective option.

Natural Remedies to Heal an Ear Infection

There are a few things that are my go-to’s for healing an ear infection naturally. Those are chiropractic adjustments and garlic ear drops. The others are things you can add in or if the ear infection is stubborn and is not healing with the first two.

Chiropractic Adjustments

As a chiropractor, of course I love chiropractic. But getting adjusted when a child has an ear infection is extremely important. Often times the birth process is very traumatic and that can cause a misalignment/ subluxation in the upper neck. And the ears get nerve supply from the upper neck. Subluxations in the upper neck can lead to ear infections. And by adjusting the neck you can open up the healing power of the body and heal an ear infection. Chiropractic adjustments can also prevent ear infections by keeping the body healing well.

Many people have never seen an adjustment on a child and are nervous to get their kids adjusted. A chiropractic adjustment for a child is very gentle and very light. But it is still powerful enough to heal the body. Find a chiropractor that works with kids and families because not all chiropractors adjust kids.

Garlic Ear Drops

These garlic drops are the worst enemy of an ear infection. Garlic is naturally anti-viral and anti-bacterial and can kill any type of ear infections. It’s mixed with olive oil and often times some homeopathic remedies too.

I recommend 2 drops 2-3x per day. You put it in the ear + massage it into the ear. Ears like to be moist and that will also help to heal the infection.

Breast Milk

Often times mommas are still breast-feeding if their kids have an ear infection. And you know what they say, breast milk fixes everything, right? But in ear infections, breast milk can work wonders. You can also put a little breastmilk on a Q-tip and gentle rub it on the outside edge of the ear (more for outer ear infections). Be cautious to getting it directly in the ear because it can create a little too much moisture in the ear.

Ditching Dairy

If ear infections are common, I would suspect dairy could be a cause of why your kiddo is getting the infections. I would remove dairy from their diet for at least 1 week if there is an active ear infection to let the body heal. Dietary changes are powerful for the body healing.

If ear infections are chronic, I would recommend taking dairy out of your child’s diet for at least 30 days and see how s/he does with the dietary modification. We have never had an ear infection in our house, and our daughter doesn’t eat dairy. She’s also adjusted regularly and we work hard at building her immune system too.

Don’t pass over the dairy piece of this too quickly, I saw many children in practice who stopped getting ear infections when dairy was removed from their diet and then kept out. It may be a more permanent change, which can be a hard adjustment. But it’s worth it if their body is functioning better!

Pass this article on to anyone you know who needs to hear about ear infections in kids! Let’s get the word out there to how heal ear infections naturally!

Sources: 

Choosing Wisely: An Initiative of the ABIM Foundation

Choosing Wisely was an 11-year campaign launched by the ABIM Foundation, aimed at promoting conversations between clinicians and patients about unnecessary medical tests, treatments, and procedures. In addition to detailing the initiative’s history, the site offers various resources and research highlighting the benefits of reducing low-value care.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/01/29/ear-infection.aspx

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