Naturopathic Treatments For Ear Infections

Almost every parent has a story about a late night run to the emergency room with an infant that is screaming in pain.

However, there is natural help for infections that can be administered at home by parents for quick relief.

If you’re having this experience now, read below – or watch the video where I discuss naturopathic treatments for ear infections – to see what you can do.

What Is An Ear Infection?

Ear infections are exactly that – either viral or bacterial infections in the ear canal.

Ear infections are often very painful, and if they are acute, it can be extremely serious.

If they don’t get treated quickly, you can risk a perforated eardrum or hearing loss, as a result.

Chronic ear infections are due to inflammation in the ear canals.

What Causes Ear Infections?

An acute case is often traced back to a food sensitivity or allergen in your diet.

Allergies cause inflammation, and if the ear tubes become swollen, they will block the drainage of the ears, which predisposes a person to infection.

An interesting reason why kids more often get ear infections is because their ear canals are still horizontal; their heads haven’t finished growing yet.

Adults’ ear canals are more vertical, so they drain better, reducing the frequency of infection.

What Are The Most Common Symptoms Of An Ear Infection?

The most common symptoms are ear pain, jaw pain, fever and runny nose.

Infants who can’t yet talk will cry and tug at their ears to try to relieve the pressure.

Older children will tell you their ears hurt, even if you’re not yet seeing any other symptoms.

What Does A Naturopathic Doctor See In An Ear Infection?

Naturopaths will use a scope to look inside the ear, and often in these situations we will observe redness, and a bloodshot ear canal.

Sometimes we will also see fluid buildup behind the eardrum or possibly a bulging eardrum.

Naturopathic Approaches To Ear Infections

Here are my five top treatments for patients who come to me with ear infections.

1. Fish Oils

When patients have dark wax in their ears, it is often due to a fatty acid deficiency, and fish oil helps with this.

For patients with chronically blocked ears or wax buildup, taking fish oil prevents it accumulating, and also prevents the monthly treatments to remove it, which aren’t fun.

Vegetarian options include flax seed oil, blackcurrant oil, and hemp seed oil.

2. Elimination Diets

Because chronic cases are usually caused by food sensitivities, I will often talk to patients about an elimination diet.

Wheat, diary and corn are the most common culprits, so once you’ve eliminated everything that might be causing it, they’re a good place to start.

3. Homeopathics

Calcarea carbonica is a tincture that is a great remedy for ear infections.

It’s particularly helpful for children who experience sweatiness during sleep, and who are pale with a large head size.

These children also can be obstinate, anxious, and crave eggs and sweets.

The tincture is administered orally, and is very easy for children to take.

4. Ear Oil

Ear oil comes as drops, is a mix of mullein oil and garlic, and often includes other ingredients such as calendula and St. John’s wort.

This treatment helps to both treat and prevent ear infections, and is very safe for use with children.

5. Chiropractic

Some people use chiropractic to help them with ear infections, who can even release the pressure in the eustachian tubes by doing an adjustment on your ear (they give a slight tug, which may sting a bit).

When patients come in complaining of chronic ear infections, a chiropractor will look for subluxations (misalignments in the spine), which tend to compromise natural nerve function.

This can reduce the ability of the immune system to fight infection.

Once we remove the nerve interference, it restores natural healing, so the person can get over their infection without any other intervention like antibiotics or surgery.

Questions? Ask Dr. JJ!

If you or your child is prone to ear infections, and you’d rather not use antibiotics or have a tube surgically implanted in your ear, you should consider a naturopathic approach.

Call now for a consultation with me, Dr. JJ, and I’ll help you find the right natural remedy for your symptoms and your unique condition.