subject: Most Common Home Remedies for Ear Infection in Kids [print this page] Most Common Home Remedies for Ear Infection in Kids
Ear infections are pretty common in children, especially for those under two years of age. Statistics show that about 50 percent of children will have at least three bouts with ear infection (or otitis media) before they reach the age of three.
Some infections in healthy kids naturally go away without treatment, although most can develop into something more serious, such as more severe infections or even loss of hearing. So, it's important to provide the proper ear infection treatments to make sure that the problem is dealt with right away. But you can start to treat your child's ear infection and help the pain and itchiness even before visiting doctors by trying some effective ear infection home remedies. Besides, natural remedies are sometimes safer and less expensive than antibiotics. We're giving you some easy alternatives to help you relieve your child of the symptoms of that annoying infection.
1. Put one to two drops of warm olive oil in each ear to relieve irritation and itchiness.
2. Put a cup of salt or rice inside a soft sock and warm this in the microwave oven. Be sure to test the sock, so you don't burn your child's ear. Place the filled sock on one ear for about 10 minutes and then shift this to the other ear. The heat can help relieve the symptoms of ear infections.
3. Another effective ear infection treatment is to place a warm compress or a hot water bottle on each ear for ten minutes. Remember, though, that both should be warm and not scalding hot.
4. Use onion juice for ear infections. This is an ear infection home remedy that has been passed from generation to generation. Simply bake a medium-sized onion in an oven heated to about 350 degrees until tender. Put the hot onion inside a jar and prick the jar so that the onion releases steam. Put the ear over the opening of the jar to allow the steam to go inside the ear. This will surely ease the pain and irritation of ear infections. You can also place a few drops of onion juice directly into your children's ears. This helps because onions have anti-bacterial properties that can fight the root cause of ear infections.
5. Try placing a few drops of warm vinegar in each ear. Vinegar has natural antibiotic characteristics that make it a safe and effective remedy against infections. All you have to do is warm a small amount of vinegar in the microwave and put a few drops in each ear.
6. Lavender oil also does wonders for relieving the pain and discomfort of ear infections. Simply put a few drops in each ear.
7. The mild anti-bacterial properties of tea tree oil can also help relieve symptoms of ear infections. Use a clean dropper to put a small amount of tea tree oil in each air as a fast and safe home remedy.
The best cure, like everyone says is, of course, prevention. You can lessen the chances of your child developing ear infections by making sure that he gets enough Vitamin C and Zinc to boost his immune system. Make sure that he has enough calcium in his diet as well and avoid processed and hydrogenated oils as much as possible. Breastfeeding your baby can also help him combat infections.
Ear infections, especially in kids, should be treated immediately to prevent ear damage or hearing loss. But before resorting to antibiotics, try the ear infection home remedies listed above. They're all safe, effective and inexpensive ways to treat these infections.
