The Mommy Doctor: Treating Ear Infections Naturally

There are so many issues to consider for kids these days, from children’s mental well-being to food dyes and whether those matter to vaccines and when to get them. And that’s not even taking mom and dad’s health into account!

Enduring a long NICU stay? We’ve been there. Looking for a great urgent care for children in Baton Rouge? Red Stick Mom has suggestions. We’ve talked about taking mental health days for kids, how to battle pesky molluscum, and arthritis in children. These are just a few of the health + wellness questions we’ve addressed on Red Stick Mom over the nine years we’ve served the community.

In this blog post, you will learn about some natural methods for fighting those nasty chest colds and the dreaded fever. 

Treating Ear Infections Naturally.

We are back with Part 4 of our Mommy Doctor Series.  Read Part 1, Part 2 on building immune systems, and Part 3 on natural cold and flu fighters. Today, I will be covering the oh-so-common ear infection. Treating ear infections naturally is possible!

When I was growing up, everyone had his or her tonsils out at some point in early childhood. If you made it to middle school with them still intact, you were lucky…or unlucky if you wanted a week off of school to just sleep and eat ice cream! These days, it seems ear infections and tubes are the new “it” diagnosis of early childhood. With the constant diagnosis of ear infections, you of course get the constant prescription for antibiotics (even though over 80% of ear infections are viral, not bacterial.) Even the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has taken notice of the over-writing of prescription antibiotics, calling it an epidemic that is leading to a “super bug” resistant to antibiotics. The AAP even went further to say no child under the age of two should be given a prescription for antibiotics unless it is a verified bacteria and there is no other course of treatment.

So what does a mom do? Obviously doing nothing is not an option because ear infections are painful and can potentially lead to more serious complications if they worsen and spread. Here are a few things I have found to work for our family.

 Chiropractic Care

I was a skeptic at first. I wouldn’t bring my oldest, and she had reoccurring ear infections with eventual tubes. I started bringing my second daughter to the chiropractor at 1 week old. She has only ever had 1 ear infection, which we treated naturally and it quickly went away. It could be coincidence, but I am not chancing it! When babies are born, everything can get out of alignment. The tiny little tube that lets the fluid drain from the ear can easily become blocked causing an infection. With proper adjustments, the tube can continue the flow freely, helping to prevent infection. I do recommend you do your homework when looking for a chiropractor. There are bad ones (as with all people) that have given the field a bad reputation. Make sure who you chose has a good record and is knowledgeable in treating babies and kids.

Garlic

Yes, I know I have mentioned this in every post! That’s because it works! Anytime we even suspect an ear infection coming on, we quickly whip up a batch of garlic oil and see immediate results! My husband is even prone to ear infections and only uses garlic oil to treat them! This is the recipe I use when making garlic oil. (You can also purchase Garlic Oil from Whole Foods or other health food stores.)

Colloidal Silver

CS is a water-soluble mineral. It is also a natural antibiotic, but your body will not build up immunity to it. You can purchase it locally at any health food store or online. Follow the directions on the bottle and you will see immediate results. Now I will address the two common questions I get when I tell people about CS. “Is it safe?” Most health organizations discourage the use of it orally (although I have done lots of research and find it safe) but will admit there is little harm when used topically. CS has been used in medicine for hundreds of years with lots of documented success. Whenever I am questioned about it, I just remind whoever I am speaking with that the FDA has also found Brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, and food coloring additives safe when no other country in the world does! The second question is: “Will it turn me blue?” The quick answer is, yes. It *CAN* turn a person blue if they ingest gallons of high protein CS in a DAY. However, if you buy a good quality CS and follow the directions on the label there is no chance of turning blue! Or just use it topically!

 Essential Oils

I talked about EO’s briefly in the last post. For ear infections, we typically use lavender, frankincense, and lemon oil. With much research, my husband and I have decided that (for our family) EO’s can be safe and effective when used properly. I do caution you to research brands that are pure and high quality. Research what EO’s are considered safe for your child’s specific age. Some need to be diluted on younger children but not for older. I will also add that we do not put any of the EO’s in our children’s ears, just around the outside. I recommend the books Gentle Babies by Debra Raybern and Reference Guide for Essential Oils by Connie and Alan Higly as a good place to start learning about EO’s.

The key to any effective treatment, natural or not, is consistency. Just like you would have to do with prescription antibiotics, you have to follow through with the natural treatments as well. Any one of these remedies will work individually, but you also can use multiple ones to really attack the infection.

Disclaimer: This post is 100% my personal opinion based on my personal research.  I am not a medical doctor. However, I confidently stand by my beliefs and opinions, and I hope that this post will encourage you to do your own research on the topic. When in doubt, please always consult a pediatrician.