Natural Home Remedies for Ear Infections

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   The first defense against chronic ear infections is diet. When frequent ear infections plague a child, removal of dairy and other allergens often bring dramatic relief. 
   There are a variety of time honored home remedies or alternative treatments for earaches and ear infections.

• Warm olive oil
• Garlic oil (from capsules or made by cooking garlic in olive oil and straining)
• Garlic and onion oil (made by cooking onions and garlic in oil and straining)
• Neem oil (avoid use if pregnant or trying to conceive—neem oil is an abortive )
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Lemon juice
• White vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• Rubbing alcohol
• Rubbing alcohol and vinegar (50/50)
• A few drops of tea tree oil in olive oil
• Vodka

   A very interesting family generational treatment was onion steam. Bake an onion. When cooked, place the onion in a jar and pierce it several times. Wrap the jar in a towel so it can be safely held. Place the affected ear over the opening of the jar so the onion steam can enter the ear canal.
   Heat is soothing, whether from hot wet washrags (wring them out), hot water bottles, heating pads, or a sock stuffed with rice and heated in the microwave.
   If the Eustachian tubes are affected, gargling with apple cider vinegar can help as well. But gargling with apple cider vinegar is tricky for the novice. You want to avoid breathing in the fumes. The trick is to gargle, spit, then when you have to breathe, breathe in through the nose a few times before breathing in through the mouth. And gargling with apple cider vinegar is an excellent home remedy for a sore throat.