Inner Ear Infection Home Remedies

An inner ear infection is quite common. The medical term used to describe this type of infection is otitis media. This infection is not contagious in nature and can be is triggered by bacteria, virus or fungi. It can affect people of all age groups including infants and small children. It is often categorized into two different types: acute and chronic. Acute form of inner ear infection is more commonly found in small children while chronic cases are found in adults.

Causes
The main components of the hearing mechanism of the ear consists of eardrum, hearing nerve and Eustachian tube, a narrow tube that lies in between the ear and back of the nasal passage. An inner ear infection occurs when there is an inflammation in this Eustachian tube. Such an inflammation occur when mucus that causes nasal congestion during an upper respiratory infection, sinus infection, tonsillitis, rhinitis or allergies get accumulated inside the Eustachian tube. The harmful germs that causes infection in the nasal passage then start multiplying in numbers inside the ear. The Eustachian tube in children may also get blocked by the water that enters their ear while swimming. Similarly, while feeding babies, milk may accidentally enter their ear and get contaminated which then cause ear infection in babies.

Symptoms
Some commonly observed signs and symptoms of infection in the inner ear are as follows:

• Ear pain along with fever are the most obvious signs of ear infection. The intensity of the pain may vary from constant dull pain to a severe stabbing pain in ear.
• Tinnitus which can be described as a ringing sensation is often felt in the ear.
• You can get a heavy feeling inside the ear due to accumulation of pus and mucus behind the eardrum.
• If the infection is left untreated, then it can cause damage to the eardrum which may affect your hearing ability.
• Perforation of in the eardrum can also lead to fluid discharge from the affected ear.

Home Remedies
The medicines that are commonly used for the treatment of inner ear infection are antibiotics, ear drops and pain relieving medicines. There are many people who are not interested in taking these medicines as home remedies for such infections are equally effective and the materials needed are easily available in their homes. A few simple at-home cures are as follows:

Remedy #1: Warm compression is highly beneficial for controlling a throbbing pain in ear. Dip a clean washcloth in hot water and wring out the extra water from it. Then place it over the ear for a soothing relief. Alternately, you can pour some hot water in a bottle, wrap it up with the towel and hold it on the painful site.

Remedy #2: Warm olive oil can be used as a homemade ear drop for ear infection pain relief. Take some olive oil in a small bowl and heat it in microwave till it becomes warm. Before applying the oil in the ear, make sure it is not too hot as it can cause burns. Put two drops of the warm olive oil into the ear using an ear dropper.

Remedy #3: One of the most well-known inner ear infection home remedies is use of garlic juice as its natural antibiotic properties can fight off the infection really well. Crush one or two garlic cloves to extract fresh juice from it. Take the juice in a dropper and put it into the ear. As it starts healing up the infection, you will notice that the pain decreases.

Remedy #4: When there is a pus discharge from the infected ear, you can use onion juice to control it. Crush an onion to obtain its fresh juice. Then heat the juice slightly to make it lukewarm. Now, put 2-3 drops of this warm juice into the ear.

Remedy #5: There is another technique of applying heat on the infected ear. Heat one cup of salt in microwave for 2-3 minutes. Then put it into a small cotton bag and place it near the infected ear. It will bring down the pressure inside the ear by facilitating draining out of the liquid buildup. It should be repeated several times in a day for best results.

Remedy #6: Essential oils can be used for treating infection in the inner ear. You need 3 drops of tea tree oil, 2 drops of lavender oil and 2 drops of chamomile oil. Mix these essential oils with one tablespoon of a carrier oil like almond oil. This mixture should be heated lightly. Then put 2 drops of the warm oil mixture into the ear three times a day. This will help you to get rid of the ear pain.

While using remedies given in this article, you must keep a close watch symptoms of the ear infection. If there is any aggravation, do not hesitate to visit an ENT specialist for treatment. Medical intervention is essential if the earache is accompanied by high fever.