Herbal Remedy for Ear Infection

Ear infections are a frequent complication of the common cold or flu, and they're most prevalent in children because the eustachian tube isn't fully developed in their young bodies. Due to the growing concern of over using prescription antibiotics, many parents prefer to treat this common problem with herbal remedies. One of the best herbal remedies for ear infections is raw garlic.

Raw Garlic

• Raw garlic contains a natural yet powerful antibiotic known as Allicin. According to "The How To Herb Book: Let's Remedy the Situation," one milligram of Allicin has the same potency as 15 standard units of penicillin.

  The antibacterial properties of garlic was discovered by Louis Pasteur in 1858, and it has even been used by the military as a disinfectant and to bandage wounds.

  The best way to use garlic for treating ear infections is to use the raw bulbs. When the bulbs are crushed, the allicin is released in the garlic oil--this is what creates the strong odor of garlic and it's also what helps kill the infection bacteria. An added bonus is that the oil from garlic will take away the pain commonly associated with ear infections, too.

  The easiest way to use raw garlic for treating an ear infection is to slice off a small section of the garlic bulb so the juices are released, then wrap the slice in tissue and place gently in the ear.

  The juice and oil from raw garlic can be an irritant on soft mucus tissue such as that found in the ear, so wrapping it lightly in tissue first will prevent other problems. Do not push the garlic deeply into the ear because it could become lodged in place and difficult to remove.

  Alternatively you can put a few drops of garlic oil onto a cotton ball and place that at the opening of the ear canal.

  Older children and adults can also relieve the pain from an ear infection while killing the bacteria by simply sucking on a small piece of cut garlic. The juice from the garlic will travel down the throat and through the eustachian tubes to help kill the infection in the inner ear.

Garlic Supplements

• Garlic supplements can be used with some success, as well, but many of them have little to no effect because they're purposely processed to be odorless. The odor from garlic is caused by the Allicin, and this is the antibiotic needed to treat the ear infection so odorless garlic supplements have little to no Allicin content in them.