Homemade Anti Fungal Ear Cleaner

If you have an ear infection that just won't go away, it could be that it is fungal in nature and not bacterial, and an antibiotic not only won't killl the fungus, it actually will make the fungus thrive. The ear canal is a warm and moist environment, the perfect place for things to grow that shouldn't -- like yeast or fungus. Fortunately, you can treat this condition at home

Natural Antifungal Ear Health

• Many natural substances are naturally anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial. Most of these are readily available at a natural food store, but a couple very commonly found in your home are also the most effective.

  The first step is to get the ear canal dried out without cotton swabs, which can actually push the fungus into the ear canal even further. Simply lie on your side and have someone place three drops of alcohol into your ear and let it work its way in for five minutes. Do both sides, even if both sides don't seem to be affected. Let the alcohol drain out onto a paper towel. The alcohol has a drying quality that will dry out the ear canal. Simply doing this after swimming may prevent summer ear infections from swimming.

  To take care of the fungus, chop a clove of garlic into small pieces and soak in oil of oregano, oil of clove or oil of lavender (or tea tree oil). All of these are anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. Let it set for 1/2 hour. After it has set, place two drops in the ear and let set for five minutes, repeating twice a day. Let the oil drain out onto a paper towel and use a cotton ball to swipe the oil out of the outer ear canal.

  Another natural substance you are likely to have on hand is apple cider vinegar, a very powerful anti-fungal and anti-bacterial agent. Place two drops in the ear once or twice a day. Let it drain out by itself -- don't go digging with a cotton swab.

  If your ear canals feel damp after several days of treating them with the oils, redo the alcohol step, which should help clean out the oil and dry the canal, making you much more comfortable.

Considerations

• Even though these remedies will work for either a bacterial or a fungal infection, check with your care provider to find out for sure, especially if ear infections are recurring often.