Garlic Oil for Swimmers’ Ear
Swimmers’ ear or ear infections are quite common even during summer and can be very painful. I feel you and can relate; it literally breaks your heart to see your little one suffering from an earache that impacts his/her daily activities and make him/her unhappy while he/she should be out and about enjoying and playing. Unfortunately, these days our tolerance is very low and patience almost not existent. Therefore, with every little difficulty we end up reaching for the easy solution that is readily available. More specifically this leads us to the unnecessary administration of medication and antibiotics that might have a long-term impact on our health.
Ear infections are usually easy to treat with a very simple home remedy. This remedy can quickly speed up recovery as well as instantly soothe and calm the pain. It is nothing more than a simple preparation of garlic oil which can instantly be made in your kitchen and applied directly into the ear when this pain hits your little one in the middle of the night. It will help the pain go away and help him/her sleep peacefully through the night.
Garlic is the superstar in this recipe as it is a potent antimicrobial, antiviral and antibacterial agent. It is best to make your solution fresh every time you need it and use it for 24hrs, discarding the remainder. Allicin (garlic’s active source of its properties) wears off fast and its effectiveness weakens the longer you keep it on your countertop.
How to prepare the remedy:
You will need:
1-2 large garlic cloves
4-5 tablespoons of organic virgin olive oil
Glass bottle with a dropper
Method:
Place the organic olive oil in a small saucepan
Mince the garlic cloves and add them to the oil
Heat the garlic oil on low heat and stir.
When the garlic becomes fragrant remove it from the pan. You don’t want the garlic to be cooked or to get too hot as allicin will degrade.
Strain the mixture into the glass bottle.
Test the mixture on your wrist before pouring it into your child’s ear. You want the oil to be slightly warm for its soothing effects.
Drop 2-3 drops into the affected ear and ask your child to stay on the position for a couple of minutes before using it on the other ear. Use a cotton pad to prevent the oil from dripping. I like using the solution in both ears even though only one might be affected.
When you need to reapply the oil, warm it up by placing the glass bottle into a hot water bath. Always test it on your wrist before applying.
You will be happily surprised to see how well this method works!
Bear in mind that you should reapply the medicine a few times on the first day and for at least 1-2 more consecutive days even though the pain might have gone. For best results reapply every 2-3 hours for the first 2 days. Keep your child away from water and keep the ear as dry as possible during recovery.
Important note: Do not use this method if an eardrum is ruptured or if the child does have tubes in his /her ears.
