Earache is possible one of the most unpleasant pains we can experience; it tends to be sharp and piercing, and in serious cases can continue for several days. It is particularly distressing when a young child suffers from ear pain, which often strikes as a secondary infection after a cold. If a baby or toddler awakes in the night crying and pulling at one ear, it is highly likely that there is some infection.
Doctors will tend to give antibiotics routinely for ear infections, despite the risk of building up immunity. In many cases the infection will disappear within a day anyway, and simple over-the-counter pain relief may be sufficient to ease the ache. If you do take or give antibiotics, please ensure that they are accompanied by plenty of live yogurt, or acidophilus supplements. If you do not, the antibiotics will destroy good bacteria along with the infection-causing ones, which may lead to further infections in future.
Using garlic for ear infections
However, excellent - and rapid - results for earache can be obtained from using garlic, with its powerful antiseptic properties. The quickest first aid remedy is to take a small piece of raw garlic, around the size of a pencil head, and insert it gently into the ear, squeezing as you do, to release some of the oil. Alternatively, you can try crushing a clove of garlic and heating it in a little olive oil until it is tepid (NOT hot), then drip that gently into the ear. Relief is often obtained within about ten minutes, if you catch the earache early.
Diet during ear infections
Since earache and ear infections generally start with an excess of gunk around the ear, it is important to reduce mucus production as much as possible during the course of an ear infection. Milk and other dairy products are the worst culprits, so a dairy-free diet should be followed. Wheat may have a negative effect on some people too. It is important to drink plenty of water - more than usual - and to eat mainly raw fruit and vegetables if you want to reduce mucus in any kind of infection.
When to see a doctor for earache
If the pain is bearable, home remedies and supplementation with Vitamin C and echinacea are likely to make recovery fairly rapid without any need for medical assistance. However, if you are at all worried about a baby, a small child, or an elderly person, or if the earache has continued for more than 24 hours, please do consult your GP. If it is accompanied by a high temperature, or convulsions, or if the pain is unbearable, it may be worth going to the emergency room at a hospital.
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