Natural Remedies for Earaches in Children

Earaches are a common affliction in babies and children and while not always serious, they can be quite painful and distressful to your little one. Even a baby who is too young to verbalize their pain will manage to make it quite obvious to you by crying often while holding the ears or head. Earaches are no fun for child or the parents and can be accompanied by a fever to further add to the discomfort. Sometimes knowing what to do about your child’s ear health can be confusing. Hopefully, this article will answer some of your questions so that you can treat your child’s earaches and afflictions safely and naturally.

Why Do Ears Ache?

Earaches are usually the result of an infection in the ear. Some triggers can be a cold, sinus infection, bacterial infection or build-up of wax or fluid. The only way diagnose the cause of the earache is to see your doctor. Often you can guess what’s causing the problem based on other symptoms you may see, but children’s ears are sensitive and not something you want to mess with so a trip to the doctor is your best bet.

Treating Your Child’s Earache at Home

Home remedies have been used for years to treat earaches in children and are being favored again as safe alternatives that are free of side effects. Here are a few natural ways to help your little one deal with an earache and hopefully even prevent future earaches and infections.

Diet: In children ensure that there are plenty of fresh fruits in their diet, especially those rich in vitamin C, such as oranges, grapes, grapefruit, and guavas. Tomato juice is also rich in vitamin C which is effective in fighting off ear infections as it works well in boosting the immune system. Vitamin C also works to lessen the inflammation and fever associated with an earache. In babies simply making sure they're eating properly and staying well-hydrated is best. While nursing keeping your own diet in check will make a huge difference in your baby's health as well.

Onion Juice: Make some onion juice by cutting up a small onion and mixing with boiled water. Once cooled, drain off the juice. Put some 2-3 drops into the affected ear. It works well to ease the pain and alleviate distress.

Ginger: Crush some fresh ginger and mix with boiling water. When it cools, insert 4-5 drops into the affected ear to help ease the pain.

Mustard Oil: This acts as a preventative for earaches. Putting a few drops of the warm oil daily into the ears decreases the risk of ear infections in kids.

Sesame Oil and Garlic: Mix one teaspoonful of sesame oil with a few bulbs of garlic and heat slightly. Take about 3 drops of the oil and insert into one ear, ensuring the oil penetrates right into the ear. Subsequently, insert a few drops into the second ear.

Olive Oil: Warm slightly and add a few drops in the ear.  This works well as a remedy for earache.

Some of these remedies may sound unusual and some may be methods that your own mothers and grandmothers used to treat your earaches when you were young. As strange as they may sound though, they’ve all been reported to work to some degree and many mothers and natural health practitioners swear by them. Give them a try and see what works best for your child.