When I went to the doctor after Hannah was born, she reminded me again about garlic/olive oil for earaches. I had heard of this around the internet before, and it sounded like a good idea.
I already know that antibiotics are too often prescribed for ear infections, and have started hearing or more and more doctors advocating the use of a pain reliever and then just letting the child’s immune system fight the infection (which may be viral, and then antibiotics wouldn’t work anyway)
Anyway, both olive oil and garlic have antimicrobial properties, and by dropping them in the ear they work right where the issue is, unlike antibiotics that work systemically, upsetting the whole body system in the process.
Thankfully, before Hannah ever had an ear ache I got one, so I was able to try this myself. I heated some olive oil and whole garlic in a small clean pan on the stove until it was hot but not smoking. Then I let it cool until it was warm but not hot on my forearm. Then I dropped it in my ear, and it did provide relief immediately. I didn’t use antibiotics (I was pregnant with Sam at the time as well) and the pain was gone in 48 hours. I just kept the garlic oil in a glass dropper bottle in our fridge, where it solidifies, and then if I need it I heat it up over the double broiler on the stove. We don’t have a microwave, but I’m not sure I’d use one for this anyway.
Please, though, research for yourself! Don’t just drop something in your child’s ear because some chick on the internet said to ~grin~
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I just wanted to comment that my son (at the time 9 mos old) had a reoccuring ear infection. First time I went to the doctor, didn’t even know what was wrong, he had a fever for a few days – so we did the antibotics. I had no idea I could do this remedy. So the second time I KNEW what it was and even though the dr. said there’s nothing I could do, I look it up online (not this site but several sites I researched and kept coming to garlic oil). I did the above described process and in about 24 hrs, my son was completely fine. Praise the Lord! I didn’t have another dr. bill and putting more antibiotics in my baby.
I think garlic is even more powerful raw. What I’ve done is use a garlic press to crush a clove of garlic into about a tablespoon of evoo. Then I just let the garlic infuse into the oil for about 5 minutes in a small bowl on the counter. I give it a little stir and let use an ear dropper to suck the oil right out of the bowl and then dropper a drop or two in the effected ear. It has worked in minutes every time I’ve given it to my 3 year old. I always repeat it one time, when she stops smelling like garlic. A friend of mine also did it this way for her infant with equal success. It has kept my from having to use antibiotics on my chronic ear infection child for about a year now.
Repeat ear infections can be due to childhood vaccines. Please research the issue and get informed.
There is a lot of good information on here. Avoid abx whenever you can. Only use it as a last resort.
Thanks for posting this. We have also had success with garlic olive oil eardrops. Dr. Campbell-McBride in the GAPS book also recommends giving a spoonful of probiotic yogurt or opening a probiotic capsule on the tongue last thing before bed so that some good bacteria can make its way over to the infection. We did all of this, and my daughter’s symptoms cleared up overnight. I continued to treat her for the next two days just in case (as well as giving her a few spoonfuls of honey each day), and we were excited to give another point to home remedies!
sorry, I forgot to add this: insidevaccines (dot) com
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I am getting ready to try the evoo and garlic after suffering waiting for the doctors office to call back!