The Use of Sweet Oil

Sweet oil is another name for olive oil. A home remedy for centuries, sweet oil is used for a variety of purposes beyond its use in natural health remedies. A common dietary element in Mediterranean foods, this oil provides a nutritious alternative to unhealthy varieties of dietary fats used for cooking and preparing foods. The most common use for sweet oil as a natural health remedy is in treating painful ear conditions.

Description

Expressed from the ripe fruit of olive trees, sweet oil is a monounsaturated fatty acid. The trees that produce these fruits grow natively in Mediterranean regions, forming small, ellipsoid fruits among leathery, gray-green leaves. The expressed oil is pale yellow and may have a greenish tint. This oil contains beta-carotene, pigments and flavonoids.

History

According to the "Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics," sweet oil was an ingredient recommended for use in treating earaches in American children during the middle of the eighteenth century. Applied to cotton wool, sweet oil provided some relief for the pain associated with ear conditions. Taken as a laxative, sweet oil also played a role in treating constipation.

Ear Aches

Otitis media is the medical name for an ear infection. U.S.Pharmacist.com advises that about 75 percent of children will suffer at least one episode of otitis media by the age of three. Applied as warm drops to the ear canal of the affected ear, sweet oil may provide temporary relief from the pain associated with otitis media.

Cautions

U.S.Pharmacist.com warns that although sweet oil may decrease pain in infected ears, it does nothing to treat the underlying cause of this condition. The origin of the pain usually comes from beyond the tympanic membrane, also known as the eardrum, which keeps the oil separated from the source of the pain. Using sweet oil to treat ear pain may provide a false sense of security and keep parents from taking their children to the doctor to seek an accurate medical diagnosis and treatment.

Other Uses

While ear pain remains the most common alternative health treatment using sweet oil, this substance may help with other conditions. MayoClinic.com recommends using a few drops of this oil to treat cradle cap in babies. Rubbing a few drops into the scalp may help loosen and remove the scales. The "Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine" recommends using sweet oil to treat a variety of conditions, such as lice infestations. Added to lavender oil and distributed through the hair, this treatment may help loosen the lice eggs from the strands of hair.