Seventy-five percent of children under the age of 3 experience an ear infection, according to data from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. In their battle against ear infections, parents may consider various home remedies, including mullein and garlic. Mullein and garlic aren't appropriate for all ear infections, but in certain cases, they may be just what you need to get rid of that sob-inducing earache that so often goes hand-in-hand with middle ear infections. Consult your physician first.
Background
Ear infections occur in the outer ear or the middle ear. Outer ear infections, or otitis externa, generally take place when the delicate skin lining your ear canal gets rubbed, scraped or irritated, which gives bacteria or fungi a place to reproduce. Middle ear infections, called otitis media in medical circles, most often result from cold- or allergy-linked Eustachian tube swelling. Bacteria or virus-infected fluids build up in the closed-off middle ear, which leads to swelling, aural pressure and otalgia or ear pain, one of the most commonly cited symptoms of a middle ear infection.
Features
Mullein-garlic oil is a traditional treatment used to relieve pain arising from middle ear infections, says Dr. Steven Bratman, practicing physician and co-author of "Collins Alternative Health Guide." Possible helpful properties include garlic's ability to fight bacterial growth and pain-inducing inflammation and mullein's analgesic properties. Treatment typically consists of placing three to four drops of body-temperature garlic-mullein oil in the ear canal of the infected ear one to three times daily. Pulling gently on the ear lobe helps ensure that the oil reduces pain more quickly by traveling deep into the canal.
Studies
Naturopathic ear ointments that contain mullein and garlic may provide just as much pain relief as certain commercially prepared anesthetic ear ointments, according to a double-blind, randomized study published in the July 2001 issue of "Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine." Study authors, led by Dr. E. Michael Sarrell, medical school professor at Israel's Tel Aviv University, worked with 103 children between the ages of six and 18 years, all of whom suffered from ear pain caused by acute middle ear infections. The researchers gave 61 of the children naturopathic ear drops that contained mullein, garlic, calendula and St. John's wort; the remaining 42 children received anesthetic ear drops that contained ametocaine and phenazone. Children in both groups experienced equal reduction in pain levels over the course of a three-day treatment period.
Cautions
As a precaution, always check with your doctor before using garlic-mullein ear drops or any other liquid in the ear of a child with an ear infection, especially those under the age of two years or with ear tubes in place. Before administering garlic-mullein ear drops in an otitis media-affected ear, verify with your physician that the eardrum is not perforated. Although a punctured eardrum typically heals on its own, instilling liquid into an ear that has a ruptured tympanic membrane could lead to more serious problems, including dizziness, infection and hearing loss.
References
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders: Quick Statistics
- "Caring for Your Baby and Young Child"; Dr. Steven Shelov; 2009
- "Collins Alternative Health Guide"; Dr. Steven Bratman; 2007
- "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Natural Remedies"; Chrystle Fiedler; 2009
- "Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine"; Efficacy of Naturopathic Extracts in the Management of Ear Pain Associated with Acute Otitis Media; Dr. E. Michael Sarrell, et al.; July 2001
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