Hailed for its antibacterial quality, tea tree oil has become known as a home remedy for ear infections. If your doctor says it's OK, you can use a few drops of tea tree oil in an infected ear. However, tea tree oil is also a potential skin irritant and should be used with caution. It's also not effective for every type of ear damage or injury.
Ear Infections
In recent years, concern about antibiotic overuse has caused some doctors to take a "wait and see" approach to ear infections, as some may disappear on their own within a few days. If your doctor advises this course of action, you may find a few drops of tea tree oil beneficial in the meantime; its antibacterial properties can help soothe the pain of an ear infection. Other home remedies include pressing a warm water bottle against the ear and an herbal extract called Otikon.
Eardrum Damage
If you have a ruptured eardrum or other real ear damage, you need to be careful about what you put in your ears. Causes of ruptured eardrums include very loud noises, physical injuries, pressure changes and putting foreign objects -- including cotton swabs and other small objects -- in your ears. Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to prevent infection, but they may not always be necessary, and you will likely be advised not to put tea tree oil or anything else in your ears unless explicitly prescribed.
Other Injuries
Other types of ear damage, such as temporary or permanent hearing loss, can result from acoustic trauma or unbalanced pressure in the ears. These events can cause damage to the tiny hairs in your ear canal or to the eustachian tube, which connects your middle ear to the back of your throat. In cases that affect these parts of your ears, tea tree oil is not likely to be effective, as the damage has occurred far within the inside of your ear.
Precautions
Because the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate herbal remedies such as tea tree oil, thorough studies of their safety and effectiveness can be hard to find. Get a doctor's OK before using tea tree oil for an ear condition, especially if you've suffered major ear damage. Be careful about using herbal remedies on children, particularly in the case of potential skin irritants such as tea tree oil.
Member Comments