Your ear is divided into three sections, the inner, middle and external regions. Ear infections develop most often in the middle ear, a condition called otitis media, and are more common in children than adults. Willow bark and garlic are two herbal remedies that may help relieve symptoms of an ear infection and speed your recovery. Talk to your doctor to decide if these remedies might be helpful for your situation.
Causes and Symptoms
An ear infection is caused when bacteria or viruses lodge and grow in the middle ear, which contains spaces located behind the eardrum. Sometimes an ear infection develops after a cold or flu that causes congestion in the respiratory passages, interfering with drainage in the middle ear. This is especially likely if the eustachian tubes, passages between the middle ear and throat, become clogged. Symptoms of an ear infection include ear pain that interrupts sleep, drainage of fluid from the ear, problems hearing or a sore throat. In children, excessive crying, irritable behavior, loss of appetite, poor response to sounds, fever or balance problems may indicate the presence of an ear infection.
Willow Bark
The bark of the willow tree has been part of traditional herbal medicine for thousands of years. Practitioners recommend it for generalized pain, headache, arthritis and other inflammatory conditions and to reduce fever. The bark contains a number of natural chemicals with medicinal properties. The most studied of these is salicin, a chemical with properties similar to those of aspirin, although the bark contains other compounds that may also have biological activity. According to experts at the University of Maryland Medical Center, willow bark is anti-inflammatory, boosts the immune system and reduces fever and pain, all properties that may help relieve symptoms of an ear infection.
Garlic
Garlic is both a food and a traditional herbal remedy used for centuries to treat many ailments. It is rich in antioxidants that protect your cells from potentially damaging free radicals, and it has positive effects on your immune system, helping your body fight off infection and disease. Garlic contains a chemical called alliin that is converted into an active compound, allicin, when the cloves are crushed. Allicin is a natural antiseptic and has antibacterial and antiviral properties that make it potentially helpful in treating an ear infection.
Evidence
The anti-inflammatory properties of willow bark make it a natural treatment for painful disorders such as ear infections. The University of Maryland Medical Center summarizes findings from clinical research on willow bark indicating that it effectively suppresses pain caused by inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and headache. Although not specifically studied in subjects with ear infections, these findings suggest it might help relieve the pain of inflammation caused by an ear infection.
Available research suggests that garlic may also help prevent or speed recovery from ear infections. Laboratory studies demonstrated that garlic is able to destroy many different strains of bacteria, including forms that cause infections in humans. In addition, garlic has anti-viral properties, as demonstrated by a clinical study published in 2001 in "Advances in Therapy" in which 146 human volunteers took either a garlic supplement or a placebo for 12 weeks. The group consuming garlic developed significantly fewer colds and recovered more quickly if they did develop a cold than the placebo group.
Recommendations
Garlic and willow bark are both available from health food stores as supplements. Both are generally considered safe, although you should not consume willow bark if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. Both supplements may interact with certain prescription medications and neither supplement should be taken in place of a treatment recommended by your doctor. Discuss their use with your doctor before adding these supplements to your regimen.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Ear Infection(Middle Ear)
- Drugs.com: Willow Bark
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Willow Bark
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Garlic
- Drugs.com: Garlic
- "Advanced in Therapy"; Preventing the Common Cold with a Garlic Supplement: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Survey; P. Josling; July-August 2001
