Replied by Mmsg (Somewhere, Europe) on 03/31/2012
Rosecharm, what always worked/works for us is a piece of cotton with olive oil on it. Put in the painful ear and leave it there for 48 hours. It will usually feel better long before that, but keep it in (or change it whenever you want) for that long to make sure it's totally healed.Replied by Aeiver (New Braunfels, Tx/USA) on 04/08/2012
When I was a kid my mom would put a few drops of warmed "sweet oil" in my hurting ear and top it off with a bit of cotton. Come to find out "sweet oil" was olive oil. She would warm a bit of it in a spoon on the stove burner and make sure it was not too warm before using a dropper to place in the ear canal. This usually gave instant relief and allowed me to sleep. Now, as to prevention. My son frequently had ear infections as a child. His allergy doctor advised that they recommended all their patients use saline spray in their nose. He likened it to shampooing pollen from your hair before going to bed. My son was three or four years old when we both started using saline, 2 or 3 puffs in each nostril 2 or 3 times a day. He stopped getting ear infections and is now 18 years old. Since that time I have not been sick (owing to other factors, as well). This is also effective for those who suffer from sinus infections. By the way, I have heard that in Europe they did not use antibiotics to treat ear infections, (at least back then) and recovery time was similar to children who were treated with antibiotics. Also, recent studies have shown antibiotics are ineffective for sinus infections. I previously was a pediatric nurse and saw antibiotics prescribed repeatedly for children with persistent ear infections, often repeated courses of antibiotics. Unfortunately, the problem often is often caused by the child being subjected to smoking by a caregiver. Even if they smoke outside, the residue is on their clothing and causes the detrimental effects. I am not preaching; I am an ex-smoker and realize it is a very hard habit to break. For those who do smoke, try wearing a long sleeved shirt while smoking which is left outside and wash hands and face before coming into contact with the children you take care of.Replied by Suzanne (Abbotsford, Bc Canada) on 06/27/2012
3 drops of hydrogen peroxide in the infected ear will most likely be all that is necessary. Tip the head so the drops will stay in until the bubbling ceases, or for 10 minutes, whichever comes first. I left the drops in for 20 minutes once, because they were still bubbling, but they made my ears sore for awhile, so I don't recommend that! If they are still bubbling after 10 minutes, I tip my head over and wipe the hp out (maybe even rinse with a little water) and then next day do it again. The bubbling indicates that there is infection of some kind. This also works for many flu/cold/viruses. You feel better very quickly!
