As a child, all of us have suffered from infections related to ear which was probably one of the most frustrating things to experience during that time. But this problem is not just sustained to children and even adults suffer from an ear infection and earache. Ear infections also termed as otitis media is inflammation of the middle ear caused due to bacteria, viruses or due to injury in the ear. An infection in the ear may cause fever, irritation, pain discomfort, drainage of fluid from the ear and difficulty during sleeping. Suffering from ear infection ends up taking antibiotics. However, unlike most of the parents, some of them prefer to try natural home remedies to treat basic ear infections and other ear-related problems.
Various home remedies have been followed for a long time to treat infections related to the ear. Some of these include applying ginger extracts on the outer ear canal which can help reduce the inflammation, similarly, garlic is also known to produce anti-inflammatory and antibiotic effects when its extracts are applied on the surface of the ear canal. Extracting these oils at home and using it fresh can feel troublesome for people. In such a case one more effective remedy to treat your ear infection is by just instilling a few drops of coconut oil in your ears. Coconut oil is one of the natural treatments which can be used to clear up any kind of ear infection.(Also Read: Home Remedies For Ear Infection )
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Benefits of using coconut oil in ear infections
Most people prefer to use coconut oil for treating ear infections as a very effective home remedy. This is because of its safety, easy application procedure as well as its efficacy. The benefits of using coconut oil in the ear are mentioned as follows:
- Consuming antibiotics or allopathic medicines may tend to produce side effects, whereas instilling a few drops of naturally occurring coconut has relatively fewer side-effects and lower risks.·
- Coconut oil can prevent the growth of various microorganisms like viruses, fungi, bacteria, parasites, and protozoans. This is because it constitutes higher levels of medium-chain fatty acids (i.e., MCFAs) that are similar to the sebum produced by the body.
- It also has sporostatic and bactericidal effects
- It also shows antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties which helps prevent ear pain.
Also Read: 10 Essential Oils That Can Treat Ear Pain
Type of coconut oil to be used
One may encounter several brands of coconut oil that are easily available in the health and food stores, grocery stores and also available from online retailers, and some are also being sold as nutritional supplements. All these brands may claim to offer 100% virgin coconut oil but its very important to use a quality coconut oil for using it in your ears.
How to identify virgin coconut oil for using it in the ear?
- Look for color – Coconut oil is colorless when in liquid form and white in solid form.
- Odor – Pure coconut oil has a strong smell of coconut which is absent in the oil that has undergone deodorization procedure or is refined.
Also, look for reputed brand coconut oil with independent certification.
Pure and organic coconut oil that is instilled into the ears can have profound benefits in relieving your ear pain and infection.
Coconut oil in the ear: How to use it for ear problems?
Administration of coconut oil for a persistent ear infection is relatively very easy. If possible, it is the best remedy one can use for treating the infection in the ear. It is always recommended to take the help of a person or a family member who can help in administering the coconut oil into your ears. Since it’s very difficult for a person to self-administer the oil into their ears which may end up poking.
- Coconut oil is semi-solid in viscosity, so before instillation, it should melt slightly to convert it into liquid form. Then, the oil is to be administered with the help of an eyedropper.
- For obtaining additional benefits of coconut oil, one can heat one cup of coconut oil with two minced garlic cloves, in a small saucepan for about a minute. Cooldown the mixture and put it in a bottle. Use this mixture into your ears with the help of an eyedropper.
- For best results, use coconut oil twice a day for a week. One may notice their symptoms evade away and infection clearing up in a week. In case, if you still notice symptoms after one week, consult your doctor.
Coconut oil is a potential ‘miracle’ food and it is used as cooking oil, salad dressing and also as hair oil. The fat present in coconut oil is capable of promoting health benefits, such as weight reduction, prevention of cardiovascular diseases, antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect. So, next time you catch an ear infection try instilling a few drops of coconut oil into your ears, before popping up an antibiotic pill.
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