Use Garlic for Ear Pain: Benefits & Side effects

Ear pain may seem a very simple condition! But experiencing ear pain is the most painful condition an individual can face. Earaches are the most frustrating complaint made by the children Since the adults are less likely to suffer from ear pain. Pain is the most common reason for a visit to the pediatrician which may become tricky to the parents to pinpoint the condition.

Ear pain is the sharp, dull, or burning pain that is caused in the inner or outer ear. The pain may either remain for a short time or may also be an ongoing pain affecting either a single ear or both. Earaches can interfere with daily activities and may cause impaired hearing, unbearable pain that may result in loss of appetite, difficulty in getting sleep, chewing and almost everything may seem troublesome.

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What causes ear pain?

Ear pain may result due to an infection in the respiratory tract which includes sinusitis or cold, injury, infection in the ear or due to allergies. All these factors tend to produce excess mucus which is collected behind the eardrums. This, in turn, creates an ambient environment for the microbes to brew. The body’s defense mechanism is activated to fight against these foreign bodies and stimulate the production of inflammatory mediators which results in inflammation, pain, fever, mucus discharge and redness in that area causing muffled hearing.

The infection may usually clear away on their own. But in some cases, they don’t go away and keep happening again and again which can cause real problems. In such conditions comes the need for antibiotics and pain relievers. However, certain parents and people are interested to follow alternative therapies for ear pain to avoid the side effects of medicines. This can heal their ailments naturally. (Also Read: 15 Possible Causes of Ear Pain )

Home remedies for ear infection

Certain home remedies can be used by people at home to relieve earaches that are less severe and less painful.

A hot pack gently applied on the ears may help reduce inflammation and swelling and ease the pain.
Onion extracts obtained by boiling an onion in water or cooking the onion in an oven for a few minutes can also help ease pain and reduce infection. Onion is known to have anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. Squeezing the essentials of onion into the ear canal and flushing it out after 10 minutes may protect the ear from further infection.
Coconut oil with its medium-chain fatty acids is known to inhibit the growth of bacteria and soothes the ear pain. It also has anti-inflammatory action and thereby reduces swelling in the ear. (Also Read: How to use Coconut Oil for Ear Related Problems? )
Garlic for ear pain is also one of the oldest and most effective treatments used by people over the years for ear pain.

Benefits of Garlic for ear pain

Garlic for ear pain is one of the most used herbs that not only add flavor to your dishes but also serves numerous health benefits. This herbal ingredient has the potential to naturally heal your body of many ailments and maintain optimal health and wellbeing. This herb serves a very important role in treating pain related to the ear, joint pain, tooth pain, etc.

Garlic can help prevent middle ear infections through its anti-viral, antifungal and antibacterial properties.
Garlic helps relieve pain and reduces inflammation by exerting anti-inflammatory action.
It also boosts immunity and helps build resistance to various microorganisms entering the body.

Risk factors or side effects associated with the use of Garlic

Garlic constitutes compounds that are pungent and strong in nature. Even though they have a plethora of benefits the compounds present in it may cause a little discomfort when applied to the skin.

There is a risk that garlic may cause a stinging or burning sensation on the skin, which often ends up causing redness in the area where it was applied. So, in people whose skin is highly sensitive, a few drops of garlic or garlic-based products should be tested on the skin before applying it as a remedy.

How to use garlic for ear pain?

Garlic for treating ear pain can be used either topically or internally. The procedure for using garlic for ear pain is mentioned below.

Applying a clove of garlic externally on the ear may help ease the pain. A clove of garlic peeled and cut at the tip wrapped in a warm washcloth can be placed at the opening of the ear. Make sure the garlic clove doesn’t enter your ear. Hold the clove until you feel the ear pain normalize.
Another method includes heating a clove of minced garlic in a tablespoon of coconut oil for 2 minutes and instilling a few drops of this extract into your ear. The drops must be instilled with the help of someone after the mixture attains room temperature. The garlic extract must be left into the ears for a few minutes and can be removed later on by putting a towel over the ears and tilting your ear on it to remove those extra drops.

So, next time you encounter an ear problem or in case your child has caught an ear infection try putting garlic extracts into the ear and see the pain going away. Garlic can prevent you and your child from popping up those hard medicines with side effects.

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