How To Use Garlic Oil To Treat An Ear Infection

An ear infection can make you uncomfortable. This infection can become highly painful, depending on the type of infection you are experiencing. You may also suffer severe health problems if your ears release fluids or pus.

According to experts, a severe infection might also temporarily cause you to lose your equilibrium, which may lead to hearing damage.

Opting for natural remedies is important to treat ear infections. Garlic is an ancient remedy for ear infections that is still helpful today.

Garlic oil techniques for ear infections utilize the beneficial properties of garlic and aid in treating the infection. If you are worried about how to use garlic for an ear infection, don’t stress. Read on, as we have discussed all the issues related to the topic here, so that you can get detailed information about this natural, time-tested, and highly effective remedy.

Types of Ear Infection

Ear infections are classified into three types:

1. External: In an external ear infection, the ear canal becomes swollen and can cause severe pain.
2. Inner: Inner ear infections are usually painless but may cause vertigo and hearing loss.
3. Middle Ear: Middle ear infections, which occur due to the formation of pus behind the eardrum, create a lot of pressure and pain, making them a common type of infection.

Remember that only external ear infections can be treated with ear drops, such as garlic oil ear drops, while the other two types require treatment from an ENT specialist.

How Does Garlic Help Treat Ear Infection?

Using garlic for ear infections is beneficial for the following reasons:

• Garlic is rich in antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiviral properties, which help treat bacterial infections in the ear.
• It has also been found that garlic helps reduce swelling, infection, and pain.
• Additionally, it contains an antimicrobial property called allicin, which fights infection and alleviates pain in the ear.
• Garlic oil for ear infections is helpful because it contains strong aromatic compounds that have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. The skin and eardrum can easily absorb these compounds into the surrounding tissues.

[Read more Remedies to Clean Earwax]

How to Make Garlic Oil For An Ear Infection?

As mentioned earlier, garlic contains various health-friendly antibacterial properties. These properties can be beneficial when used as ear drops to treat ear infections. So, what is the process for making garlic oil? While there are various techniques to make garlic oil, you should always keep in mind that the best garlic oil recipe is made only with fresh garlic.

To make garlic oil, you need:

• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin organic olive oil
• 1 large garlic clove, finely minced

Process

• Add olive oil to a saucepan and heat it on low. Remember, you are not going to cook the oil.
• When the oil is warm, add the minced garlic to it. As soon as the garlic becomes fragrant, remove the saucepan from the heat. You don’t have to cook the garlic; just let it release its health-friendly compounds.
• Now, place it in a glass container and let it cool until the temperature falls to a level that is comfortable for you.
• Next, strain the mixture and store it in a dark bottle with a dropper.

You can replace the olive oil with mustard or sesame oil, as both provide similar results.

How to Use Garlic for an Ear Infection?

Follow these popular methods if you are wondering how to utilize the essential properties of garlic to treat an ear infection.

1. Garlic

• Put some crushed garlic cloves in a small cloth.
• Leave it placed in the ears for about 10-15 minutes.
• Notice the relief in pain after taking out the cloth.

2. Boiled Garlic Cloves With Salt

• Add 3-5 garlic cloves in water and boil it for 5-10 minutes.
• After removing it from the heat, crush it and add some salt to it.
• Put it in a small cloth and place it against the affected ear for a few minutes.
• Repeat the process every day.

3. St. John’s Wort Oil And Garlic

• Prepare a mixture of half a clove of garlic, a few drops of St. John’s wort oil, a few drops of mullein oil, and grapefruit extract.
• Put the mixture in an ear dropper and apply it to the affected ear.
• To get the most benefits, repeat the process regularly.

4. Garlic With Cheese Cloth or Gauze

• Discard the tip of the garlic clove and remove its skin. Wrap it properly in cheesecloth or gauze.
• Place it on the affected ear, ensuring that the cut end is facing the ear.
• Leave enough gauze to easily pull the garlic out later.
• Now, wash the cloth over the ear.
• However, remember not to insert it into the ear, and avoid doing this on children.
• You can also use warm garlic for quick relief.

How to Use Garlic Oil For Ear Infection

5. Garlic Oil

• Mix a few drops of mullein oil with garlic oil and stir well. Pour it into the affected ear.
• Leave the oil in the ear. Repeat it every day for better relief.

6. Warm Garlic Oil

• Add some garlic oil to a bowl and heat it briefly.
• Apply the oil to the affected area.
• Cover the ear with a cotton ball after letting it sit for 5-10 minutes.
• Repeat the procedure every day.
• This helps soften the wax and prevents infection.

7. Garlic Oil Capsules

• Take out all the ingredients from the garlic oil capsule.
• By tilting your head, pour all the contents into the infected area.
• Place and leave a cotton ball in the ear for 5-10 minutes.
• Repeat every day.

Essential Tips to Prevent an Ear Infection

Follow these important tips to get instant relief from an ear infection:

• Using fresh garlic is vital while treating ear infections, as it contains more potent compounds than dried or bottled garlic.
• If you are suffering from a ruptured eardrum, don’t use garlic oil or put any liquid in it.
• Be patient with the results and repeat the procedure every day.
• Keep in mind that garlic is a blood thinner, so it is important to be careful if you are consuming blood-thinning medications.
• Always keep your ears clean to avoid ear infections.

Conclusion

Garlic is a long-tested and powerful natural remedy for ear infections due to its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties. It reduces swelling, fights infection, and reduces pain in the infected ear, so it is an excellent source for relieving this condition.

Garlic could be applied in oil form or as crushed cloves; a combination with other herbal oils would also be quite relieving and supportive of the healing process.

Of course, the caveat is that some types of ear infections will not respond to home remedies. Ear infections caused by the invasion of germs into the outer ear will respond to garlic treatments, but infections of the inner and middle ears may require professional medical treatment.

Always remember your health and safety, and always call for a doctor or any other professional in the medical field if the case progresses or persists. Including garlic in your ear care and adopting prevention measures can aid in keeping the ears healthy and minimize the risks of infection at any future date.

• June 2017
  Written by Prajakt
• Nov 2024
  Edited by Lakshmi Gayatri