Ear Infection? Try Homeopathy Before Antibiotics

Ear infection and earache compel you to see your doctor promptly, particularly when you or your child happens to experience earache periodically every year, at least once or multiple times. The earlier you initiate the treatment, the rapid is the healing effect.

Viruses and bacteria trigger most of the ear infections. It is usually observed that children frequently complain of earache or infection. The difficulty arises for the parents when younger children may not be able to present their pain as much as the older children can do. You should not make a delay in opting for homeopathy as a treatment at the initial phase of your infection, as the delay may lead to severity, such as rupture of the eardrum, etc.

Homeopathy treats not only your earache or infection but treats you as a whole. Whether it’s you or your child suffering from an ear-infection, every individual with such infections ought to have certain mental and physical symptoms and a certain type of constitution, personality, appetite, thirst, feelings, likes, and dislikes. On the above findings, an appropriate homeopathic remedy is chosen which matches the similarity of the symptoms of the medicine to the symptoms of the affected individual.

How Often Antibiotics are Necessary and Efficient?

Research suggests that many earaches result due to viruses, bacteria, and allergies, and doctors often prescribe antibiotics for an ear infection, for which antibiotics are not effective. So, in most cases, antibiotics may be unnecessary.

Studies state that only fewer patients experience improvement and effectiveness with antibiotics on an ear infection, such as in the treatment of otitis media. Leading research also suggests that no evidence proves the effectiveness of antibiotics on acute or chronic otitis media with effusion. And, we all know the side–effects of antibiotics on prolonged use.

Want to Get Rid of Ear Infections?

You can often treat yourself and your child effectively with homeopathic medicines, as it is commonly seen that children respond very well to homeopathic remedies.

Professional Homeopathic care should be sought in the following cases:

• If your ear-infection repeatedly occurs
• If you are suffering from any chronic illness associated with it.
• If your complaints relapse frequently with severity.
• If your earache is associated with mild deafness.
• If you have any sudden functional changes in your ear infection.

Here are some of the common and truly indispensable homeopathic remedies which can help treat children (or adults) with ear infections and earaches.

1. Chamomile: This remedy act so well in treating the child who cries and screams with earaches and wants to be carried. When the child becomes uncomfortable and irritable and, to make you aware of it, the child may scream, this homeopathic remedy may help. Crying which makes you think and worried and when the child screams badly when put down after carried, indicate this homeopathic medicine. The child demanding this and that but refusing the object of their desire immediately when offered, indicate this remedy. Another characteristic symptom which indicates this homeopathic remedy is one cheek turning red and hot to touch and the other cheek turning pale and cold to touch.

2. Pulsatilla: When the child is tearful, quiet, gentle, mild and weepy, always wants sympathy and care, have discharges which are thick yellow and bland, and has very little or no thirst, poor appetite, and craving for fresh open air, it indicates Pulsatilla. The patient always creates an environment to gain sympathy. Ear problems occurring with or after exposure to the cold and ear discomfort turn worse by the warmth of the bed and at night indicate Pulsatilla. When the ear discharges are thick, bland, offensive yellow, or greenish, this remedy is recommended.

3. Belladonna: Belladonna is a wonderful remedy for the sudden violent onset of ear infections. It acts well on congestion and inflammation of the affected areas. When the person is red, hot, and dry, pupils are dilated, eyes seem big, the head becomes hot and limbs are cold, and ear-infection may be linked with the nervous system causing twitching and jerking mostly in the child during sleep, Belladonna is indicated. When the person is sensitive to the light and jarring with restlessness and excitement occurs, this medicine may help. This remedy is commonly prescribed to children with an ear infection. Characteristically flushed face with the reddened external eardrum, the right ear being more affected than left, throbbing pain, sharp and shooting pain, stinging around the ear, and association of a high-grade fever indicates this homeopathic medicine. The affected ear pain may radiate till the throat and may lead to hot, sore throat, and swelling of the throat glands, thereby indicating this remedy. The complaints may turn worse on the exposure of cold, motion, and at night and better by warm applications and sitting erect. When the patient turns agitated, irritable, and violent, may bite in the extreme cases, becomes delirious, and may scream on the pain, Belladonna is recommended.

4. Ferrum phosphoricum: Ferrum Phos is indicated in the ear infection similar to belladonna but Ferrum Phos is less intense with all similar symptoms. It is indicated in the first stage of inflammation and when the ear infection more affects the left side of the ear. When the infection occurs with slower illness and low onset, this medicine may help.

5. Hepar sulphuris: This homeopathic remedy is best suitable in the case of suppuration during earache when the pain is often sticking like splinters with discharges of thick yellow fluids, which may have an offensive foul odor. When the child sweats easily and has associated hoarse like barking cough, Hepar sulphuris is recommended. The characteristic symptom of physical and psychological hypersensitivity indicates this homeopathic medicine. When the patient turns extremely sensitive and cold to touch, this remedy can be helpful.

6. Aconite: This remedy is best suitable in the initial stage of the onset of ear infection. When the person’s external ear is hot and painful with throbbing pain and the patient is highly sensitive to the cold, noise, and music, Aconite is recommended. Aconite is prescribed when an ear infection is accompanied by fever, pain, and restlessness. When the patient suffers from a dry cough with congestion in the nose with increased thirst, Aconite may help.

Complications of an Untreated Ear Infection:

The ear is one of the important sensory organs which should not be experimented with by self-treatment. Bacterial ear infection if untreated or wrongly treated may lead to medical complications such as:

• Hearing loss
• Labyrinthitis
• Mastoiditis
• Petrositis
• Cholesteatoma
• Facial paralysis

NOTE – If your eardrum is perforated then you must consult your doctor rather than using any home remedies or any self-treatment, as it may enter in your ear’s middle space.

Conventional medical organization advising physicians not to prescribe antibiotics at the first initial stage of ear infection and advises safer alternative options for treatment.

Each Homeopathic remedy is determined by considering the pattern of symptoms that are most closely related to the symptoms which you or your child experiences. Just by reading these medicines and selecting the remedy which resembles your symptoms will not treat you. It needs the skill to come up with an ideal remedy that suits you the best. So, consult a professional homeopath for your treatment if any time you happen to suffer from an ear infection.

• Written by Dr. Jyoti Kumari, Associate doctor to Dr. Rajesh Shah