A traditional ear infection remedy is to put a half of a warm on onion over your child’s ear, or to put a few drops of onion juice into the ear.

This makes a lot of sense when you consider the  properties of onions.  They contain the same strong  antibiotic/ antiviral, and anti-fungal ingredient found in garlic, called allicin.  But onions also contain a larger dose of a natural anti-inflammatory than garlic, which explains why they are preferred over garlic for ear and chest/congestion complaints.

There seem to be two different forms of ear infections:

• One is the result of fluid behind the ear drum, which is often associated with a runny nose and cold symptoms. The pain is from the pressure on the ear drum.

• The other is an inflammation of the ear canal, often called “swimmers ear”.  This also strikes suddenly, but often after swimming or bathing, and without the usual cold symptoms.

I have had good results using half  vinegar and half alcohol at the first sign of swimmers ear.  I actually packed a washed out eye drops bottle of it in our swim bag, and have used it right at the pool several times this summer.

Onion juice is a good traditional ear infection remedy for both kinds of ear infection, in our experience.

I’ve heard of numerous ways to extract onion juice, from grating and squeezing, to using a garlic press.  It’s not an easy task to extract juice, because onions usually aren’t really all that ‘juicy’, and you don’t want pulp going down into the ear.

Here is my solution…the easy ear infection remedy that I just used tonight, when my daughter was complaining of ear pain.

Onion Juice Ear Infection Remedy:

First, I checked her ear, and made sure that the eardrum was intact…the ear canal looked red and swollen.

So, I cut the root end off of an onion.  Then I held the onion on its side.  Using the tip of a spoon, I scraped up the newly cut end until I had several drops of onion juice in the spoon.

I had her lay on her side with the hurting ear facing up, and I dripped the juice right into her ear.  She kept her head tipped so the juice would stay in, and covered it with a cotton ball.  In just a few minutes, her pain was gone, and she was able to turn over and go right to sleep.

***Update***  If you’re going to treat one ear, go ahead and treat both.  That would have saved us both some sleep.  I did repeat the remedy the next morning as well, but we have not had to repeat again.

We have used similar remedies before, with great results, but this was
even quicker (and less stinky) than holding a cut onion over the
offending ear.  Onion juice is a very safe remedy, and can be repeated as often as needed when and if the pain returns.

Another Ear Infection Remedy Method:

There is one benefit to using the onion half over the juice:  Sometimes, the feeling of “water” in the ear is a bit traumatic.  If your child is picky about water in their ears, you can also just place half of the onion over their ear.  it’s nice to warm it slightly, but onions heat VERY quickly, so be careful not to over-warm it to the point where it burns.  The vapors of the onion are plenty potent enough to do the job.

A Fantastic Tool for Your Home Remedy Kit

Treating ear pain at home can be nerve wracking, because it’s hard to see what is going on in there.  Last year, I finally broke down and bought an otoscope, which is the little light thingy that Doctors use to look in ears.  It does take a little getting used to it to really understand what you’re looking for and at, but overall, it has been a very worthwhile investment in my first aid kit.

I have used it for ear checks, as well as to inspect sore throats, and other dark and dangerous places where a kid might hide a bean or pea.  This is the one I purchased:

Another nice benefit to owning my own is that my kids are now used to it, and they are not scared at all when they go to the Dr., and he looks in their ears. Which makes check ups much less traumatic.

Please note: never put anything into the ear if you suspect that the ear drum has burst, and/or if you see blood or fluid coming out of the ear.  Please use your own best judgment when using home remedies, and consult your doctor as you deem necessary.  I am just a house-frau, not a doctor.

Click here for more ear infection remedy ideas and tips.