So, assuming I hadn’t been at the point of full-blown ear infection, these remedies (particularly the salt sock remedy) would have worked. However, once it becomes an infection, these “cures” are no longer applicable. Here are a couple that I’ve personally tried:
Salt Sock
It’s nice and warm, and feels good against your ear. I prefer this method over the onion method, listed next.
- Take about 1 cup of course salt and pour into a pan on the stove.
- Stir or shake the salt until its very warm/hot.
- Pour salt into the sock (you may need to use a funnel) and tie the top with a rubber band to keep salt from escaping.
- Place the salt sock on your pillow and lie with the ear on the sock. If you use a thinner sock, you can place a towel between the sock and the ear – but its not as effective.
- Rest here for as long as you can, at least 10-15 minutes.
Baked Onion
This also feels good against your ear, but…. it will also make your ear/side of your face/your house smell like onions… just a warning!
- Bake a small whole onion (two if you need one for each ear) in the oven, 350˚ for one hour.
- Remove the onion from the oven and place in a glass jar (mason jar if the onion will fit… you need the onion to be whole).
- Poke several deep holes in the onion with a fork, put the end of the jar to your ear immediately to catch the steam escaping from the onion.
- Tilt your head sideways and hold the steaming onion jar over your ear until the steam is gone… approx. 5-7 minutes. Once the steam is gone, you can try flipping the onion over and re-poking to release any additional steam it might be holding.
- If you do both ears, use the other onion for the other ear.
Please note, I am not a doctor. Please consult your doctor prior to trying any of these techniques if you have concerns. Thanks!
