Ear aches can arise from a variety of sources. All the sufferer knows is that it is painful and uncomfortable. Before you head to the store, however, check your home – you may have the ingredients for relief right there.

Alternative remedies can help to ease the pain of ear aches and other conditions. If the condition worsens, it is advisable to see a doctor for further treatment. Your remedy may be helping but may not be enough to totally stop the condition.

Here are some of the alternative remedies used today to grant relief from an ear ache:

1. Mineral oil – Mineral oil is light, tasteless and odorless. Placing a few drops of warm oil on the inside of the ear in the canal can help ease the pain.  Read more...

Swimmer’s ear is a condition that is commonly seen during the summer and in kids. It is an infection of the outer ear that can lead to problems deeper inside the ear over time. Here are some helpful hints to prevent swimmer’s ear and enjoy your fun in the sun and surf.

Swimmer’s ear doesn’t just happen to swimmers. They are the most affected but it can happen whenever the conditions are right for bacteria to grow out of control in the outer ear. The bacteria in question are helpful in small amounts. They are present naturally on the skin of the body.

When moisture gets in the ear canal, an infection can develop because the bacteria multiply. Swimmer’s ear also occurs in the presence of cuts in the ear, various skin conditions like eczema and seborrhea and hair chemicals. But, you can take preventative measures to keep the infection from beginning.  Read more...

* 2 part Elecampane Root,
* 1 part Horehound,
* 2 parts Muskmallow or Marshmallow Root.

Combine all the herbs, cover in honey and keep warm for 1 day. Strain herbs and use as needed.

http://www.care2.com/

How about a “morning after” pill for loud concerts? Researchers recently identified supplements so helpful at preventing and healing noise-induced hearing loss that we may very well see pills and snack foods marketed with that premise in the not-too-distant future.

Long viewed as a hazard for people exposed to prolonged high-decibel sound (such as workers around jet engines or jackhammers, battlefield soldiers and rock stars), excess noise contributes to more than one-third of the 28 million Americans suffering from some degree of hearing loss.

RESEARCH RESULTS SOUND PROMISING

I spoke with scientist Colleen Le Prell, PhD, associate professor, department of communicative disorders, University of Florida in Gainesville, to find out more about the research her team recently conducted, which showed that a simple blend of common nutrients may help reduce hearing loss.

Believe it or not, a cough is the body’s way to protect itself and occurs in perfectly healthy people. Coughing is much like a sneeze in that it is not voluntary.

There are two different classes of nerves, that have endings in the lungs, which are responsible for causing us to cough.

When a person coughs, their body is trying to get rid of irritants in the air passages. Mucus is oftentimes the reason that a cough starts. The body initiates a cough in order to clear the mucus out of the air passageways.

Amazingly, a cough can force air at speeds up to three hundred miles per hour.

If a person is not a smoker and their X-rays are clear then a persistent cough usually means one of three things. Asthma, post nasal drip or heartburn. Less often, it can be because of chronic bronchitis or a side effect from prescription medicines. Coughing can also be caused by an infection in your upper respiratory tract, pneumonia, tuberculosis or acute bronchitis.  Read more...

1/2 ounce each:

* garlic-infused oil
* calendula-infused oil
* mullein blossom-infused oil

Use olive oil as the carrier for this infusion. Warm the oil before dropping it into the ear. Heat a spoon under hot water, dry it and drop the oil into the warm spoon; now draw the drops back into the dropper and place two drops in each ear.

Excerpted from Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art, (Crossing Press)

Ear aches and ear infections can be a problem for both children and adults.  Earaches can be caused by an infection in the ear, outer ear, or ear canal.  Earaches can be painful and is an inflammatory process of the auditory canal.  It can cause dizziness, nausea, and of course pain.  Earaches can be caused by earwax build up and water in the ear as well.

There are many home cures used for earaches and all claim to be successful in taking care of the pain.  Pain with fever, chills, or other symptoms signal a doctor should be consulted.

Here’s an old favorite of many people involving onions.  Onions are a popular vegetable to treat many medical problems the homeopathic way.  This one is especially for earache pain.

Fry a large amount of onions until the onions are brown.  After cooling, drain them through cheesecloth or other cloth and allow the liquid to cool.  Place a drop of the cooled liquid in each ear to reduce pain.  Read more...

A sore throat is unfortunately a part of a number of illnesses. It is often present when you have a cold or the flu. A severe sore throat can also be a sign of a bacterial infection that requires antibiotics. But in most cases, a sore throat will go away on its own when the related illness subsides.

But whether your sore throat is one that will go away on its own or one that requires treatment doesn’t make much difference in how unpleasant it is. Pain when talking, eating and drinking can put a damper on your normal activities and make you want to crawl into bed and stay there until it goes away. Try these home remedies to help alleviate sore throat pain.

* Gargle with warm salt water. Put about 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a half cup of warm water, and gargle with it several times a day. This will provide relief and help keep infection at bay. It will also wash away postnasal drip, which can make a sore throat worse.  Read more...

Ear infections are quite common among children.� While some parents are fortunate enough to never see their children get one, most kids will have one at some point.� And some children seem to get them every way they turn.

Ear infections often follow colds or sinus infections, and they can be quite painful.� They often keep children, and consequently their parents, up at night.� But there are some home remedies that can provide relief, and sometimes even eradicate the infection.� Here are some things to try:

* Heat can quickly help alleviate the pain of an ear infection.� Use a heating pad on a low setting, or put some rice in a sock and microwave it until warm.� Many parents swear by moist heat, so you might want to try warming a wet washcloth in the microwave.� It is important, however, to make sure no water enters the ear.  Read more...

Put two cups of water into a saucepan and bring to boil.

Remove from heat and add 5 heaping tablespoons of Calendula flowers (fresh or dried).

Cover and let steep for 15 minutes. Strain through cheesecloth and use as a gargle for sore throat while the liquid is still warm.