A Holistic Approach to Ear Infections
Health, Ear Infections
Ear Infections, First-Hand Experience, and Natural Supportive Remedies
A personal story of a first-time ear infection at 31, why ear infections happen, and practical ways to support your body’s healing process at home.
For the first time in my life, at age 31, I experienced my first ear infection (that turned out to be a DOUBLE ear infection)! I always imagined that they were an extreme nuisance, but as uncomfortable and worried that I was, I was grateful to experience it first hand in order to empathize with the countless patients who come into our office seeking relief and advice. I can now proudly say I can offer FIRST HAND advice and counsel!
While ear infections more commonly will affect children, with the ever changing atmosphere of the bugs and germs, you may find yourself googling “ear infection remedies” at some point in your life.
It’s important to break down the why and how behind ear infections, and what you can do for yourself before you find yourself at the doctor’s office (you may even prevent it from getting to that point!)
📌 Key Takeaway: Understanding why ear infections happen can help you respond calmly, support your immune system, and sometimes even avoid a trip to the doctor.
Are Antibiotics Always Necessary for Ear Infections?
Even the CDC agrees that much of the time antibiotics aren’t a necessary course of action for every ear infection, “because the body’s immune system can fight off the infection without help from antibiotics” and a mild case “often will get better on its own without antibiotic treatment, so your health care professional may recommend watchful waiting before prescribing antibiotics to you or your loved one. ” [1]
Most ear infections, when cultured in a lab, show a combination of both bacteria and virus material in the collection, meaning that if there’s a high percentage of viral growth, antibiotics may not even be effective in fighting off the infection! [2]
Ear Infection Symptoms
Ear infections commonly will present with symptoms of the following:
Pain inside or around the ear
Fever
Fluid draining from the ear (either clear, white, or yellow)
Hearing loss: Reduced hearing in the affected ear, or ringing in the ear
Pressure or feeling of fullness inside the ear
Itchiness in or around the ear
* In babies who can’t clearly express these various symptoms, they will typically be more fussy, and possibly tugging on the affected ear(s)
How Do Ear Infections Happen?
The most common culprit behind an ear infection is the start of a cold. Stuffiness, swollen lymph nodes, runny nose, and a cough - or a combination of a few of these symptoms. When our immune system begins attacking a microbial invader, tissues swell, fluid movement slows down, and all of said fluid can be more prone to back up. MOVEMENT in the body is key, and when it slows down, that’s when problems can arise.
Think of the difference between a river and a swamp. A river is constantly flowing, clear, and cleaner, while a swamp is still, stagnant, and a breeding ground for microbial growth (yuck!) When this fluid slows down and backs up, in combination with inflammation and nervous system dysfunction, the fluid behind the ear isn’t flowing down the eustachian tubes as efficiently as before, and infection can begin to take root.
💡 Pro Tip: Supporting healthy fluid movement and reducing inflammation early can make a big difference in how an ear infection progresses.
What Can You Do at Home for Ear Infections?
SO, with this information, what can you do at home when you or your loved one first start showing signs of an ear infection? Below are some of our favorite remedies that help to not only alleviate discomfort, but also address the immune system at the root, bringing healing from the inside out.
1. Garlic/Mullein Oil
Garlic oil is an extremely effective option for alleviating pain [3], and has a mild antimicrobial effect that can help fight the root cause of the infection. When I had my ear infection, this was one of the first remedies that I reached for. Our favorite source is this oil. (link this to those words please this oil) If you need it immediately, most natural food stores or apothecaries will carry some variety that is typically just as effective.
2. Chiropractic Adjustments
As ear infections have a lack of fluid movement at the root, getting motion restored (typically to the upper neck) is extremely helpful. When the bones at the top of the neck have restricted motion, nerve pressure, and swelling, they can act as a dam of sorts with the delicate balance between lymphatic/fluid flow and the eustachian tube. When you receive a specific chiropractic adjustment from a Gonstead chiropractor, this healthy motion is not only restored, but the nerve that mediates much of immune system function can be “turned back on” , and healing put back on the right track. [4]
3. Red Light Therapy
A red light emitting device is a jack of all trades! Not only does it help with mitigating inflammation, it helps support healthy blood flow, and helps to alleviate pain. Red light therapy can reduces inflammation by inhibiting the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. [5]
4. Eating Fermented Foods
Fermented foods (full of natural probiotics!) are SO rich in gut supportive bacteria that help positively influence the health of our gut. The gut modulates so much of our body's inflammatory response, and not only will eating fermented foods help to support your immune system in the heat of an ear infection, it can also help prevent future ones from happening! Prevention is truly the best medicine. [6]
5. Avoiding Inflammatory Processed Foods & Processed Sugar
Immune system efficacy decreases for HOURS after sugar is consumed. Anytime you’re battling sickness, your best choice is whole foods, vegetables, warm supportive soups, herbs, and LOTS of fluid. Warm is best when you’re sick, as cold foods and fluids can actually increase mucus production, which we want to avoid excess of!
⚠️ Warning: Processed sugar and inflammatory foods can make it harder for your immune system to do its job effectively while you’re fighting an infection.
Encouragement While You or Your Child Is Sick
When it comes to sickness, I know it can be easy to get worried or even discouraged. But fear not, a body that expresses symptoms, is a body that is expressing HEALTH. Our bodies are intelligently designed to fight off invaders on a day by day, minute by minute basis. While it may not seem that our body always has our best interest in mind, rest assured that IT DOES.
Elevating temperature, increasing swelling, alerting you of pain, these are all truly good things - and at the root of all of them is your body trying to restore balance and fight disease. The best way we can support our body while it’s fighting the good fight? Providing it with useful healing tools (foods + herbs!) that it can use as building blocks on the path to restoration.
You’re doing a great job,
Dr. Jordan Fennelly & Dr. Peter Fennelly
Stay Connected
Want more tangible tips on all things health, motherhood, kiddos, and holistic remedies? Connect with our weekly newsletter THE NEST by clicking here.
REFERENCES
[1] https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/media/pdfs/WatchfulWaitingEar-P.pdf
[2] Infectious Diseases Society of America. "Most Ear Infections Host Both Bacteria And Viruses, Study Shows. " ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 7 November 2006. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061106164651.htm> .
[3] Sarrell EM, Mandelberg A, Cohen HA. Efficacy of Naturopathic Extracts in the Management of Ear Pain Associated With Acute Otitis Media. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2001;155(7):796–799. doi:10.1001/archpedi.155.7.796. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11434846/
[4] Resolution of Chronic, Recurrent Bilateral Ear Infections Following Chiropractic Care in a One-year-old Infant: A Case Report & Review of the Literature Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health Chiropractic, Volume 2019 https://vertebralsubluxationresearch.com/2019/01/16/resolution-of-chronic-recurrent-bilateral-ear-infections-following-chiropractic-care-in-a-one-year-old-infant-a-case-report-review-of-the-literature/
[5] Ko YS, Gi EJ, Lee S, Cho HH. Dual red and near-infrared light-emitting diode irradiation ameliorates LPS-induced otitis media in a rat model. Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2023 Feb 22;11:1099574. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1099574. PMID: 36911197; PMCID: PMC9992796. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36911197/
[6] Scott AM, Clark J, Julien B, Islam F, Roos K, Grimwood K, Little P, Del Mar CB. Probiotics for preventing acute otitis media in children. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019 Jun 18;6(6):CD012941. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD012941.pub2. PMID: 31210358; PMCID: PMC6580359. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6580359/
