When you get an ear infection, your first instinct is probably to run to the doctor. But hold on…
About 90% of ear infections will clear up on their own.1 So you’ll most likely wind up with antibiotics that you don’t actually need. Drugs usually don’t help you get relief any faster than if you weren’t taking anything at all.
Of course, with that kind of pain, it’s no surprise you’d want the fastest relief. But consider the real source of that pain… Inflammation. And antibiotics do nothing to treat it.
There is something that works better—and faster—than prescriptions or drops. In fact, it can end your ear pain in just three days. 2
It’s a plant that grows wild by the side of the road. Maybe you’ve even seen it. Studies show that using the extract of the plant by itself is even more effective than using it together with an antibiotic.3
| Mullein also treats diarrhea and respiratory infections. It’s why European settlers made sure to bring it with them on their voyage to the Americas. |
This plant works better than antibiotics because it relieves inflammation in the ear canal. 4
You may know mullein as “beggar’s blanket” or “fluffweed.”5 Here’s how it works…
The fluid in your middle ear drains through your Eustachian tube and into your throat. When fluid builds up, it becomes prone to infection.
Anything that makes this tube swell up can stop the fluid from draining. That means a cold, sinus infection, allergies, and even changes in weather can lead to an ear infection. The common symptoms you know all too well – fever, intense pain, vomiting, and even hearing loss in the infected ear. 6 That’s where this “weed” comes in.
Mullein has natural anti-inflammatory properties.7 When you apply the oil directly to your ear, it reduces the inflammation of your Eustachian tube.
You may find mullein growing alongside a local road. It could be growing somewhere on your own property. But that doesn’t make it safe to use. It’s hard to know what sort of environmental toxins, like pesticides and car exhaust, it has been exposed to.8 Instead, you can purchase clean mullein oil or tea in health stores and online. It’s also an ingredient in several herbal complex supplements.
What natural remedies do you use to get rid of ear pain? Tell us about them below.
In Good Health,
Angela Salerno
Publisher, INH Health Watch
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References:
1 http://www.nytimes.com/ref/health/healthguide/esn-earinfections-ess.html
2 http://science.naturalnews.com/2001/8202727_Efficacy_of_naturopathic_extracts _in_the_management_of_ear_pain.html
3 http://science.naturalnews.com/2003/5100459_Naturopathic_treatment_for_ear_pain_in_children.html
4 http://www.cshs.com/herbsOfMonth/mullein.html
5 http://naturalstandard.com/databases/herbssupplements/all/mullein.asp?#undefined
6 http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000638.htm
7 http://www.cshs.com/herbsOfMonth/mullein.html
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