My son has been having ear infections, has anyone used sweet oil?!
Question: This is my son's second ear infection and he's 4 and a half months old, a friend of mine told me to use sweet oil, has anyone else had luck with this? if so, how do I do it?
Answers: This is my son's second ear infection and he's 4 and a half months old, a friend of mine told me to use sweet oil, has anyone else had luck with this? if so, how do I do it?
Sweet oil is an old-time name for Sweet Almond Oil. It's not any better than plain old Olive Oil. But oil seems to be healing to the membranes inside our ears.
Better yet is an oil that is infused with Garlic and Mullein. The garlic is an antibiotic and the mullein helps w/ pain and inflammation. You can buy it at any health food store. One popular brand is Wally's Ear Oil. Herbs, Etc. makes one and so does Turtle Island.
If the oil is unopened and at comfortable room temp, you might not have to heat it. But after opening, you have to keep it refrigerated so subsequent applications require heating. Do not heat the whole bottle as this will make it go rancid. Instead put 3 or 4 drops in a stainless steel spoon. Heat over a cigarette lighter or gas burner for just a few seconds. Then take the oil back up into the glass dropper and put one or two drops in each ear. You can test it on your wrist to make sure it's not too hot. Repeat this treatment 4x daily or as directed on the bottle.
Another great pain reliever is to put a drop of pure lavender oil on your finger and rub it in front of the ear and over the gland just behind the ear lobe. Works instantly.
BTW, the mullein & garlic treatment is reputed to be more successful at healing ear infection w/ no reoccurance than antibiotic treatment.
I've heard sweet oil works but haven't used it myself. I friend used tea tee oil/garlic combo that can be bought at health food store. Grapefruit seed extract is my favorite, and is what we have used - 5 drops diluted in 3 oz of water. (lukewarm for comfort). Use a dropper to put a few drops in the effected ear. Do that about 4-6 hours apart until it looks better. Then do a few more times.
my grand ma used it on me but i was a lil older mabe a toddler or so you warm it up to a gentle heat only about half a teaspoon and pour it in their ear be sure to test it first many pharmacies may be able to help you their is many over the counter products to help ear infections swim ear is one of them as for what ages i am not sure be sure to keep your childs ears wraped by putting a cap on and over its ears and keping him confortably warm it helps
No info about that. My 16 mo almost never was without an ear infection, so we got tubes. He has only had 1 ear infection since then. The dr. said he had Elmer's glue behind his ear drum. It would never have cleared without a surgeon sucking it out.
TX Mom
I have always used sweet oil myself and it is great for minor ear pain/discomfort...but without an antibiotic prescribed by a doctor,the infection itself will not go away.
I'd go for the mullienated garlic oil suggested already. I have always gotten mixed input on whether to acutally drop the oil into the ear canal or to saturate cotton with the warm oil and gently place that in the ear.
If the ear infections seem to be re-occuring then you may also consider using ear candles on a regular basis to help prevent them.
Wallys also sells the candles..and i believe that Washington Homeopathics sells the mullienated oil as well.