The Green Pharmacy for Earache

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The Green Pharmacy for Earache

http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Bookshelf/Books/41/46.cfm

by James A. Duke, Ph.D.

 

There I was on Kelley's Island in Lake Erie on a beautiful spring

day, leading a workshop on medicinal herbs. At our feet were mullein

plants, an age-old remedy for earache. It was early June, too early

for the mullein to be in flower. But the fuzzy leaves were

everywhere, and the previous year's tall flower stalks were abundant

as well.

 

Down in southern Ohio, there's an herbalist who is producing an

earache salve based on mullein flowers and goldenseal. More than

half of the participants in my workshop had tried this salve on

their children after doctors had failed to cure their ear infections

with antibiotics and even surgery. Several swore that it worked.

Because of what I know about mullein, I'm inclined to trust their

reports.

 

Earache has many possible causes. In children, the most common by

far is an infection that invades the middle ear--what doctors call

otitis media. But earache can also be caused by excess earwax, a

perforated eardrum and other conditions in the head and neck.

There's also an outer ear infection called otitis externa.

 

The actual infection may be bacterial, viral or fungal. An estimated

80 percent of children have at least one middle ear infection during

their first five years. Breastfeeding apparently offers some

protection. Compared with bottle-fed babies, breastfed infants

develop fewer ear infections, and the longer the baby nurses, the

lower the risk.

 

Often, pediatricians have prescribed antibiotics to help stop ear

infections. But recently, more and more physicians are advising

against being trigger-happy with antibiotics.

 

Problems with Aspirin

 

Earache treatment begins with pain relief and then proceeds to

dealing with the cause. Physicians treat the pain with acetaminophen

(or aspirin for adults), then give antibiotics and decongestants to

treat the infection itself.

 

There are also some good herbs that can help adults deal with the

pain even before they see the doctor. For adult earaches, I'd try

relieving the pain with a tea made of willow bark and wintergreen.

 

These herbs contain salicin and salicylates, which are natural

precursors of pharmaceutical aspirin. (If you are allergic to

aspirin, however, you probably shouldn't take herbal aspirin

either.) But do not give either aspirin or its natural herbal

alternatives to children who develop ear infections along with

colds.

When children take aspirin-like drugs for viral infections

(especially colds, flu and chicken pox), there's a chance that they

might get Reye's syndrome, a potentially fatal condition that

damages the liver and brain.

 

Once you've treated the pain, it's time to consider the cause. A

doctor can look in the affected ear and decide if you have an

external or an internal problem.

--

Green Pharmacy for Earache

 

There are a number of herbs that can help alleviate the pain of

earache or treat the causes.

 

Echinacea (Echinacea, various species). Echinacea, also known as

coneflower, has both antibiotic and immune-boosting effects. You can

try using a teaspoon of dried herb in tea or a dropperful of

echinacea tincture in juice or tea. Drink either three times a day.

 

I use echinacea to treat all sorts of infections, and I would

probably try it if I had an earache. (Although echinacea can cause

your tongue to tingle or go numb temporarily, this effect is

harmless.)

 

Ephedra (Ephedra sinica). Also known as ma huang or Chinese

ephedra, this herb contains two powerful decongestants, ephedrine

and pseudoephedrine. They can help drain the fluid in the middle ear

that is associated with middle ear infections.

In a study of fliers with recurrent ear pain, 70 percent of those

who took pseudoephedrine experienced relief.

 

Be careful to stick to the recommended doses when using this herb.

Adults shouldn't use more than one teaspoon of dried herb to make a

tea or take more than one teaspoon of tincture. Although the herb

can be taken up to three times a day, you should be cautious because

ephedra is a stimulant and might cause insomnia or tend to raise

blood pressure.

 

Ephedra could be great for treating some children's problems, but

because of the controversy surrounding it, you should consult your

pediatrician before using it for children. Children should be given

less than half of the amount appropriate for adults.

 

 

Be Gentle with Eardrops

 

Warning: The essential oils of several of the herbs described in

this chapter can be dripped into the ears to help heal the

infections that cause earache. If a doctor has told you that your

eardrum has been perforated or you have any reason to suspect that

it has, do not use eardrops (herbal or otherwise).

 

Garlic (Allium sativum). Like echinacea, garlic and its extracts

have antibiotic and immune-boosting benefits.

 

In studies, dripping garlic oil directly into the ear canal has

been shown to treat fungal infections as well as or better than

pharmaceutical drugs.

 

Taken internally, garlic can help cure a middle ear infection. If

you have an earache, I suggest adding more garlic to your cooking.

You might also try putting a few drops of garlic oil in the painful

ear.

 

Forsythia (Forsythia suspensa), gentian (Gentiana officinalis) and

honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica). All three of these herbs produce

antibiotic activity. Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine

often prescribe them in powdered form, sprinkled on applesauce to

treat children's ear infections.

I've had such good success with this approach for colds and flu

that I would also try it for earache. They are easily used to make

tea.

 

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus). Mullein flowers have many fans, and

I've decided that these people must be on to something.

One British herbalist suggests putting mullein flower oil drops in

the affected ear.

 

Peppermint (Mentha piperita). A number of herbalists suggest using

mints, which are antiseptic, to relieve earache. To me, peppermint

sounds most promising, because it contains menthol. I would suggest

using it as a tea.

 

Teatree (Melaleuca, various species). Aromatherapists and many

herbalists consider teatree oil a significant antiseptic when

applied to the skin. Try mixing a few drops in olive oil to make

eardrops.

Just don't use the drops if there is a possibility that the eardrum

has been perforated, and don't take teatree oil, or any essential

oil, internally. The oils are extremely concentrated, and even small

quantities of many of them can be poisonous. I've also heard one

anecdotal reference to problems arising from using teatree oil in

the ear, so just to be on the safe side, discontinue use if you

experience any irritation.