Homeopathy for Acute Ear Pain
By Dr. Mamata Kumar, BHMS
I made this article for general public to provide awareness in regards to effectiveness of homeopathy in treating ear affections.
ACUTE EAR PAIN [OTALGIA]
An ear infection sometimes called acute otitis media is an infection of middle ear, the air-filled space behind the eardrum that contains the tiny vibrating bones of ear
Ear infections are most common reason parents bring their child to the physician. An ear infection is an inflammation of the middle ear most commonly caused by bacteria that occur when fluid build-up behind the eardrum. Ear infection occurs when one of your eustachian tubes becomes swollen or blocked causing fluid to build up in your middle ear. These tubes are small tubes that run from each ear directly to the back of throat. Ear infections occur in young children because they have short and narrow eustachian tubes.
*Photo credit: creative commons, 2021 (applies to all images)
Few causes of ear pain are:
- Sinus infections, cold flu or allergy
- Disorders of temporomandibular joint
- Water trapped in ear
- A tooth abscess
- Sore throat
- Excessive wax
- Infected or swollen adenoids (tissue near your tonsils that traps harmful bacteria and viruses)
Signs and Symptoms
In children,
- Ear pain especially when lying down
- Fussiness
- Fever more than 100F or higher
- Headache
- Drainage of fluid from ear
- Loss of appetite
- Crying more than normal due to pulling pain
In adults,
- Ear pain
- Drainage of fluid from ears
- Trouble hearing
Complications
- Impaired hearing
- Speech and developmental delay in children
- Spread of infection
- Tearing of eardrum
Prevention – prevent common colds to prevent ear infection.
Home Remedies
- Drops of olive oil in ear canal soothes ear pain.
- Cook either garlic, ginger or onion in mustard or sesame oil and strain it and put in the ear.
- Putting breastmilk in baby’s ears relieve the pain.
- Apply hot pad to the ear for 20 minutes.
Case Illustrations of Acute Ear Infections
- Master Rohith aged 7 years came with right sided earache, it started suddenly as he had little cold, throat pain as well as fever due to travelling in car. On observation, the child was crying, had flushed red face, eyes, ear, ear canal. He was restless and drowsy due to fever; skin was hot to touch. So, I gave BELLADONNA 200 a dose and the child slept well within 1 hour. Then I gave belladonna 200 two times a day for 2 days. His fever and inflammation came under control within 2 days. After that I gave constitutional medicine as prevention.
- A young boy of 20 years, has cold with yellow discharge, nose block, severe headache and left sided ear pain for 2 days. On observation patient’s ear was red and there was thick offensive discharge coming out and he said he has feels as if something is pushed out from the ear and he feels better when he is outside but feels more pain when he is in a room. He experiences more pain in evenings than in mornings.For his symptoms, PULSATILLA 200 was given three times a day for 3 days. His ear pain came down within a day and simultaneously all symptoms were better.
- One of my patients brought her 8-month baby for check-up, she was telling that the baby was crying continuously, always had to be carried, always touching its ear, had not eaten anything and not ready to play with any toys. The mother was very much worried and was not able to understand what happened to baby, it wasn’t sleeping also. When I tried to touch baby, it started crying more loudly. The mother said it was not ready to go to anybody, always wanted mother. So, I gave it a dose of CHAMOMILLA 200 and within 5 min it stopped crying for the first time. This is the miracle of homoeopathy.
Few Homeopathic Remedies with their indications
- ACONITE – symptoms are acute, violent and neuralgic pains
< noise, cold dry weather, violent emotions like fright, shock, vexation.
> open air warm sweat.
- BELLADONNA – child cries out in sleep severe neuralgic pains comes and goes suddenly, indicated for autophony hearing one’s voice in the ear, noises in the ear
< ill effects of head getting wet, walking in wind draft, airsickness
- CHAMOMILLA – earache sticking, roaring in the ears as of rushing water
> warmth, ears feel stopped sensation as if hot water running, sensitive to cold wind about ears or noise
< during dentition
> carried being
- FERRUM PHOS – violent earache acute otitis media, tinnitus
< lying, indicated for inflammation.
- HEPAR SULPH – discharges are foul smelling, wax increased, perforation of drum, mastoiditis darting pain in ears
< night, winter, lying on painful part
> heat, warm wraps to head
- MERC SOL – secretions are greenish yellow, pain extend to ear from teeth, throat, deafness on becoming heated
> on swallowing and blowing nose, boil in external canal, sensation of coldness in ears during pregnancy
- PULSATILLA – earache at night, deafness as if ears were stopped up, can hear better in car or in a warm room. Otorrhoea discharge of pus of blood thick yellow offensive, external ear swollen and red feels something pushed out of ear, lobes or ear swollen, indicated mumps, especially metastatic to the breast or testes.
< warmth of air, room, clothes
> cold fresh open air, uncovering, pressure, rubbing
- VERBASCUM – earache, deafness from getting water in, as if swimming or as if stopped by valve numbness
< change of temperature, sneezing, twice a day at same hour
> deep inspiration
An oil is prepared from flowers called as Mullen oil is useful locally for earache.
For additional info on ENT pain management refer Kavitha Kukunoor’s Joint American Homeopathic conference recording below:
Final Considerations:
Homeopathy is a art & holistic method of healing and it addresses root/basic cause of sickness. Homeopathic remedies are highly diluted, energetic & spiritual in action. They are thoroughly proved on healthy human beings, they provides deep healing at all levels (Physical, Mental and Emotional situations). Remedies are given that are unique to the individual by matching with the person’s Internal state with a most similar Homeopathic Remedy (in minute doses).
From the above-mentioned cases, it is proved that homeopathy is reliable in curing acute infections for all ages within short period of time. Homeopathy not only acts effectively in chronic infections but also gives promising results in acute infections.