Ear infections can be really tough, especially for kids. We recently went on a family beach trip where my children spent most of their time in the water. Usually, I pack 3% hydrogen peroxide to use in their ears after ocean swimming, but I forgot it this time amidst the chaos of packing. In the past, using hydrogen peroxide has helped prevent ear infections, and I naively thought we’d be okay without it.
A few days after we returned home, two of our younger kids started showing typical ear infection symptoms. I ensured their eardrums weren’t ruptured and began applying garlic oil and other home remedies.
Our daughter started experiencing symptoms at 2 AM, so I quickly needed something to ease her pain to get some rest. That’s when a lavender salt pack came in handy. This simple remedy combines mineral-rich sea salt with lavender flowers to create an external hot pack that helps alleviate ear infection pain. We’ve used basic rice heat packs for other ailments before, but they were in the same room with our last sleeping child, and I didn’t want to risk waking them.
While holding my upset four-year-old and looking at our salt lamp, I wondered if Himalayan salt could work like rice in a hot pack, with the added benefit of negative ions. I improvised a hot pack using a cloth muslin bag and some salt crystals, then applied it to her ear. It provided almost instant relief and allowed the garlic ear oil more time to work without her trying to remove it.
The heat from the salt pack helps relieve pain, while the salt itself is naturally drying and can draw fluid out of the ear. Himalayan salt also produces negative ions when heated, which can promote healing and bind to pollutants and bacteria through interaction with water molecules in the air.
Lavender has numerous health benefits. It’s naturally antibacterial, reduces inflammation, and soothes and calms, promoting restful sleep.
This information has been reviewed by Dr. Ann Shippy, a certified functional medicine physician and board-certified in internal medicine, based in Austin, Texas. As always, this shouldn’t replace personal medical advice, and we suggest consulting your doctor.
What do you use for ear infections?
