Otitis Media: Treatment, Diet and Home Remedies

Food and Nutrition

Foods to be taken

• Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and healthful snacks, such as homemade smoothies and dried fruits.
• Vitamin C aids immune health by helping the white blood cells to destroy germs faster. Include vitamin c rich foods like peppers, green leafy vegetables, berries etc.
• Vitamins A and Zinc (carrots, tomatoes) also reduce ear infections due to their antioxidant properties.
• Eat only extra virgin olive oil, fish oils and coconut oil as your only sources of dietary oil. Coconut oil is especially health as an anti-infective. Increase raw foods and protein.
• Use only pure water for drinking and cooking (no well water or water containing fluoride or chlorine.
• Make sure you eat a healthy and balanced diet to include vitamins A, C, and E, and zinc. A daily multivitamin is good if you do not eat a healthy diet.

Foods to be avoided

• Eliminate all dairy products, gluten containing grains, canned, processed and frozen foods

Yoga and Exercise

Simple exercises to open the Eustachian tube and restore normal ear pressure include forcing yourself to yawn, holding your nose while swallowing, gently blowing your nose into a tissue or sucking on a sweet.
Several yoga postures are good for the ears and may help to rebalance air pressure and restore hearing. One specific yoga asana is Karnapidasana, or the ear press.

Home Remedies

• Place a warm washcloth next to the affected ear. You can also use a heating pad. You can even use cold compresses to alleviate swelling and discomfort. Keep an ice bag near the affected ear for some time.
• Use colloidal silver, a natural antibiotic, to wash and clean your ears
• Lie down, on your side, placing the infected ear on a dry pillow. After a short while, the fluid will probably drain out, due to the force of gravity
• Dry up the excess water in the Eustachian tube, by using a blow dryer, place about 12 to 15 inches away from the ear