So nearly my whole family has had either an ear infection, a sinus infection and/or a fever and gastritis, lasting about 2-3 weeks. Yesterday I started feeling pain in my left ear and sinuses as well, and have been feeling "not right" for the past few days. They all ended up taking antibiotics, including my sister who is one of the most fit people I know (she's a yoga instructor and vegan, cooked but relatively low fat), plus she is anti-antibiotics (but after 2.5 weeks she gave in and took them). So what should I do? I definitely don't want to suffer for several weeks, but don't really want to take antibiotics either.
Any suggestions?
Replies
Wow... Thank you everyone! This info is extremely helpful! I just got back from the Doctor and he said that I do indeed have some fluid in one ear but it actually hasn't turned into an infection yet so as long as I take measures to release the fluid I will be able to avoid an infection :) So I think I'm going to take it real easy this weekend; get lots of rest and water, and stick to high water content fruit (seems to digest the easiest).
eat me raw - I think I will try the nasal saline irrigation, it sounds like it will help
busybee - I am going to bookmark your post for future use for sure!
I haven't read the other replies so I may be repeating myself. I have treated ear infections and so forth for about 13 years now naturally without antibiotics. A couple of ways is chopping up a clove of garlic, put on a tablespoon and cover with raw honey and take that a couple of times a day or more. (For my young children it is half a clove.)
The other way is to *WARM* some olive oil - not boil or anything, just warm it - place chopped garlic in it and some mullein if you have it, let set for several hours, strain plant material out, store in dark jar in fridge to prevent spoiling .... but first, immediately after straining, get some oil in a dropper and fill ear, plug with cotton ball.
After you have stored in fridge and need to use it again, I do one of a couple of things ... 1) run some hot tap water in a glass and put jar of oil in glass until the oil is warmed oil again and use dropper as before. 2) store the jar with dropper already full and then take dropper and warm in hand until the oil is bady temp and ready to go into the ear again (usually only do this after the pain has disappeared as the heat helps alleviate the pain).
Garlic is natural anti-biotic (technically anti-microbial so good for viruses as well as bacterial infections ... also note that most ear infections are viral and are not affected by anti-biotics).
Mullein encourages the eustachian tubes to open allowing for proper drainage of the infection and so forth.
Olive oil is a great carrier oil and has some anti-biotic/viral properties of its own as well and fully absorbs into the skin of the ear canal helping with several things including build up of ear wax which can encourage infectious growth.
I also use a neti pot which greatly helps to reduce my sinus issues. Even my children ask for it if their noses start feeling any kind of stuffy (the youngest just turned 8 and has been using a neti pot since she was about 5).
Hope some of that helps.
I had the start of sinusitus right at the beginning of LFRV twice. All around me were keeling over but mine was mild and went in a couple of days.
No overts or cheating dried the membranes up a treat.