To stop the pain of ear infections, put a cup of salt in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes. Use coarse salt and dump it into a thick sock. The sock is to prevent burns. Apply the sock to the painful ear and it draws fluid out of the ear. Get a washcloth full of hot water and wring it out. Hold this onto the ear until it cools. The moist heat will increase the circulation in the ear, thereby reducing the swelling and pain.

Antibiotics such as amoxicillin (Amoxil, Larotid, Polymox, Trimox, Wymox) or amoxicillin-clavulanate (Augmentin, Clavulin) are forms of penicillin, the preferred drug for otitis media. To cure the infection, your child must take all of the medication as prescribed (usually for 10 days to two weeks).

Take a 2000 mg. deodorized garlic pill every four hours during the day. Try to take your last one at least one hour before bedtime. Make a rice pack: pour some white rice into an old sock and then just tie the sock off at the end. Warm the rice pack in your microwave for 45-65 seconds, checking often to make sure it's the right temp. for your needs.

Vinegar of various sorts and in various concentrations is wonderful for other fungal infections as well. I rub it on my scalp for dandruff, for instant results. I pour apple cider vinegar in the bath for vaginal yeast infections, for instant relief and quick recovery. For fungus, vinegar works better and faster than any store-bought or prescription remedy. But only for fungus--for bacterial infections, vinegar can actually make the problem worse. So be sure you know what you're dealing with!

Acute ear infections can be caused by an upper respiratory infection that spreads to the ears. Inflammation from the infection causes the Eustachian tube (a canal that links the throat with the ear) to swell shut, trapping bacteria in the middle ear cavity. The Eustachian tube provides an outlet for mucus and equalizes pressure changes. Normally closed, it opens to allow drainage of secretions into the throat. If this does not occur properly, an air pocket forms and the negative pressure sweeps the bacteria and/or virus into the middle ear. When this occurs, germs have a perfect environment to flourish.

Put few drops of garlic juice into the infected ear. Use blow dryer from about 12 to 15 inches from your head, this will remove any water trapped in the Eustachian tube. Put some olive oil on the warm spoon; put 2 to 3 drops of this in each ear. Put few drops of lobelia extract into the infected ear and rub it gently. Wash your ear using colloidal silver, it is a natural antibiotic. Slightly warm one teaspoon of juice of the mango leaf and put it into the infected ear drop by drop.

Chewing gums that contain xylitol is another good tip. When you chew, the jaw movements itself will reduce the risk of getting pressure in your ear, and xylitol is known to prevent certain bacteria to spread inside your ear. Both nasal sprays and gum with xylitol should be used in case of an ear infection too, and I use both every time I get one. The exception to this is only if the infection is so bad that it's painful to move the jaws.