14 Easy Ways to Treat Otitis Media at Home

2.    Warm Olive Oil  

Otitis media presents symptoms of pain and swelling in the ear. Using warm olive oil to treat the condition may have some unexpected benefits. Extra-virgin olive oil is rich in ALA – alpha-linolenic acid. This essential fatty acid has potent anti-inflammatory properties that give the oil its revered status in the Mediterranean diet.

To use olive oil for treating symptoms of discomfort and pain associated with otitis media, you’ll need to warm it in the microwave for a few seconds. Heating the oil decreases its viscosity, making it runny. This strategy allows the oil to work its way through the crevices in your ear, and drain quickly out of the Eustachian tube that connects to the back of the throat.

Heat a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, lie down on the couch on your side and have a friend or family member dribble the oil into your ear. The oil runs through the outer ear, into the middle ear – where it attaches to the viral agents causing the infection, and then proceeds to flush them out through the Eustachian tube.