Does it surprise you to learn that allergy season can lead to ear wax, earaches, and ear infections?
The ears and sinuses are connected and both can be inflamed by pollen. Your body’s immune system sees pollen as a foreign invader. The body attacks pollen to some degree – some more than others.
This leads to congestion caused by white blood cells and fluid flooding nearby tissues. At the same time, pollen builds up in the sinuses and ear canal. The body then tries to clear these out, which is done through nasal mucus and phlegm, through our lymph nodes, and through ear wax.
When ear wax builds up in our ear canals, especially when our ears are already in a state of elevated inflammation, ear infections and milder earaches can be the result.
It’s important to know how to deal with these issues in the home before they develop into bigger problems, potentially requiring medical intervention. While consulting with your primary care physician about health concerns is important, there are several natural ways that may help to provide temporary relief from occasional symptoms associated with ear problems.
General Ear Maintenance During Problem Seasons
If you struggle with excessive or impacted ear wax, these practices should help you get ahead of the problem.
If you only deal with these issues during pollen season, you should definitely be ready to jump into gear around this time of year. The first step is to soften your ear wax. We do so by placing a few drops of natural substances like mineral oil, hydrogen peroxide, baby oil, or glycerin deep into the ear canal.
Allow this to sit, doing its work, for one to two days. Finally, take some warm water and gently squirt it all the way into your ear using a bulb syringe.
When you’ve done this several times, bend your head over so that any leftover water and dislodged ear wax can wash out. Finally, dry your ear with a towel or electric dryer on the lowest setting. Repeat as needed to prevent negative symptoms, like pain and tinnitus.
For Ear Infections
If you have an earache that comes with a fair amount of pain and discomfort, chances are you have a true ear infection on your hands. If this is the case, seek medical help immediately. Untreated ear infections can lead to a number of problems, including a spread of infection to other areas of the body and hearing loss.
Some people suggest that pain in the ear may be temporarily manageable by mixing a few drops of hydrogen peroxide with apple cider vinegar cut with a little water. Allow this to sit for a couple of minutes, then wash out with warm distilled water. Before doing this, make sure to speak with your primary care physician first.
If you are uncomfortable mixing your own earcare formula, you can try using the below products and see if they provide the support you are looking for.
RingStop Capsules Homeopathic by NaturalCare
RingStop Capsules Homeopathic from NaturalCare is a homeopathic formula with herbs, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that offers support for symptoms sometimes associated with tinnitus, including ringing, buzzing, hissing, roaring, whistling, chirping, or clicking noises in the ear.
Clearity Inner Ear Health by Klaire Labs
Clearity Inner Ear Health from Klaire Labs is an antioxidant blend designed to support auditory and vestibular function. This proprietary formulation with 13 active ingredients has a decade of positive clinical outcomes related to inner ear health and hearing support.
Kid-e-Kare Ear-eez by North American Herb & Spice
Kid-e-Kare Ear-eez from North American Herb & Spice is an aromatic spice oil blend formulated for children’s ears. This soothing natural formula is blended from the finest garlic, black seed, sage, and wild bay leaf oils.
We hope that at least some of these products and methods are of use to you. Good luck as we all get to the end of pollen season!
