If you’ve got kids, then chances are you are all too familiar with ear issues.
When J-Man was a baby, he had ear infection after ear infection, until we decided to have tubes put in his ear when he was 14 months old. At the time, it was the best option we knew that we had. Looking back now, I’m left to wonder if we had explored more natural options, would we have been able to skip the expensive surgery all together…?
Fast forward a few years, add in 2 more kids, and a more natural lifestyle…plenty has changed, but the one constant seems to be the inevitable ear discomfort that the kiddos deal with.
Since discovering a more natural way to deal with our health, we have definitely seen a drastic decline in the amount of ear discomfort our kids experience. But they do still happen. And Saturday night was no exception.
So what’s in it?
Essential oils. But I’ve got 3 very specific oils that I use and have found to be quite helpful in easing off some of the achy ears.
Lavender: *Lavender is widely known for its calming properties, and it may also help support healthy immune function. I think this aroma also helps the little ones to relax and have a more restful sleep.
Melaleuca: *Melaleuca (you may know it as Tea Tree) is great to help soothe body soreness after exercise (so why not other aches or soreness???), and may also help support healthy immune function. It’s also known to help ease occasional ear discomfort…yay!
Basil: *Basil also supports healthy immune function and response. It has cleansing properties, and may also support healthy blood flow. It’s great to help promote feelings of calmness and relaxation, to name a few!
That’s a lot of healthy immune supporting* going on there!
And I love how they all have calming and relaxing properties. I figure, if they can help calm and soothe emotions, why not aches and discomforts?
So how do you use it?
I’ve found that combining these oils with a carrier oil (like fractionated coconut oil, evoo, or the like), and rubbing it along the mastoid bone behind the ear, and on the skin right in front of the tragus cartilage of the ear, every hour or 2 for the first 24 hours, has proved the best results. Now I know what you’re thinking…um…when am I going to sleep during all of this?!
Well…if your kid has achy ears, you aren’t going to be sleeping anyway. I like to set my alarm for every 1.5 – 2 hours throughout the night (or just have the kid sleep in bed with me), get up and apply the oils (they might actually just sleep through the applications…mine usually do), back to bed, repeat.
For an older kid, I’ll actually add one more step to this. I’ll take a cotton ball (or half of one), and put 1 drop of Melaleuca on it. Then I’ll gently set the cotton ball in their ear (Do not press it in! Oils should never go IN the ear, eyes, or nose) with the Melaleuca side facing the inside of their ear. I’ll let them sleep with this in their ear.
This is always, always my first line of defense.
I know many parents, at the first sign of a possible ear infection, want to jump on the antibiotic bandwagon and just be done with it. That’s exactly how I was!! But, even doctors will tell you that most ear infections will actually take care of themselves without antibiotics. But in the meantime, why can’t we still try other options to help ease the discomfort our kids are in? We can! Yay, for being well informed and proactive in our self care!
You will notice from my images, that I use dōTERRA essential oils.
I will never knock someone for choosing a different brand, but I do like to share one of the reasons why I chose this one, and why it’s the only essential oil I will ever trust for myself and my family. If you are new to oils, you may feel overwhelmed by the myriad of choices in front of you. I encourage everyone to do their own research. I did, and that’s when I discovered that this was the only oil I trusted. dōTERRA essential oils are all CPTG (Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade), and no other oil on the market can hold that title. Here is a great article on what all is entailed in the CPTG testing processes!
If you would like to know more about how I use essential oils for myself and my family, or are interested in knowing more about why I chose dōTERRA, feel free to shoot me an email! I’d love to help you learn more about these safe, effective natural wellness options!
