Garlic
★☆☆☆☆
WARNING!
In a nutshell, it hurts. Don't do it. If you do do it, film it, put it on youtube.
(San Diego, Ca)
11/19/2008
Dear Ouchy Mcnumbface, hahahaha thanks for the story and advice! I will definitely not try the garlic clove remedy but oh my gosh I laughed so hard at your story tears are flowing. I'm sorry you were in pain but you really know how to make a person laugh. Thanks I needed that! I hope your ear got better.
(Ny, Ny)
08/21/2009
OhMY GOODNESS< McNumbface@
I TRIED not to laugh, but once you called the syringe a detonator, I couldn't contain myself any longer. You definitely convinced me to never put garlic juice in the ear. Oh my how funny. I'm sorry for your pain and I hope you are better now.
(The Beach, Canada)
08/22/2009
to Ouchy McNumbface, and your experience with raw garlic juice for ear pain. i hope you feel better, but if laughter is the best medicine you just single handedly cured everyone on this site. i havnt laughed that hard for a long time.
(Manhattan, New York)
08/25/2009
thanks Ouchy for the warning! sorry to have a good laugh at your expense...sort of like laughing at a funeral. I hope that all is healed.
(Friendswood, Tx)
08/31/2009
ROFL! Laughing as I'm typing, I can only imagine, I have also had instances like you where you just dont know what to do and do whatever to make it right again. Yeah, raw garlic is some strong stuff, never use just the raw juice, if you do, put some warmed coconut oil in it, like a drop, 2 at the most, Im still splitting my side, thanks for the laugh, sorry it had to be at your expense, I can honestly say, I know how you feel.
(Arlington, Texas, Usa)
09/16/2009
OMGOSH!!! Ouchy McNumbface! I hope your ear is better. I'm sitting here desperate to find some relief for my chronic ear ache till I can make it to the doctor appointment in the morning. I was almost in tears as I searched for some profound new way to ease the pain, and now I am laughing so hard, I think my ear may hurt worse once I stop, but that was hilarious! Have you considered stand up comedy? If you can articulate yourself on stage as well as you can write, I will be looking for you in the movies!!! Thanks for the crazy visuals! And again, hope you are feeling better!
EC: One of our favorite posts on the site!
(Spring Hill, Florida)
09/17/2009
I do not understand why you all are making your own garlic juice or oil. Go to the health food store and BUY a bottle of garlic oil made specifically for ear infections. Then you won't be putting pieces of garlic in your ears. I mean seriously Ouchie, do you not think that small pieces of the garlic went through that syringe tip and into your ear? Talk about OUCHIE! No wonder it hurt so badly. BUY GARLIC OIL AT A HEALTH FOOD STORE AND STOP MAKING YOUR OWN, PEOPLE. It is CHEAP. Won't break the bank OR make you go deaf.
(Portland, Or)
11/01/2010
LOL!!! Thanks for the good laugh :D I think you cured me. The juice of 7 cloves of garlic! Why such extremes? I can't imagine the pain that much alicin caused. Hope you got better quick. Alicin is very powerful indeed and obviously a strong irritant. As such, only a small amount is needed, 1 clove peeled only at the tip and carefully scored there is enough (as instructions given above). You CAREFULLY insert clove (big enough to fit but not enter fully) into the ear for a few hours (max 3) and it will kill anything with little pain (think fumigating more than pouring liquid alicin onto your ear drum). Fresh garlic is also important, as the alicin vapors quickly dissipate after a few hours of contact with air. Hope this helps you! It helped me a great deal.
(Fullerton, Ca)
06/01/2011
Ouchy McNumbface; sorry for your experience with garlic juice. But totally agree this was hilarious and should consider stand up comedy! You've made my day... now I have to explain to my co-workers why I was laughing so hard ;D I hope you are better.
(Celle, Germany)
12/21/2011
★★★★★
I have never read a recommendation to put garlic juice into your ear. Onion juice is usually recommended, or a chunk of garlic wrapped in tissue.
Garlic is highly potent and should be used accordingly. I currently have a chunk of raw garlic in each ear wrapped in toilet paper to help clear up ear pain from a cold/flu that's been coming on slowly. I also just ate two cloves of raw garlic, crushed and doused in olive oil to protect the stomach.
I put the crushed and oiled garlic onto a spoon and take about half to all of it at once, depending on how big the clove(s) is/are, then I swallow the crushed clove with a swig of water like a pill. This helps me to best avoid the strong taste of garlic.
(Santa Cruz, Ca)
01/23/2012
Ouchy mcnumb face thank you for such an hysterical account of your ear pain! Just reading your entry made my husband and I laugh so hard that I think his ear is already feeling better. You should definitely consider creating a blog as you are a great writer! Here's to no more garlic encounters in your future! Thanks again;)
(Kaiserslautern, Germany)
03/13/2012
4 YEARS LATER AND THIS IS STILL FLIPPIN HILARIOUS!!! Thanks for the visual ouchy, I feel better already :)
(Felicity, Oh)
07/22/2013
★★★★★
Seven cloves of garlic, really?? kinda make one hard pressed for giving sympathy.. WAY excess.. Done this many times and it works..... every time.
(Florida, US)
11/04/2014
Wish I was there... very descriptive though...but 7cloves...you're asking for trouble... I bet you have more respect for garlic now... I had a fit of giggles...made my day.. btw... sorry you had to go through that.. but thanks for posting.. cheers..
(Possum Trot)
01/09/2022
You are not supposed to place pure undiluted garlic juice in your ear. It is supposed to be diluted with olive oil. Don't blame your experience on not reading the directions correctly.
Garlic
★★★★★
(Largo, Florida)
07/27/2011
I would like to thank all who have added their stories, I have greatly benefitted, and I thnk this is a SUPER site! Thanks again :D
Garlic
★★★★★
(Springdale, Pa)
01/10/2012
I'm new on this site...... And I love it. It's so helpful. Thanks!
Garlic
★☆☆☆☆
(San Fran, Ca)
11/21/2012
DO NOT put garlic juice in your ear it will burn your ear... just go to the store and buy some garlic and mullein ear drops for your ear and just follow the directions on label.
(Thousand Oaks, Ca, Usa)
11/21/2012
Hi Cooky, Actually, you don't even need to go buy the drops. You can save yourself money by making your own garlic ear oil. I would do this whenever my kids got an earache through all the years of raising them. It always worked like a charm.
I would take a bit of olive oil and gently heat it and then put a clove of garlic in it and let it steep. After it would cool down, I'd remove the garlic clove, gently warm it and drop it in their ears then put a cotton ball in. Very simple and very effective. Never had to take my kids to the doctor for earaches, that's how effective it was. Hope this helps, Lisa
(Somewhere, Europe)
11/22/2012
Lisa, I did a simpler version and it also always worked, never took them to doctors for earaches: I just put olive oil on a piece of cotton and put it (not deeply) in the ear for at least two days - changing once in about 12 hours. Earache usually gone in 24 hours, but I kept it there a day more, to make sure it was really all gone. I still do that if I feel the slightest tingle in my ear.
(Thousand Oaks, Ca, Usa)
11/22/2012
Hi Mmsg, It's always good to hear your input on things! So, you mean I didn't even need to use the garlic?! I learned this a very long time ago about the garlic oil so I don't know what my source was. I always figured it was the garlic doing the most beneficial part. Since you're in Europe, is this a known tradition? Is this common for people to do as a folk remedy? Because America is such a melting pot, I find this kind of knowledge has been lost for the most part. Many of the things I know are from Europeans who wrote books or articles. I started studying long before I had kids and this knowledge helped sustain me through all my child- rearing years (which I'm still in! LOL) They were such people as Paavo Airola, Viktoras Kulvinskas, Tine Thevenin, articles in Mothering magazine back in the early 80's, etc. As a result, I never had to take my kids to the drs! I try to pass this on to women raising their own kids. Hope you do too! Best to you always, Lisa
(Somewhere, Europe)
11/22/2012
Lisa, I never knew about the garlic, that's why I never used it. I would imagine it is indeed more potent with garlic, but just the oil-in-cotton did work for us. I learnt this from my grandma, who was from Russia.
Garlic
★☆☆☆☆
(Greenville, SC)
04/01/2007
★☆☆☆☆
Thank you Melissa from Machesney Park, IL . . . I tried the garlic cure after getting an ear infection. I was glad to have read your warning about your boyfriend's ear burning badly. Your description of "like fire," was accurate. I did a little research and below is what Wikipedia had to say about allicin . . .
"Allicin is a powerful antibiotic and anti-fungal compound obtained from garlic.
Allicin is not present in garlic in its natural state. When garlic is chopped or otherwise damaged, [squeezed] the enzyme alliinase acts on the chemical alliin converting it into allicin. Alliin is an amino acid that does not build proteins.
Allicin is not a very stable compound. It degrades slowly upon standing and is rapidly destroyed by cooking. Allicin can be used for some medicinal purposes - it helps fighting arteriosclerosis, it has the ability to dissolve fats and it can also be used as an antioxidant to some extent.
Allicin is also the chemical constituent primarily responsible for the hot, burning flavor of fresh garlic."
Please note that alicin is described as the agent that causes the hot burning sensation when you eat raw garlic. Probably does the same thing when you put raw fresh garlic in your ear.
I put raw garlic in a thin meshed gauze and after squeezing the juice into my ear. I then pushed the gauze (with garlic still in it) into my ear. I let it stay until I couldn't take the burning anymore.
Although the burning is great, I will try to endure to see if my ear gets better now that I have some idea of why it happens. I only tried it today (1 April 07). Will let everyone know the outcome in about a week. Wanted to let you know about the burning now!
Note: Wikipedia is an open source, free, web encyclopedia. I happen to trust it greatly, although some suspect it because ANYONE can add a definition.
(Australia)
12/09/2016
Garlic
★★★★★
Garlic
★★★★★
Garlic and ACV
★★★★★
Garlic Oil Recipe
★★★★★
Recipe for Garlic Oil
1/2 cup freshly minced garlic cloves
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
Mix together and let sit on the counter for ten days. Shake three times a day. After ten days, strain out the garlic with a coffee filter. Label and date and STORE IN REFRIGERATOR! This way it will last all fall and winter. I will leave it out for days at a time when treating someone with an acute condition. Perhaps adding some vitamin E oil would help it to last even longer.
I usually store it in a glass bottle with an eyedropper. I put the glass bottle into a mug of hot water for 5 minutes before using it, so the oil will be warm in the oil. That feels better than cold oil, especially for children.
I didn't have ten days to wait to treat my son. So, I strained out a little bit of the oil after a few hours. It will get stronger and stronger over the course of ten days.
I also use this oil on the chest and/or back for a cough. It will make the person being treated smell terribly of garlic, but it works. For a small child, I rub it into the bottoms of the feet. It works VERY well for a stubborn cough and I love that I can treat a child without even waking him up at night.
Lalitha Thomas, author of, "Ten Essential Herbs, " from whom I got the original recipe, will use it internally for a cough or as a natural antibiotic. (1 teaspoon per adult dose, equivalent of 1 garlic clove.) She does not use the coconut oil, but I like to use it as it also has anti-viral properties.
Where I live, cold and flu season are around the corner. It is a good time to be sure to have Garlic Oil made up ahead of time!
~Mama to Many~
(Alabama, US)
03/20/2015
Thank you for sharing this oil recipe. It was a life saver over this past winter. I have started another batch to keep over the summer for that one in a million just in case moment. Managed to be bed ridden for almost a month. Between this and Apple Cider Vinegar add to Black Tea over Ice, I am ninety five percent better. Love this Earth Clinic and all that share. Thanks again Mama to Many.
(Tennessee)
03/20/2015
Hand on Ear Method
★★★★★
Holy Basil Leaves
★★★★★
Hydrogen Peroxide
| 5 star (12) | 63% | |
| 1 star (4) | 21% | |
 (3) |
16% |
(Kentucky)
12/06/2022
★★★★★
This is from my Aunt who is 86 years old. She says to put 3 - 5 drops of 3% H2O2 brown bottle into the ear canal followed by a cottonball placed over the opening. Then go lay down for a while. Let the peroxide bubble and disinfection the ear canal. This worked for her 5 kids from the 1960's and up.
(TN)
12/06/2022
Hi Rob,
I have done this for years (I am sure I first saw it here at Earth Clinic! ) and my kids love this. My adult daughter asked me to do this for her when she was stopped by the other day; she's been under the weather.
It disinfects and dissolves/softens ear wax!
~Mama to Many~
Hydrogen Peroxide
★★★★★
Hydrogen Peroxide
★★★★★
Hydrogen Peroxide
(Stamford, Ct)
01/23/2011
(Edmond, Oklahoma, Usa)
03/03/2011
You need to irrigate your ears with warm water and maybe a little liquid soap and peroxide after you use hydrogen peroxide in your ears. The Peroxide caused the ear wax to dislodge and swell. You can buy a ball syringe at any pharmacy. I use my water pic and it seems to wash all the "trash" out of my ears pretty well. If you wait too long this will turn into an infection and you'll have to see your doctor. Judging by the date I imagine you already have. Many years ago my doctor told me it is quite alright to irrigate your own ears. In fact he gave me a syringe to do it with.
(Pdx, Or)
08/19/2012
If the wax is lodged in the ear, go to the nurse treatment room and get a ear irrigation- it is inexpensive, and it painless process.
(Canada)
01/28/2023
I call BS on this post. Looks like robo-posting is all over the internet trying to dis-credit natural remedies.
