Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHomeopathyDilutions and DosagesEarache RemediesAconiteBelladonnaChamomillaFerrum PhosphoricumSoluble MercuriusSulphur/Hepar Sulph
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Homeopathy
Dilutions and Dosages
Earache Remedies
Aconite
Belladonna
Chamomilla
Ferrum Phosphoricum
Soluble Mercurius
Sulphur/Hepar Sulph
Otitis media, or a middle ear infection, is one of the most common infections your child may experience, and adults can experience it as well.
You may turn to homeopathic remedies to relieve pain and symptoms during the “watchful waiting” period that pediatricians and primary care providers often recommend before prescribing antibiotics.
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As many cases of otitis media are viral rather than bacterial and will clear on their own, this waiting period will showwhether antibiotics are necessary.
However, you or your child may be in pain and have a fever, so the standard treatment includes pain relievers like ibuprofen.
Homeopathic treatments might be used in hopes of symptom relief, but there is little scientific evidence that they are effective. Currently, there are no complementary or alternative medicine (CAM) practices that have been proven to be effective for acute otitis media.
Ear Infection Treatment to Get Rid of Symptoms
Homeopathyis based on the theory thatlike cures like. A substance that might produce some of the same symptoms as the disease is highly diluted and used in a homeopathic preparation.
Depending on the illness it aims to correct, the preparation may be a topical cream, a pill, or liquid solution. Homeopathic ear drops contain a variety of highly diluted substances.
One of the chief critiques of homeopathy is that the preparations have so little of the purported active ingredient that it is difficult to imagine any clinical effect.Or, in some cases, the substance may have toxic effects if not sufficiently diluted.
Studies of homeopathic preparations have been flawed because they don’t compare the product to an inactive placebo.
However, there was no group given placebo ear drops to compare whether the homeopathic preparation was effective or the positive outcomes were due to theplacebo effect.
A 2014 study similarly didn’t have a placebo group, but the aim was to see whether children given the homeopathic ear drops were less likely to later receive antibiotics for their suspected bacterial ear infection.
Parents were given an antibiotic prescription to fill if symptoms continued. The results showed that parents were less likely to fill the antibiotic prescription if the child was in the group given homeopathic ear drops in addition to standard therapy.
If the goal is to reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics, then homeopathic ear drops may have a role as an adjunct treatment. Whethersalineear drops or plain water would work as well is still up for question.
Homeopathic Dilutions and Dosages
When reading a list of homeopathic ingredients, or a recommendations of a dosage, you will see references to how it has been or should be diluted. It may start with a mother tincture (TM or MT) which is an extract of a material (plant, animal, or mineral).
The tincture is produced according to a homeopathic pharmacopoeia. Usually, this will be the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States (HPUS) or the German Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia (GHP)
The X or D dilutions use a factor of 10, but are done serially. A 1X (or 1D) initial dilution is diluted with 9 parts of diluent (such as water) to become a 2X dilution. The 2X dilution is added to 9 parts of diluent to make a 3X dilution, etc.
For C dilutions, the factor is 100. One part of the initial 1C dilution is added to 99 parts of diluent to make a 2C dilution. The 2C dilution is added one part to 99 parts of diluent to make a 3C dilution.
These serial dilutions continue to reach the desired amount of dilution.
The dilutions quickly reach a point where, according to the laws of chemistry and physics, it is unlikely that even a single molecule of the original substance is present in the dilution, let alone a clinically significant amount of the substance.
Dilutions in commercial preparations, such as ear drops, will often be at 30C.
A homeopathic practitioner may recommend a 30C or 30X dilution if the remedy is a close match for the symptoms. They may recommend a 12C, 12X, 6C, or 6X dilution if the remedy is not a good match for the symptoms.
Dosage and frequency of use will be listed on commercial preparations. Often they will state to use two to four times a day, or as needed. Homeopathic preparations should only be used until you have relief of your symptoms, and then stopped.
Homeopathic Earache Remedies
Homeopathic ear drops are available over-the-counter in the cough and cold section of supermarkets and pharmacies. They usually contain a combination of highly diluted substances that aim to match the disease profile of an ear infection.
Besides ear drops, homeopathic preparations for earaches may be oral (capsules or liquids) or topical preparations.
An example of a homeopathic ear drop and its ingredients is from Hyland:
When you look at each substance individually, they might have alarming effects at a dosage that isn’t highly diluted. In a typical homeopathic preparation, though, there’s so little that there shouldn’t be concern.
If you have ear tubes or a perforated eardrum, you should always discuss it with your healthcare provider before using any product that will enter into your middle ear space.
Also seen as Aconitum napellus, this is a flower also known as monkshood or wolfsbane.
Symptoms: Painful, hot, swollen ear, sensitive to noise
Formulation: Ear drops, pellets, capsules, tablets
Side Effects: Skin irritation is possible, depending on sensitivity to the formulation if you are placing it in the ear.
Warnings: If not properly diluted, aconite is highly poisonous to humans and animals (it was used to poison wolves, hence the name wolfsbane).
How to Stop an Earache Fast
Symptom: Fever; dry, flushed face; dry, burning skin; restless; thirstless
Formulation: Ear drops, tablets
Side effects: None expected in proper dilutions. If taken in less diluted preparations, there may be dry mouth, blurred vision, fever, fast heartbeat, inability to urinate or sweat, hallucinations, spasms, mental problems, convulsions, and coma.
What You Need to Know About Homeopathic Medicine
Chamomilla is a preparation of the chamomile plant, which is a flower in the daisy family.
Symptoms: Sleeplessness; irritability; one cheek red and hot, the other pale and cold
Formulation: Ear drops, oral capsules, or tablets
Side effects: Sedation, sleepiness
Warnings: Caution should be used when taking other supplements that have sedative effects like chamomilla. These substances may include 5-HTP, St. John’s wort,valerian, yerba mansa, and any other homeopathic remedy that causes sleepiness. Using multiple homeopathic remedies with a sedative effect will have an increased response: both positive and negative.
German Chamomile: Uses, Safety, & More
Symptoms: Fever, onset of illness, ear itching, pus discharge
Preparation: Granules, tablets
Side effects: None expected if taken as directed.
Warnings: If taken in large doses orally, it may cause stomach upset.
This oil is derived from the leaves of the flowerVerbascum thapsus.
Mercury, or quicksilver, is a naturally occurring elemental metal that is available in many forms.
Symptoms: Pain, feeling of fullness in the ear, sensitivity to cold, pus
Preparation: Ear drops
Side effects: At proper dilution, there should be no side effects. If not sufficiently diluted, mercury toxicity is a problem that can lead to disorders related to your nervous system, kidneys, liver, and hair.
Warnings: All the available forms of mercury can be toxic given enough exposure.
Hepar Sulph
Sulphur refers to sulfur, an element that creates the odor of rotten eggs and brimstone, and its “hot, smelly” characteristics are what lend it to homeopathic preparations aimed to address ailments that have those symptoms. You may see it in forms of hepar sulph or hepar sulphuris calcareum (a mineral compound prepared from the inner layer of calcium-rich oyster shells that are mixed with flowers of sulfur and heated).
Symptoms: Pain, itchiness, and burning.
Preparation: Ear drops, granules, pellets
Side effects: None are known.
Warnings: Consult your healthcare provider before using if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
A Word From Verywell
Ear infections can make you miserable, but often they resolve after a couple of days. If not, antibiotics are the standard of care to prevent complications such asmastoiditisorhearing loss.Homeopathic remedies are not as thoroughly studied as modern medicine, so benefits and risks are not as well understood. Discuss these homeopathic remedies with your healthcare provider.
Ear Infection Doctor Discussion GuideGet our printable guide for your next healthcare provider’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.Download PDFEmail AddressSign UpThank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up.There was an error. Please try again.
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11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Harmes KM, Blackwood RA, Burrows HL, Cooke JM, Harrison RV, Passamani PP.Otitis media: Diagnosis and treatment.Am Fam Physician. 2013;88(7):435-440.Marom T, Marchisio P, Tamir SO, Torretta S, Gavriel H, Esposito S.Complementary and alternative medicine treatment options for otitis media: A systematic review.Medicine (Baltimore). 2016;95(6):e2695. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000002695Chikramane PS, Suresh AK, Bellare JR, Kane SG.Extreme homeopathic dilutions retain starting materials: A nanoparticulate perspective.Homeopathy. 2010;99(4):231-242. doi:10.1016/j.homp.2010.05.006Taylor JA, Jacobs J.Homeopathic ear drops as an adjunct to standard therapy in children with acute otitis media.Homeopathy. 2011;100(3):109‐115. doi:10.1016/j.homp.2011.03.002Taylor JA, Jacobs J.Homeopathic ear drops as an adjunct in reducing antibiotic usage in children with acute otitis media.Glob Pediatr Health. 2014;1:2333794X14559395. doi:10.1177/2333794X14559395National Center for Homeopathy.Ear infections.Hyland’s.Hyland’s earache drops.MedlinePlus.Belladonna.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.FDA warns consumers about homeopathic teething products.Similasan.Earache relief.Fernandes azevedo B, Barros furieri L, Peçanha FM, et al.Toxic effects of mercury on the cardiovascular and central nervous systems.J Biomed Biotechnol. 2012;2012:949048. doi:10.1155/2012/949048Additional ReadingKaiser Permanente.Ear infections (homeopathy).Levi JR, Brody RM, McKee-Cole K, Prbitkin E, O’Reilly, R.Complementary and alternative medicine for pediatric otitis media.International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology. 2013;77:6, 926-931. doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2013.03.009
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Harmes KM, Blackwood RA, Burrows HL, Cooke JM, Harrison RV, Passamani PP.Otitis media: Diagnosis and treatment.Am Fam Physician. 2013;88(7):435-440.Marom T, Marchisio P, Tamir SO, Torretta S, Gavriel H, Esposito S.Complementary and alternative medicine treatment options for otitis media: A systematic review.Medicine (Baltimore). 2016;95(6):e2695. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000002695Chikramane PS, Suresh AK, Bellare JR, Kane SG.Extreme homeopathic dilutions retain starting materials: A nanoparticulate perspective.Homeopathy. 2010;99(4):231-242. doi:10.1016/j.homp.2010.05.006Taylor JA, Jacobs J.Homeopathic ear drops as an adjunct to standard therapy in children with acute otitis media.Homeopathy. 2011;100(3):109‐115. doi:10.1016/j.homp.2011.03.002Taylor JA, Jacobs J.Homeopathic ear drops as an adjunct in reducing antibiotic usage in children with acute otitis media.Glob Pediatr Health. 2014;1:2333794X14559395. doi:10.1177/2333794X14559395National Center for Homeopathy.Ear infections.Hyland’s.Hyland’s earache drops.MedlinePlus.Belladonna.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.FDA warns consumers about homeopathic teething products.Similasan.Earache relief.Fernandes azevedo B, Barros furieri L, Peçanha FM, et al.Toxic effects of mercury on the cardiovascular and central nervous systems.J Biomed Biotechnol. 2012;2012:949048. doi:10.1155/2012/949048Additional ReadingKaiser Permanente.Ear infections (homeopathy).Levi JR, Brody RM, McKee-Cole K, Prbitkin E, O’Reilly, R.Complementary and alternative medicine for pediatric otitis media.International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology. 2013;77:6, 926-931. doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2013.03.009
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Harmes KM, Blackwood RA, Burrows HL, Cooke JM, Harrison RV, Passamani PP.Otitis media: Diagnosis and treatment.Am Fam Physician. 2013;88(7):435-440.Marom T, Marchisio P, Tamir SO, Torretta S, Gavriel H, Esposito S.Complementary and alternative medicine treatment options for otitis media: A systematic review.Medicine (Baltimore). 2016;95(6):e2695. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000002695Chikramane PS, Suresh AK, Bellare JR, Kane SG.Extreme homeopathic dilutions retain starting materials: A nanoparticulate perspective.Homeopathy. 2010;99(4):231-242. doi:10.1016/j.homp.2010.05.006Taylor JA, Jacobs J.Homeopathic ear drops as an adjunct to standard therapy in children with acute otitis media.Homeopathy. 2011;100(3):109‐115. doi:10.1016/j.homp.2011.03.002Taylor JA, Jacobs J.Homeopathic ear drops as an adjunct in reducing antibiotic usage in children with acute otitis media.Glob Pediatr Health. 2014;1:2333794X14559395. doi:10.1177/2333794X14559395National Center for Homeopathy.Ear infections.Hyland’s.Hyland’s earache drops.MedlinePlus.Belladonna.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.FDA warns consumers about homeopathic teething products.Similasan.Earache relief.Fernandes azevedo B, Barros furieri L, Peçanha FM, et al.Toxic effects of mercury on the cardiovascular and central nervous systems.J Biomed Biotechnol. 2012;2012:949048. doi:10.1155/2012/949048
Harmes KM, Blackwood RA, Burrows HL, Cooke JM, Harrison RV, Passamani PP.Otitis media: Diagnosis and treatment.Am Fam Physician. 2013;88(7):435-440.
Marom T, Marchisio P, Tamir SO, Torretta S, Gavriel H, Esposito S.Complementary and alternative medicine treatment options for otitis media: A systematic review.Medicine (Baltimore). 2016;95(6):e2695. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000002695
Chikramane PS, Suresh AK, Bellare JR, Kane SG.Extreme homeopathic dilutions retain starting materials: A nanoparticulate perspective.Homeopathy. 2010;99(4):231-242. doi:10.1016/j.homp.2010.05.006
Taylor JA, Jacobs J.Homeopathic ear drops as an adjunct to standard therapy in children with acute otitis media.Homeopathy. 2011;100(3):109‐115. doi:10.1016/j.homp.2011.03.002
Taylor JA, Jacobs J.Homeopathic ear drops as an adjunct in reducing antibiotic usage in children with acute otitis media.Glob Pediatr Health. 2014;1:2333794X14559395. doi:10.1177/2333794X14559395
National Center for Homeopathy.Ear infections.
Hyland’s.Hyland’s earache drops.
MedlinePlus.Belladonna.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.FDA warns consumers about homeopathic teething products.
Similasan.Earache relief.
Fernandes azevedo B, Barros furieri L, Peçanha FM, et al.Toxic effects of mercury on the cardiovascular and central nervous systems.J Biomed Biotechnol. 2012;2012:949048. doi:10.1155/2012/949048
Kaiser Permanente.Ear infections (homeopathy).Levi JR, Brody RM, McKee-Cole K, Prbitkin E, O’Reilly, R.Complementary and alternative medicine for pediatric otitis media.International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology. 2013;77:6, 926-931. doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2013.03.009
Kaiser Permanente.Ear infections (homeopathy).
Levi JR, Brody RM, McKee-Cole K, Prbitkin E, O’Reilly, R.Complementary and alternative medicine for pediatric otitis media.International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology. 2013;77:6, 926-931. doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2013.03.009
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