During these chilly winter months, staying in is a normal occurrence along with something else — ear infections. Luckily, we have you covered with a helpful home remedy, read on for sweet relief!
Sock It To ‘Em
Dealing with the pain of an ear infection can be dizzying and miserable, but one doctor’s natural remedy has been making the rounds on the web. And it’s so simple, you likely already have the materials around the house! All you’ll need is a white sock…
Get Salty
…And some corse Epsom salt. Epsom salt is an age-old natural remedy for aches and pains, Dr. Dana Clum writes, and ear aches are no exception. You’ll need about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of Epsom salt for this remedy, or just enough to fill the foot part of the sock.
Bring Them Together
Through the sock’s opening, carefully pour the Epsom salt inside. (A wide-mouthed funnel would work great for preventing any messes, too!) It’s important that the salt is rather course because otherwise, granules might slip through the sock’s fabric.
Tie It
Add a knot or two on the sock’s “neck” to prevent any salt spillage.
Heat It
Add your salt sock to a skillet on medium-low heat, flipping back and forth until the salts are warm but not hot. (This step means it’s especially important to use a white sock. Colored socks, Dr. Dana warns, use something in the dye that can burn easily. Don’t risk injury!) You can also heat the sock in a microwave, but be careful. The salt can heat very quickly and burn, so Dr. Dana suggests heating in 5 second increments.
Sweet Relief!
Give the warmed salt sock to the ailing member in your family and watch as their ear ache wanes. You can use the salt sock again and again using the skillet reheating method. While the sock might get a bit worn looking over time, you can simply empty out the Epsom salts and add to another sock, then continue the healing year after year.
Simple Solution
While it might not be a replacement for tried-and-true antibiotics when it comes to making the ear infection go away, the salt sock is a great way to get near-instant relief for pain. And oh what a relief it is to see your ailing loved ones start to feel better!
