There are 7 common mistakes that people make when treating ear infections. These mistakes can slow your recovery and in some cases cause complications like chronic ear infections, ruptured ear drums, glue ear, hearing loss and mastoiditis.
So lets go through these common mistakes;nnMistake 1 - Not resting your body
The first mistake that people make, is not resting when they are first diagnosed with an ear infection. Ear infection symptoms can include ear pain, fever, swollen glands, fatigue, nausea, lack of balance, ringing ears and loss of hearing. Despite these symptoms some people try and struggle on and keep going to work, school or college, running a household, rushing around after their family.
Now this is just crazy. If you don't give your body a chance to rest and recover, you are going to prolong your recovery and feel pretty awful whilst doing it.nnMistake 2 - Not getting adequate sleep
Carrying on from this first mistake is the second mistake - not getting adequate sleep. Your body specifically needs good quality sleep when recovering from ear infections.
It is during sleep that your body produces a hormone called growth hormone. Growth hormone is your body's repair hormone. Now going to bed too late, this is after about 11 p.m. your body produces less growth hormone. So please make sure you are in bed and asleep by 11 p.m. Kids need to be in bed a lot early and would benefit from a day time nap as well.
Before you go to bed, make sure you are not watching TV, playing computer, drinking caffeine or rushing around before bedtime. Get into a routine of unwinding before bed. Having a relaxing bath, reading quietly in bed, meditating or enjoying a chamomile tea before bed are all good ideas you can try.nnMistake 3 - Lack of adequate water
Now the third mistake, and this is probably the most common mistake I see in my patients, is not drinking enough water to flush out the viruses and toxins from your system.
Your aim should be at least 8 glasses of fluid a day. Fluids can include pure water, herb teas, lemon in hot water, broths, soups and freshly squeezed vegetable and fruit juices. Your fluids should not include tea, coffee or alcohol which will just dehydrate you and make you feel worse.
In some people the ears and throat can get really sore and inflamed which makes it hard to swallow. In these cases a hot lemon and honey tea can help soothe these symptoms and make drinking easier. Alte
atively sucking on ice cubes can numb the pain and get the fluids into your body.nnMistake 4 - Eating the wrong foods
One of the cheapest and easiest way to treat ear infections is with good healthy foods. How well your immune system functions is closely linked to what you eat.
If you cram your body with all the wrong foods like sugar, white flour products, processed foods, alcohol, coffee and excess fats then there is no way you are going to make a good recovery from an infection. Your body needs the right vitamins, minerals, enzymes and essential fats in order to boost your immune system, reduce fatigue and help your body cope with stress.
The right diet for ear infections is based around good quality foods like fish, organic chicken, lean red meat, eggs, nuts, seeds and legumes. Each meal should have an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables - at least 80% of your plate should be fruit or vegetables. Add to this some essential healthy fats like fish oils, avocado, cold pressed olive oil or flaxseed oil, and you have a good balanced meal that will help treat ear infections effectively.nnMistake 5 - Not being aware of your allergies
A lot of recurrent ear infections are due to allergies which encourage inflammation and fluid build up in the ear. If you suspect you may have allergies it is worth getting some tests done in order to eliminate these foods from your diet. Common allergens are cow's milk and wheat. Fortunately these days there are lots of alte
atives you can try - foods like goats milk, soy milk, nut milk, wheat free breads, pasta, biscuits and cakes - so you don't have to feel you are depriving yourself of your favourite foods.nnMistake 6 - Not taking the right nutrients to boost your immune system
One of the fastest ways to treat ear infections is to add some supplementary nutrients to your regime. I give all my ear infection patients vitami
A, C, E, zinc and selenium with good results. The B complex and magnesium are also fantastic to help with the fatigue and ensure a good night's sleep.
There are also some great herbs for the treatment of ear infections. These include Olive Leaf extract, echinacea, garlic, and astragalus.
The right amounts of nutrients for you will vary according to your age, the severity of your illness and how much food you're eating.n nMistake 7 - Resuming activities too early
Getting back into strenuous exercise or daily activities too early is a sure fire way to put you back at square one. I can't tell you how many times my patients have started to feel better, and have rushed back to their previous sport or work, only to find they get a relapse and start feeling awful again.
The best advice I can give here is too take things slowly. Perhaps go back to work or college for half a day and see how you cope. If you have young children, keep them away from parties, long school days or anything which will over exhaust them. Build up slowly over a few weeks taking time to rest your body, eat well and drink plenty of water.
Avoiding making these mistakes when treating your ear infection will ensure you make a full and complete recovery.