Recently, Mathew had a good old common cold. The common cold generally lasts between 7 and 10 days. He had the basic symptoms ~ very congested, runny nose, achy, and tired. The most important remedy for the common cold is simply rest and let the cold take its course. And rest is what he did.
It was no big surprise that Mathew got an earache as the mucus was flowing like a river and he spent more time sucking it back in than blowing his nose. The poor guy, his eyes were tearing from the pain. Mathew has always been open to my herbal suggestion and when I asked him if he would like some warm garlic oil in the ear; he agreed to it immediately. All he cared about was finding some relief. I had garlic oil on hand, as we use it as a cough remedy. I warmed the oil to body temperature in my armpit, adding 3-4 drops in each ear and then put a tissue gently in the ear (not too far in though) to keep the oil from leaking out. At first he didn’t feel much relief, so I repeated it after a half of an hour. Then a miracle happened – within an hour, Mathew was no longer in pain and it never returned. Garlic contains powerful antimicrobial, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory compounds, which get absorbed through the skin and the eardrum into the inner ear and surrounding tissues, fighting infection and reducing inflammation at the same time. It is the perfect recipe for an earache.
This is just one of the remedies I used on Mathew during his cold. What do you do to make yourself or loved ones more comfortable when nursing a cold?
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