The healing properties of geranium for otitis media

In many homes you can find geranium, or, in other words, pelargonium. This unpretentious plant pleases the eyes with bright colors and a subtle, specific aroma. However, not all people know that geranium can be used to treat many diseases. This plant treats kidney pathologies, indigestion and some intestinal diseases. Traditional healers recommend using geranium for ear pain. It has already been proven that this flower contains some substances that give geranium medicinal properties.

Use for otitis media

Geranium can sometimes be seen in traditional medicine recipes. This is not at all surprising, because the plant has pronounced anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-edematous, analgesic and disinfectant properties .
To cure otitis media, you should take fresh geranium leaves. To prepare healing decoctions and various infusions, you can also prepare dry leaves of this plant, collected at the very beginning of summer. It is at this time that the maximum amount of nutrients is concentrated in the leaves.

The pronounced antibacterial effect of the flower is due to the presence of phytoncides in it - powerful natural antibiotics. Research has proven that these phytoncides have a detrimental effect on many types of pathogenic bacteria, including staphylococci. The composition also contains essential oils, flavonoids, organic acids, tannins, minerals and many vitamins. In total, this plant contains about 500 useful substances.

It is this unique composition that makes geranium indispensable for treating ears. The benefits of the plant can be highlighted by the following points:

The proliferation of bacteria and viruses is slowed down.
The production of interferon is activated, which improves immunity.
The intensity of pain decreases.
Various complications are prevented.
Geranium draws out pus and prevents it from penetrating into the deeper parts of the ear.

The leaves of the plant have a calming effect, so when treating an inflamed ear with geranium at home, sleep is normalized and the patient’s well-being improves. Pelargonium can be used for acute, purulent and chronic otitis media. This herbal raw material quickly eliminates inflammation and reduces pain intensity. Geranium will be a good addition to drug treatment prescribed by your doctor.

If you resort to geranium leaves at the first signs of otitis, you can do without medications altogether.

Ear pain - causes

Ear pain is a very common symptom that can occur in both adults and children. The development of such pain can occur for the following reasons:

development of inflammatory processes in the ears (otitis) or neighboring organs;
pathologies of the nervous system and auditory nerve;
damage to neighboring organs (vessels, brain, neck, throat and nose);
tumor processes.

Various diseases cause a certain type of pain. It can be shooting, pulsating, stabbing or pressing. Often this pain is accompanied by other symptoms. The patient must inform the doctor about everything at the appointment so that the specialist can diagnose the disease and prescribe correct and effective treatment.

Ear pain can be caused by a variety of causes.

Reference. Ear pain is not always a sign of illness. It can also occur in a healthy person.

The causes of such pain may be the following factors:

Excessive wax can cause noise and congestion in the ears. Accumulating in large quantities, it closes the ear canal, which leads to the development of unpleasant sensations.
Insufficient production of wax leads to pain and dryness in the ears.
Walking in windy weather - many people report pain after such a pastime. And all because when exposed to strong gusts of wind, a painful bruise forms on the shell of the ear, in which the skin of the ear becomes bluish and hurts. This phenomenon goes away on its own after a certain time and does not require treatment.
Swimmer's ear is one of the most common causes of ear pain, and professional swimmers especially often suffer from it. And all because due to frequent contact of the ear with water, the skin softens and swells, which leads to the development of otitis externa.

As we see, the causes of such a painful condition can be very diverse. And if the pain is provoked by external factors in a healthy person, then it may well go away on its own, but if the cause is, for example, otitis media, then a mandatory consultation with a doctor is necessary.

After this, in addition to traditional medicine, ear treatment with geranium can be used. Let's figure out how to do it correctly.

Contraindications

It is not always possible to use geranium for otitis media. There are a number of contraindications to such treatment that you should be aware of:

Children under 3 years of age.
Pregnancy at all stages.
Severe liver pathologies.
Bronchial asthma.
Oncological pathologies.

Pelargonium is used with caution to treat otitis media with a tendency to allergic diseases. In this case, tissue swelling can only increase and the patient’s condition worsens.

The biologically active substances contained in geranium can pass into breast milk, so it is better for nursing women to avoid such treatment.

How to treat ear with geranium

Traditional healers advise using geranium for various types of otitis media. The simplest method of treatment is considered to be a fresh leaf inserted into the ear canal .
To do this, a leaf is cut from the plant, crushed a little with your fingers, then wrapped in a tube and inserted into the ear. The ear is insulated with a thick layer of cotton wool and a scarf is wrapped around the head. It turns out to be a kind of dry compress. You need to change the leaves in your ear with fresh ones every two hours. The pain usually goes away within 3-4 hours, but treatment should be continued for a couple of days to completely eliminate the pathogenic bacteria.

This procedure can be carried out even for children, but you need to make sure that the leaf is not inserted too deep into the ear canal.

Geranium: medicinal properties in the treatment of ear diseases, recipes

In folk medicine, geranium is considered the best remedy for ear pain. This plant has a rich composition, and each component has a healing effect and strengthens the body.

The leaves of the flower are often used for otitis media.

Of course, geranium cannot completely replace traditional treatment, but in some cases it can be an excellent alternative to potent antibiotics and painkillers.

Properties of geranium

When treating otitis media, some people prefer natural remedies. Geranium is rightfully considered the best of them.

Geranium is otherwise called pelargonium. Many people have this plant at home; it decorates their windowsills with its lush inflorescences.

This plant has the following properties:

relieves pain;
removes excess secretions;
prevents the formation of pus;
disinfects;
relieves swelling;
eliminates inflammation;
calms;
slows down the spread of infection;
stimulates the body's natural production of interferon.

It is thanks to these properties that medicinal geranium is often used to eliminate ear diseases, in particular, otitis media.
The plant is able to have a similar effect due to its special composition. It contains more than 500 components that have a positive effect on the body:

tannin;
tannins;
phytoncides;
flavonoids;
essential oils;
vitamins and minerals;
organic acids;
pectin, etc.

When they enter the ear, these substances relieve inflammation and prevent the negative activity of the infection.

With the help of geranium, a natural antibiotic, the effect of reducing pain is achieved, and sometimes pathogenic microflora can be completely destroyed.

This is especially true for children, since exposure to synthetic potent drugs can cause many side effects and suppress the immune system.

Methods of application

In folk medicine, the plant is used in the form of decoctions and infusions from fresh or dry raw materials. For pain during otitis media, geranium is placed in the ear. It is best to use freshly cut leaves for this.

There are several ways to use it to relieve pain:

Gruel. The leaf must be crushed into a homogeneous paste. Then the pulp is wrapped in sterile gauze and turundas are made.
Juice. Squeeze geranium juice from the resulting pulp and drop it into the ear. For the treatment to be effective, the juice needs to be warmed up a little, as cold liquid can harm the body.
Whole sheet. You can carefully insert a whole leaf into your ear. It needs to be washed and dried, and then lightly rubbed with your hands to extract juice, rolled into a tube and inserted into the ear.
Compress. You can apply a compress of gruel or decoction to the area near the ear.

How long you need to keep geranium in the ear depends on the type of material used and the intensity of pain. Usually about half an hour is enough to relieve pain attacks and alleviate the patient’s condition. It is imperative to insulate the sore spot for the medicine to work.

As with any medicine, there are caveats and restrictions regarding the use of pelargonium, especially for children. It is strictly not recommended to experiment with this plant in the following cases:

if you have allergies or hypersensitivity to its components;
during pregnancy;
in young years;
for chronic and somatic diseases.

Such remedies should not be used if large quantities of pus are discharged from the ear, there is a perforation of the eardrum or bloody impurities in the exudate.

It is prohibited to treat otitis or other diseases with geranium in children under three years of age.

Before putting such medicine in the ear, you need to find out the nature of the pain and consult a doctor. Self-treatment can be harmful and cause complications. In addition, geranium can only alleviate symptoms, but for maximum effect, full therapy using traditional medicines is required.

Treatment with geranium at home is affordable, non-hazardous and effective. But before using such products, you should consult your doctor. At the same time, we must not forget about conservative methods of treating the disease.

An integrated approach will speed up the healing process and avoid negative health consequences.

Ear drops

Recipe 1. Pick a few pelargonium leaves and remember them. Collect the released juice with a pipette. Place geranium in the ear for otitis media, three drops a day. After this, it will be good to apply a warm dry compress.

Do it at night. In the morning, remove the compress, insert cotton swabs soaked in a 3% solution of alcoholic boric acid. After half an hour, remove them.

Recipe 2. Mix pelargonium leaves with aloe stems. Finely chop the raw materials, grind, squeeze out the resulting juice and let sit for two hours. The result is a wonderful medicine, saturated with essential oils.

It is instilled two drops three times a day. The course of treatment is 7 days.

The drops should be instilled by a person lying on his side, with his head turned in the desired direction.

Recipe 3. Treatment of otitis media with geranium can also be done using its root. The folk recipe recommends mixing chamomile flowers, sage leaves and geranium roots. Grind, add water and boil for fifteen minutes. Cool the resulting decoction, filter and instill two drops into the sore ear.

Compress

Recipe 1. You can make a medicinal compress based on geranium. To do this, take ten leaves of the plant. Add 50 grams of rye flour and 50 ml of camphor alcohol solution. Mix the resulting mixture thoroughly and knead the dough. Roll it up with a roller, wrap it around the outside of your ear, and wrap it in a woolen scarf.

Recipe 2. Finely chop a few geranium leaves. Pour boiling water over them. After a couple of minutes, drain the water. Distribute the remaining mass over a gauze napkin. Form a tampon that will fit into the ear canal.

Lie on your side, insert the tampon into the affected ear, apply light pressure to allow the juice to flow. This compress should be kept for at least 30 minutes. After completing the procedure, plug your ear with a small piece of cotton wool.

We suggest you read: Why do geranium leaves turn yellow and dry?

If otitis has become chronic, it is recommended to use a decoction of pelargonium. To prepare it, you need to pour a tablespoon of chopped leaves into a glass of water. Place the mixture in a water bath and heat for about 5 minutes. Let it brew for an hour.

Add a quarter glass of clean boiled water. This remedy is taken one tablespoon half an hour before meals. The course of treatment is at least a week. At the same time, you can instill the decoction into the affected ear three times a day.

Oil mixtures

When treating otitis media, the use of geranium oil in oil mixtures has a good effect. To prepare this component, you need to pour 2 tablespoons of crushed geranium leaves into 250 ml of any vegetable oil.

Leave for at least 10 days. This product should be stored in the refrigerator.

Among the most effective recipes for oil mixtures are:

Mix a teaspoon of almond oil with two drops of geranium oil and two drops of St. John's wort oil. Mix well and rub around the sore ear.
Mix one teaspoon of olive oil with a drop of geranium oil and a drop of lavender oil. The resulting mixture, when warm, is used for instillation into the ears.

Recipes

There are many other methods of treating ear diseases with geranium. Drops, ointments and decoctions can be made from this medicinal plant. Several treatment methods can be used simultaneously:

Grind 5 large geranium leaves and add two tablespoons of vegetable oil. Leave the composition for a couple of hours to infuse, then moisten cotton pads in it and insert into the ear canal. They must be kept for at least 5 hours. Treatment lasts on average 5 days.
Pour two tablespoons of crushed geranium flowers and leaves into a glass of any vegetable oil and leave for a week to infuse. This oil is stored in the cold and used to make medicinal turundas.
12 fresh and crushed pelargonium leaves are mixed with three tablespoons of rye flour and two tablespoons of camphor alcohol. Knead the dough from all the ingredients, form it into a tube and cover the auricle. Place a piece of film on top and secure with a scarf. The procedure should last all night.
Take a handful of geranium leaves, crush them and squeeze out the juice. Next, dilute it in half with warm water, moisten cotton pads in the resulting solution and then insert it into the ear canals overnight. Treatment is continued until all symptoms cease completely. You can also drop diluted geranium juice into your ear, one drop at a time, twice a day.
Take a tablespoon of pelargonium leaves, add a glass of water and bring to a boil in a steam bath. Leave for about an hour, then strain the broth and add a little boiled water to it. Drink a full tablespoon of the decoction for chronic otitis media before each meal. You can drop the composition into the ear, 2-3 drops. Treatment is continued for at least a week.

To normalize sleep during illness, you can use aromatic pillows . To do this, equal parts of hop cones, pelargonium leaves and mint are placed in a cotton bag. All grass should be dry. The bag is sewn up and placed next to the pillow.

A decoction of geranium is useful for rinsing the nasal passages when the auditory tube is inflamed.

What ear diseases does it treat?

Sometimes ear pain occurs under the influence of external factors unfavorable to the body, but it can also be a symptom of various diseases.
In the second case, you can almost always observe additional signs that indicate the presence of the disease, but only a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis.

The main causes of ear pain include:

inflammatory process in the ear or adjacent organs;
a large amount of wax in the ear;
exposure of the ear to strong gusts of cold wind;
pathology of the auditory nerve;
diseases of blood vessels, nose or throat;
softening and swelling of the ear skin from prolonged contact with water;
lack of wax in the ear canal;
development of tumors.

The flower is grown primarily for decorative purposes, but it also has numerous beneficial properties for the human body.

The plant contains natural antibiotics - phytoncides, which have a healing effect on all components of the ear and can be a good addition to drug treatment. To eliminate pain in the ear, the leaves of the flower are used.

For ear pain, pelargonium can have the following effect on the body:

relieves pain;
disinfects the inside of the ear;
relieves inflammation;
eliminates swelling;
prevents the formation of pus;
prevents infection from spreading to other organs;
increases the body's immunity by stimulating the production of interferons.

There are several options for using geranium to treat ear pain. Medicinal decoctions, infusions, compresses are prepared from the leaves of the flower, or they are used fresh.

Important! To get rid of insomnia during otitis media, it is recommended to place a small fabric bag with dried flowers and geranium leaves next to the patient’s pillow.

In order for the treatment to bring the long-awaited effect, it is recommended to follow these general rules:

to prepare compresses and juice from pelargonium, you need to use only fresh green leaves of the plant without signs of damage by pests or diseases;
You need to cut fresh leaves from the plant immediately before preparing the medicine;
to relieve pain using compresses or a whole leaf of pelargonium, you need to use the chosen remedy for at least 30 minutes;
To achieve the best results, it is recommended to insulate the sore ear while using medicines from the plant.

Preparing a medicine for ear pain from geranium leaves will not take much time - you just need to follow the order of actions and follow some recommendations. Let us consider in more detail the types of pelargonium medicinal products used and the rules for their preparation.

If acute ear pain occurs, geranium juice has a quick healing effect. It is advisable to prepare it immediately before use in order to preserve as much as possible all the beneficial substances contained in the leaves of the plant.

To get rid of ear pain using geranium juice, you need to follow these steps:

Cut a few green leaves from the plant, wash them in water and let dry.
Crush the leaves in a mortar until smooth.
Wrap the resulting pulp in 1-2 layers of sterile gauze and squeeze the juice out of it.
Instill the juice of the plant into the sore ear, 1-2 drops at a time. For the best effect, it is recommended to warm the medicine a little beforehand.
You can also dilute pelargonium juice with water in equal proportions, soak a cotton swab with this solution and insert it into your ear overnight.
Repeat the procedure daily until complete recovery.

In addition to products for external use, pelargonium can be used to prepare medicines that are taken orally. One of the common options for the treatment of chronic otitis media is a decoction of the plant in question. Both fresh and dry leaves of the flower are suitable for its preparation.

Step-by-step instructions for preparing a medicinal decoction of pelargonium are presented below:

Boil 200 ml of water. Separately, place water in a small saucepan on the stove (for a water bath).
Place a small handful of geranium leaves in a small saucepan and pour a glass of boiling water over them.
Place the saucepan with pelargonium in a water bath and cook the mixture for 5 minutes.
Remove the broth from the stove, cover the saucepan with a lid and leave the mixture to steep for 1 hour.
Strain the resulting product through a sieve and add 50 ml of warm boiled water.
Use a decoction of pelargonium for chronic otitis media, 1 tbsp. l. 30–40 minutes before meals. The course of treatment is 1 week.
You can drip the prepared product into the sore ear, 4 drops 3 times a day.

Important! If, when using pelargonium, the patient’s well-being sharply worsens, you should immediately stop using the product and consult a doctor.

Gruel

In order to improve the medicinal properties of pelargonium, you can use its leaves in crushed form. This remedy begins to act very quickly and reduces ear pain within a few minutes.

To prepare a medicinal porridge from geranium, you must follow these steps:

Cut 1-2 geranium leaves, wash them with water and dry them slightly.
Crush the flower leaves in a mortar to a smooth paste. If desired, you can add a few drops of olive oil.
Cut a small piece of sterile bandage and put a little of the resulting mass on it. You can roll cotton wool into rolls and soak them in the prepared mixture.
Wrap the pulp in a bandage in the form of a roller. Place the resulting turunda into the sore ear.
It is recommended to keep the product in the ear for about 6 hours. The course of treatment ranges from 2 to 5 days.

Compress

An effective remedy for ear pain is a pelargonium compress. It is best to use it at night to warm up the sore ear and speed up recovery.

Step-by-step instructions for preparing a geranium compress are presented below:

Wash and dry 10–12 geranium leaves, chop them with a knife.
Combine chopped leaves with 3 tbsp. l. oatmeal or rye flour, add 2 tbsp. l. camphor alcohol.
Knead the above ingredients into a thick dough and form it into an oblong roll.
Cover the auricle with dough (in a circle) and secure the compress with film or a clean fabric bandage.
Leave the product overnight and repeat the procedure for 3-4 days until complete recovery.

Whole sheet

The easiest and fastest way to treat ear pain with geranium is to use the whole leaf of the plant. Thanks to the presence of essential oils in it, it quickly eliminates discomfort in the ear and prevents the further development of infection.

Important! When immersing a geranium leaf in the ear, you need to be careful and do not place it too deep in the ear canal.

In order to eliminate ear pain using a whole leaf of pelargonium, you need to do the following:

Cut a small leaf from the plant and rinse it thoroughly under running water.
Dry the sheet by blotting it with a damp cloth until any drops of moisture are removed.
Lightly rub the leaf with your hands until the juice releases.
Roll the leaf into a small tube and carefully insert it into the ear canal.
To prevent pain in the ear from recurring, it is recommended to use this remedy for 1–2 days, changing the pelargonium leaf in the ear with a fresh one every 4 hours.

Despite the fact that medicines prepared from geranium are considered folk remedies, one should not underestimate their possible negative effect on the body. In some cases, using the plant to treat otitis media is strictly prohibited.

The main contraindications include:

pregnancy;
the presence of chronic pathology;
tendency to allergies or hypersensitivity to pelargonium components;
presence of bronchial asthma;
discharge of pus or blood from the ear;
mechanical damage to the eardrum;
children up to 3 years old.

Find out in more detail what heals and how to use geranium for medicinal purposes.

We suggest you read: When to buy pullets in spring or autumn || When to buy pullets in spring or autumn

The listed recipes for preparing geranium remedies for ear pain are good as first aid and can help quickly eliminate pain.

But if after 1-2 days of using them, ear pain periodically occurs again, then it is recommended to consult a doctor.

If a specialist has diagnosed the presence of a disease that is the cause of pain, then only medications prescribed by a doctor should be used for treatment. Geranium not only decorates the windowsills of many gardeners, but is also an excellent pain reliever for otitis media. By following all the recommendations for using the plant listed in our article, you can quickly eliminate pain in the ear and speed up the healing process.

Was this article helpful?

There are many causes of ear pain. Among them are the following:

otitis media of various etiologies;
mastoiditis;
foreign objects entering the ear canal;
furunculosis;
rupture of the eardrum.

Pelargonium is an ancient plant. It can cure various ear ailments. The main ones are bleeding from the ear, inflammatory and purulent-inflammatory processes; geranium has saved many people with otitis media. It has a restorative effect for ear injuries, promotes healing of wounds when foreign objects enter the ear, and cleanses the ear canals.

To avoid harm

No matter how medicinal geranium is for the ears, it should be remembered that otitis media is a serious infectious disease that can become complicated at any time. Therefore, you need to strictly adhere to all doctor’s instructions and monitor your condition. If your health does not improve after a day of such treatment, you should contact an otolaryngologist .
You should not self-medicate if blood or pus is leaking from the ear canal. This may indicate damage to the eardrum and auditory ossicles. In this case, a person simply cannot do without antibacterial drugs, but it is better not to use traditional methods of treatment during this period.

Geranium leaves can be treated only at the initial stage of otitis media. If the disease is already advanced, the doctor determines the treatment regimen.

Treatment of otitis should be comprehensive; it may include not only medications, but also traditional methods. At the initial stage of otitis, you can use pelargonium leaves, which should be placed in the ear canals for several hours.