An Onion for an Ear Ache?

"Tony" Sr. and entire family-in-law... you are in my thoughts. Hugs for all.

Well if you thought my program was hokey-pokey before, this post is totally going to support your theory ...kidding ;). In all honesty, this home-remedy sounds interesting, but also a bit weird. I haven't tested it out myself so I can't confirm that it works. However, the naturopathic doctor who taught me about this treatment said she has recommended it to patients with small children (who often have ear aches) and it has worked wonders for them. This treatment emphasizes a point made by a guest lecturer in my Philosophy class a couple of weeks ago: she remarked how many people are "scared" or uneasy regarding alternative medicine therapies even though they rely so heavily on natural, has-been-around-for-hundreds-of-years, everyday products; yet these people find comfort in being treated with synthetic, chemical-laden, brand-spanking-new drugs. How ever did our ancestors survive without drugs when all they had was food, herbs, and clean water to act as their medicines?! :P

How to treat an ear ache with an onion:

Peel an onion. Slice it in half. Boil half of the onion until it becomes slightly soft and translucent (around 5 minutes). Using tongs, place the boiled onion into a tea towel or facecloth; twist the remaining towel/cloth so that the onion is sealed and heat can't escape. Place the wrapped onion half up to the ear. Hold to the ear until the onion is no longer warm or until the ear ache is done. Later, if the ear ache is still bothersome, re-heat the boiled onion or boil the other half of the raw onion. Repeat the onion-to-ear compression.

This onion treatment can be preformed twice a day. The theory behind this home remedy is that the heat of the onion, along with the phenolic compounds released from the onion, help break-up any blockages in the Eustachian tube (i.e. ear canal) that may be causing the ache. Note: if the ear ache persists, please consult your health care provider.