Cure for Ear Infection?

So, I have an ear infection. This is upsetting to me because I AM A GROWN UP. I firmly believe grown ups should be immune from ear infections. I totally blame Monster Jam and wearing those pesky ear plugs. The "Auditory Protection" clearly failed me.

I had read once, don't ask me where because I maybe just made it up and then thought I read it somewhere, that most ear infections will clear up all on their own without antibiotics.

If you can stand the pain.

Sounds like a challenge to me. And since we all know, me and a challenge...mmm hmmm!

Then my mama called and I whined about how much my ear hurt.

And since we all also know that will try just about anything, it should not surprise you that when my mother suggested microwaving an entire onion and sticking it on my ear, I jumped right on the onion wagon.

Here's the skinny: you take an onion, peel it, put it in the microwave for 3 minutes, stick the onion in a coffee cup, put the cup to your owie ear and it is supposed to draw the infection out.

Please note:

I AM NOT A MEDICAL DOCTOR.

I HAVE ZERO SCIENCE BEHIND THIS THEORY.

ALL I GOT IS THAT MY COUSIN TOLD MY AUNT, WHO TOLD MY MOM THAT SHE GOOGLED IT AND IT WORKS AND THEN MY MOM TOLD ME.

That is like the word of God as far as I am concerned.

But DO NOT DO IT YOURSELF BASED ON MY BLOG POST. Do your own research people, have your mom call your aunt who talked to your cousin who googled it.

This experiement required a trip to the grocery store because as if I have an actual onion in my house, and for some reason my mom said Onion POWDER would not work...LAME.

So, I went to the store, choose a pleasantly plump, but not to plump, onion so as it would still fit in a coffee cup. Got home, ear throbbing, I quickly cut the skin off the onion, popped it right in the microwave.

Three minutes later, I grabbed a steaming and hissing onion out of the microwave, plunked it as fast as I could into the coffee cup because it was like a burning hot lava ball and put the coffee cup to my ear. Close, but not to close, because I sure didn't want the lava ball to touch my ear!

Right away I could feel the steam from the onion working its way into my inflamed and throbbing ear canal. It actually felt kind of good. As the cup cooled off a little I could put it closer to my ear. The warm steam was soothing and I could hear some fluid moving in my ear...I have no idea if this was the steam or nasty infection goo, but either way, it felt like progress.

Now, I should mention that my entire house reeked of onion. Not good French Onion Soup onion, just onion, boiled onion. The kind of smell that gets into your clothes and your skin and won't wash off for anything.

Yep. That is a drawback. BUT, the fact that my ear drum stopped throbbing for the 20 minutes I held the onion to my ear, well, I can handle the stank for that kind of relief.

It really did help, I was thinking, "my mom is the smartest woman in the world". So, imagine my dismay, when my mom called to ask me how it worked and sounded completely shocked that it helped and said:

Mom: "OOOH I gotta call your aunt and tell her it actually worked!"

Me: "wait. What?"

dial tone

Hmmm, well anyways, it did provide some relief from the pain and I actually got decent sleep.

Today, it doesn't seem to matter how long I was in the shower or how many times I wash my hands, I reek like onion. Not good French Onion Soup Onion, just onion, boiled onion.

My ear is throbbing again, I wish I had bought more than one onion.

I can't stand the pain long enough for the infection to clear itself up. I am a wussy.

Doctor's Office at 8:40 am tomorrow,

Gabbi