The things we hear, see, smell and taste make our lives interesting. So, whenever any of these senses is dulled or impaired by illness, it makes our world a little grayer. Luckily, Mother Nature provides us with different kinds of herbs to help remedy the situation. Over the years, we humans have managed to take nature’s gifts and make them into good remedies.

EARACHE REMEDIES: Heat seems to help stop earache pain. Place a warm damp washcloth over the ear and lay ear on a heating pad to keep warm. Pain that persists should be seen by your physician, as it could signal an ear infection or eardrum perforation.

If an insect is lodged in the ear, do not attempt to remove the bug with any instrument or use a bright light to lure the insect out. This sometimes causes the insect to burrow deeper into the ear. You should fill the ear with a bland oil and float the insect out. If you are unsuccessful in this, you should go to your physician for help.

Sometimes water will become trapped in the ear after swimming. Tilting the head and then tapping it sharply will usually discharge the water. If not, then you may want to put several drops of 70% isopropyl alcohol in the ear. This helps to evaporate the water. Sometimes the feeling of water in the ear is caused by swelling of the cerumen. You should consult your physician for that problem.

Herbal BeautyKEEP THIS MIXTURE HANDY FOR EARACHES: Steep 1/4 cup of mullein flowers in 1 /2 cup of olive oil for several weeks. Strain several times. Store tightly covered. When you are ready to use it, warm the oil. It should be about room temperature (don’t use it cold). Make sure it is merely warm, not hot. Put several drops of the oil in the affected ear. Apply a warm cloth to ear. It wouldn’t hurt to put sterile cotton plugs in the ear after putting in the drops.

EARACHE TREATMENT: Warm some olive or castor oil and put several drops of it in the affected ear. Place a piece of sterile cotton in the ear.

EARACHE: Mix 1 teaspoon each of witch hazel and glycerin. Warm the mixture and saturate a piece of cotton with it. Place in the ear and keep warm.

EARACHE: Warmed honey, applied a few drops at a time into the affected ear, will help to stop an earache. Place a cotton ball in the ear after applying the honey to keep in the warmth.

INNER EAR DISORDERS: Grind 1 teaspoon fresh ginger. Add 1 cup boiling water. Steep 15 minutes and strain. Sweeten with honey and drink as a tea. Controls motion sickness, nausea, and vertigo caused by inner ear disorder.

NAUSEA OR VERTIGO: Chewing fresh mint leaves relieves feelings of nausea.

MOTION SICKNESS: Sometimes chewing 4-5 whole cloves will relieve motion sickness.

EAR RINGING: Ear ringing or tinnitus has several causes. The most common is caused by the overuse of aspirin or other drugs. Many times it occurs in certain diseases of the exterior, middle or inner ear. Consult with your physician as he or she can ascertain what the source is, if you do not take any medication on a regular basis. While I have never tried it, it is said that putting a few drops of onion juice in the ear will stop earache and ear ringing.

TREATMENT FOR TINNITUS: Mix 1 tablespoon of turpentine and 1 tablespoon almond or olive oil. Saturate a cotton ball with the oil and place in the ear overnight.

TINNITUS: Put 6 large cloves of garlic in the blender, adding 1 cup of olive or almond oil. Blend until the garlic is minced. Put in a glass jar and allow to steep, covered, for 1 week. Strain and apply several drops in the ear to stop the ringing and aid in hearing.

Eye care is important, so I’ve included a few recipes for eye washes. Any serious problems should be seen by your physician. Your eyesight is a very precious gift.

SAID TO IMPROVE SIGHT: Add a small handful of cornflower blossoms to 1 cup of boiling water. Allow to steep 30 minutes. Strain and use as an eye wash. Good tea to use for conjunctivitis. Conjunctivitis has many causes. Sometimes it is caused by allergies (if it happens in the spring). Certain types of conjunctivitis are caused by foreign matter in the eye. Several viral agents can also cause it. Pinkeye is highly contagious and is most often found in children, although adults can be affected also.

HELPS PREVENT CATARACTS: Mix 2 teaspoons each of honey and apple cider vinegar with a glass of water. Drink with every meal. Also said to retard cataract growth, as well as to prevent them.

CATARACTS: To help retard cataract growth, put a drop of honey in the corner of each eye on a nightly basis. May take several months before improvement is noticed.

POULTICE TO USE FOR BLACK EYES: Place a handful of chopped leaves and stems of hyssop in 2 cups of boiling water. Allow to steep for 30 minutes. Strain and dip clean cloth in herb liquid and apply to black eye.

EYE WASH: Borage eyewash can clear redness stemming from eye strain and fatigue. Use as a gentle wash. Pour 1 cup of boiling water over 1 teaspoon of dried borage leaves. Steep until cool. Strain and put in sterile jar. Use a few drops directly in the eye or use as a compress. Relieves puffiness around the eyes.

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