Home Remedy to Fight an Infection

In addition to being painful, infections can cause serious health problems and, if left untreated, permanent damage to your body and even death. If you are unable to get to a doctor, or don't want to take antibiotics, try home remedies for getting rid of some common types of infections that can help you feel better and stay healthy. Please remember to check with your doctor before starting any type of home treatment, especially if you have complicating medical issues.

Sinus Infection

If you have a sinus infection, thin out the mucus that accumulates in your nose so that it can drain properly. To do this, inhale steam vapors several times per day by placing your face over a hot bowl of water and inhaling the steam through your nose. Be careful not to burn yourself in doing this. Also, eat garlic, either raw or in capsule form, as garlic is thought to be a natural bacteria fighter. Combine the garlic and steam treatment by placing garlic in a steaming bowl of water and inhaling the vapors. Nasal irrigation is extremely effective, but may cause discomfort to some people. In this treatment, warm salt water is poured or gently forced into one nostril, and allowed to drain out of the other nostril. This helps clear out mucus and particulates that are clogging up your nose, encouraging drainage.

Yeast Infection

There are numerous options to treat a yeast infection, a few of which involve applying natural bacteria fighters to the infected site. For example, apply yogurt (which is filled with natural "good" bacteria) to the afflicted site, as well as raw garlic, several times per day. If you do this, be sure to rinse the area after each application. Water is also important for fighting off an infection; drink extra water (filtered, preferably) when suffering from a yeast infection.

Ear Infection

For ear infections, such as swimmer's ear, rinse the ear thoroughly using a warm saline solution, or with a combination of 50 percent water, 50 percent white vinegar. Also, apply hydrogen peroxide to the inside of the ear, as well as garlic that has been heated in mustard oil. If you apply any substance to your ear, always rinse the ear thoroughly.