Ear Infections & Lymph Drainage

In my most recent episode of Ask Me Anything, Janine asked me about a recurring ear infection. She had had antibiotics but it just kept coming back. Unfortunately with ear infections you can’t really tell if they are bacterial or viral. Often we just throw antibiotics at it and hope it clears and if not we try other measures. So, here I am today to give you some other measures. In Chinese Medicine, with these infections that won’t clear, they usually cause a lot of heat and pain. This tells me that there is stagnation and things are not moving. When we have pain it’s either because things can’t move through joints, vessels, or muscles. Or we don’t have the physical energy to move the blood or energy through the area and that’s what causes the pain. 

With this ear infection I would think it is due to stagnation within the area. Janine also mentioned that she had a baker’s cyst, which is a nodule at the back of the knee, that wasn’t draining. This tells me that you’re having a problem with your lymphatic drainage. We have lots of lymph nodes around the neck and ear area but also at the back of the knee area. 

So, I’m going to share some food, points, and movement to help clear this stagnation and this infection!

If you do have recurring infections please do consult your health practitioner. 

Foods and Tea

Antibiotics can be great but one thing that happens with them, is they can cause an internal dampness. When taking antibiotics you aren’t helping the lymphatic system flow. So, one thing we want to do is try and dry this dampness.

MULLEIN TEA

I would suggest Mullein Tea for this. You can just take a few teaspoons in your tea strainer and add your boiling water.

Mullein tea is really good for congestion in the chest and inner ear.

Great for clearing congestion or any sticky mucus that is hanging around in your upper respiratory. 

Just like antibiotics, raw food can also cause stagnation. Too much raw food and too many cold drinks is not good for this. There is a place for raw food though, our kidneys love raw food. But when dealing with stagnation, it is better to reduce the amount you eat. Also, in general staying away from cold air conditioning and protecting your ears from the cold. Our ears are linked to the kidney which is where our essential energy is stored. 

CLEAVER TEA

Another tea that you might find useful is Cleaver Tea. Also known as sticky willies, they are the little things that grow like weeds in your garden and are really sticky. You can wash them and put them in a jug with water, letting them infuse for at least 20 minutes.

Drink that cleaver water which is really good for the liver and fantastic for lymphatic drainage. 

Qi Gong for moving the blood and Qi

These constant infections could be because the Qi is not moving, the blood and Qi are stagnant. One thing you can do is squeeze and massage your shoulders. Press into the muscle at the top of your shoulder, turn your head away from that muscle and make circles with your nose. This point is called Gallbladder 21 or Shoulder Well. Pressing into this point can really help with any tension that stops blood flow through the neck and shoulders.

Another exercise you can do is for Lymphatic Drainage. You can make Vs with your fingers and place them either side of your ear and rub. Then you can stroke down the neck to help lymphatic drainage.

Next we’re going to find Small Intestine 17 just in between your jaw bone and SCM muscle. Behind the SCM muscle you’ll also find Triple Heater 16. You can pinch and massage these two points between 30 seconds and 3 minutes. Whatever is comfortable and feels right to you, as you are connecting to your energy and what your body needs.

There are so many more exercises I could show you when it comes to Lymphatic Drainage!! If you want to see the full exercises watch the video version of this Ask Me Anything here: 

IN CONCLUSION

In Conclusion, ear infections are a tricky thing to navigate. But with some different foods and exercises we can help stop the stagnation and find relief. I hope this post has helped you and if you have any questions for me, you can go over to my Ask Me Anything page and ask away! 

DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION?

The Ask Me Anything podcast series has been created to answer your questions using my knowledge of Chinese medicine, Qi Gong, Qi Food therapy and Shiatsu. 

You can ask a question by clicking on THIS LINK, or you can watch past episodes to see if your question has already been answered.

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Self-administered acupressure or Chinese Medicine is not a substitute for visits to qualified healthcare practitioners.

Knowing how to treat yourself and your loved ones with complimentary therapies like acupressure can be greatly beneficial and convenient. However, for serious and chronic conditions, you’ll want to visit an Shiatsu therapist / Acupuncturist or other qualified healthcare practitioner who can develop a treatment plan based on your unique medical history and combination of symptoms.  

The information provided should not be considered medical advice.