volume 5.
we all know the bottle! that ‘ol brown and white-capped bottle! however, this particular use is new to me. hydrogen peroxide in your ears to combat the flu (and cure it fast once it hits). say wha? i heard this one recently. and i was like, “mmm no. flu definitely gets in through mouth and nose. ” but, apparently not? or at least, apparently that’s not the most common way? cause it’s the ears! the ears take the cake!
and, are you in boston? are you in chicago? new york? cause, the media frenzy in these places… man! FLU OUTBREAK LIKE WE’VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE EVER IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD GETCHA SELF TO A PHARMACY PRONTO AND GET YOUR FLU SHOT NOW CAUSE THEY ARE PROVEN SO EFFECTIVE SO DO IT CAUSE BIGGEST OUTBREAK IN 237 YEARS WILL KILL YA DEAD. does your news channel sound a little like that?
the how-to:
a couple of drops of hydrogen peroxide in each ear. keep in each for a couple minutes. voila! flu be gone! (now, it may not be that easy, but it really is supposed to work.) i tried it on parker and he was pisssssed. fine, parker! go without it! if it’s a risk you’re willing to take!
and now, a quote (from mercola’s website):
In 1928 Richard Simmons, M.D. hypothesized that colds and flu virus enter through the ear canal.
His findings were dismissed by the medical community. According to Dr. Simmons,
contrary to what you may think or have been taught about how you catch the flu or the cold there
is only one way that you can catch the two, and that’s via the ear canal not through the
eyes or nose or mouth as most have believed.
yeah, i’ve got to admit. i’d be dismissin’ simmons too! and, i realize, that quote doesn’t provide any statistics or percentages, buuuuut, maybe it’ll be the start to your research?
some evidence? why not.
mercola says (yeah, he kind of bugs me still buuuuut he’s a good resource i guess.)!
i’ll stop there. but really, google: “hydrogen peroxide in ears for flu” and boom, sources plentiful!
yes, you can google a whoooole ‘lotta things and come up with some shittay information. but, with this one, what do you have to lose?!
a few more flu busters:
{elderberry syrup: we take this every day, a half an eyedropper full, thru the winter months to boost the immune system}
{vitamin c powder
: when a illness seems to be coming on, i put a bit of this in water (maybe a teaspoon?). it’s diluted and hardly noticeable. parker even takes it in his sippy cups. vitamin c this way can get a bad rap, but, for the most part, overdosing on it will just cause diarrhea, meaning that it leaves your system and doesn’t become dangerous.}
: when a illness seems to be coming on, i put a bit of this in water (maybe a teaspoon?). it’s diluted and hardly noticeable. parker even takes it in his sippy cups. vitamin c this way can get a bad rap, but, for the most part, overdosing on it will just cause diarrhea, meaning that it leaves your system and doesn’t become dangerous.}
now, what are your tried and true flu-busters?!
and, always remember: do your research!
p.s. thank you SO much for all your traveling tips yesterday. i mean it when i say, i will be checking into these places when (yes, WHEN! not if!) we take our eventual trip!
did you know you cannot legally get Hydrogen peroxide over here in the UK? Like they do not sell it over the shelves..you have to get it from a pharmasist who, if they believe you, will give you a tiny little cup of it. no joke. Apparantley because you can make bombs with it..whatever UK..whatever.
My lil bro was actually just hospitalized for the flu the other day. he was there all night. But it wasnt the cold flu..it was the stomach one. It wasnt good at all. but def a virus and it could have killed him if my mom act fast enough..SO with that said…im sure the media is being dramatic (per usual) but there def are viral cases that can be pretty unfortunate and extreme.
but for the common cold (runny nose etc) i actually have heard HP working really well..especially for clogged ears. like for clogged ears, that ish works fast.
i use it (diluted) for wax in my ears. I was cursed with narrow ear canals, so yes, i have waxy ears. TMI
BTW, any chance you could write a post on stocking a first aid kit for an infant? as someone who's about to be a first time mama in April, I'm a little clueless about infant first aid, other than the fact that temperatures are taken in the cruelest way possible.
ohhhhh this is so interesting! i shared it on my facebook page…. it seems like everyone has the flu this month – thanks for the info!
xx, kara
Elderberry syrup for the win! My three-year-old loves the stuff, which is a good thing since I am forcing it down her throat on a constant basis these days. And I swear it is working – everyone we know has or had the flu, and (knock on wood) we have remained fairly healthy! I've never heard of that use for hydrogen peroxide, but I will definitely keep it in mind. But, of course, the elderberry syrup is going to keep me healthy!!
@megan, the hydrogen peroxide thing is crazy! it's like 25 cents a bottle over here! they're practically giving it out! hahaha. and shane! that is awful. i hav eheard it can be wicked–both the stomach version and the other one…
@nicole, good idea! i will try to formulate a post on that!
@kara workman, no prob! thanks for sharing 🙂
@leslie, parker loves it too. which is so funny cause the big kids think its gross.
The most effective way of not getting the flu is by getting the flu shot. A dear friend, extremely healthy and fit, nearly died of influenza. She spent 3 months in the ICU in an induced coma; her husband was making funeral arrangements. At the time, their boys were 1 and 3. There is no compelling reason NOT to get it; it is readily accessible, either free or cheap, and other than a sore arm, no real side effects. Yes, there are always stories of I got the shot and the next day got the flu, but it is HIGHLY likely you either had prior exposure (since it takes 2 weeks to become effective) or you had another virus.
I looked at the linked sites and are skeptical about their research; for example, whenever you see "cleanse" and "toxins" be wary since there are no good scientific data that supports this claim. The body does a great job of eliminating toxins.
I'm a life long vegetarian, eat organically as often as possible, but still believe in science.
@linda, i'm not an advocate for the flu shot, but i am an advocate for agreeing to disagree (while being agreeable!)… the story of your friend is awful–i am glad the flu shot is available for those who want it! and you're right… not all the things i link to are entirely scientific and they certainly could afford to be a bit more!
I heart your stocking the first aid kit posts.
Yes! We've done this!! Last winter. I tried it twice and both times felt that it was effective…I did manage to get it in Kate's ears on one occasion but she informed me that it would NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. Love you!
Good to know! I deny the flu vaccine every year and with a 12 month old I'm doing lots of praying that we make it through the winter unscathed. We already had the stomach flu in November so I feel like we should be spared the rest of the season. 🙂
My Mom never cleaned out ears with cotton swabs. She filled them with hydrogen peroxide and after a few minutes we'd flip our heads and all that ear gross would pour out. I do it to my husband now and he thinks its torture!! I love a good deep clean!
Ok, so another use for hydrogen peroxide (and this is a little TMI)…yeast infections. When I first got married I got them every month. After being tired of the nasty over the counter junk I was told to try a Q-Tip soaked in hydrogen peroxide. I did some research and it seemed legit. Just one internal sweep of the swab and that was it…no more symptoms. I did it once more the next day to be sure…but yeah, totally worked. And I actually haven't had one since. So there you have it. <3
@anna, no such thing as tmi (not here anyway!!) — that is a pretty cool use for HP. i know that yeast infections can be recurring so an alternative to drugs is great. thanks!
Growing up, my dad would always clean out ears with hydrogen peroxide. 🙂 I do it every few months or so now. But yes. It helps a cold and the flu, for sure. I've done it! I also use it as a mouthwash (which also happens to clean my teeth), and you can use it to clean. Oh, the possibilities!
Did you take elderberry syrup when you were pregnant? I am having trouble finding consistent information about this. I know anything not regulated by the FDA they mark not safe for pregnant or nursing, but what was your experience
I love this series so much. I feel like if I needed to be, I could be a pioneer woman with these tips.
@KLL, so, i don't think i did, but mainly because i didn't happen to have it when needed. i would think that it'd be safe but i really can't say for sure. do you have a naturopath? or ask your doc? i did take colloidal silver sometimes while pregnant though which is good for immunity too!
@dancing branflake, that comment made me LOL.
Mike is obsessed with HP.
We still swear by the antioxidants Juice Plus+ capsules for us and chewables for kids. The whole food form of nutrients we need from 17+ fruits and vegetables. All natural, no preservatives, no artificial colors or flavorings and gluten free. Knock on wood, we are safe in Jersey. Cold and waiting for more snow, but healthy!
http://www.kpiccolasharesjuiceplus.com
Check out the 10 minute video and email me if you want to learn more. My email is on my homepage.
iam totally going to try the HP trick though. We have used it is the past for swimmers ear. Makes sense to me!
Kristen
@kristen piccola, steve's actually taking juice plus right now! and sometimes i steal it 🙂
i have heard that you can use hydrogen peroxide as a teeth whitener.
i know this if off topic but…have you heard of any natural options to bleaching?
Vitamin D!!!!! My SIL worked for a Chiropractor and told me its more effective at immune boosting than Vitamin C. She uses the emulsified (liquid) D and gives her son and husband a few drops every night before bed. They're hardly ever sick! Which is huge because her son was very. Sickly as a baby and younger child until she started doing this.
@Margi Hydrogen Peroxide is supposed to be a great bleach alternative. Actually, if you look at the ingredients to color safe or non-chlorine bleach, it is listed as the main bleaching ingredient.
@lady bug, yes! we do vit d around here too!! in the form of cod liver oil!
@margi, did you see lady bug answered your question above?! (also, i sometimes use oxi clean for a really tough stain…)
so, so ironic!! i was getting ready in front of the mirror this morning thinking "Bridget needs another natural first aid kit post."
@stefanie, that is too funny. well here it is!
Also, I get this nasty black stuff on my cookie sheets, metal skillets etc. I make a paste out of baking soda and peroxide, rub really hard and BOOM. Shiny as a '57 chevy. Maybe everyone already just knows this trick though and I'm late in the game.
Bridget – none of the sites you listed had any academic references. The second two only referenced the first. I searched pubmed and GoogleScholar and couldn't find one article for a study on hydrogen peroxide as a treatment for influenza or for any ear conditions besides as a antiseptic for a bacterial skin infection.
I think it's fair to say, "there's no medical literature supporting this, how much harm can Hydrogen peroxide in your ear cause?" But referencing blogs and OpEd medical sites isn't evidence. Google isn't a verified or trustworthy resource. I could pretty easily find 50 websites advocating almost anything. So I'd just be careful what you call evidence. It's easy to say, "I'm just putting this out there, people can make their own choices" but not everyone is informatin-savy and motivated to look into things themselves.
Also – some people have access to higher-concentration hydrogen peroxide which can burn and irritate the skin, so be careful if it's stronger than 3%.
@aurora, you're right. but, since it's HP, i thought it safe to provide these websites that may not be the most scholarly ones. my whole life, HP has been a fairly safe substance (one that you can even swish in your mouth)… and i've used it countless times to get rid of swimmer's ear since i was young, etc… surely if i am providing a homeopathic remedy that has a real risk of danger, i will do more thorough research.
i did not know about the higher-concentration of some HP's. so thank you!
Love these posts! I don't have any youngens but these are still so helpful since I usually catch the bugs that are being passed around. It's nice to see what other options are out there besides another round of antibiotics!
TheJustInCases.Blogspot.com
Classic first aid kit and natural first aid kit when put together will be perfect! Impressive blog! I learned a lot by reading this.
First aid gloves