Ear Infections vs. Mastoiditis: When to Use Natural Remedies and When to Seek Medical Help

As a holistic RN and mom, I know how stressful it can be when your child complains of ear pain. Ear infections are incredibly common, especially after a cold or congestion — but the good news is that most ear infections are viral and can heal naturally with time, rest, and supportive care.

However, there’s a much more serious condition called mastoiditis that every parent should be aware of. It’s rare, but it can happen if a bacterial ear infection spreads to the bone behind the ear. Unfortunately I had front row experience watching my son experience mastoiditis and needing to be admitted to the hospital for IV antibiotics. Knowing the difference between the two can help you respond quickly and confidently.

👂 What Happens During an Ear Infection

An ear infection (otitis media) occurs when fluid builds up behind the eardrum, often after a cold or sinus congestion. This warm, moist environment can cause inflammation and discomfort.

Common symptoms include:

• Ear pain or tugging

• Mild fever (under 102°F)

• Irritability or poor sleep

• Muffled hearing or ear “fullness”

• Possible clear or slightly cloudy drainage from the ear

• Typically resolves on it's own without antibiotics in a few days

Most ear infections are viral, meaning antibiotics won’t help. The body can often clear the infection on its own within a few days. Overusing antibiotics can disrupt the gut microbiome, weaken immune resilience, and increase antibiotic resistance — so it’s best to reserve them for true bacterial infections or when symptoms worsen.

🌿 Natural Remedies That Can Help Support Healing

When symptoms are mild and your child is otherwise well, these natural options can bring comfort and support healing:

• Garlic Mullein Oil: Known for its antimicrobial and soothing properties. Gently warm and place a few drops inside the ear canal unless the eardrum is ruptured.

• Red Light Therapy: Promotes circulation, reduces pain and inflammation, and supports faster recovery. Near Infrared penetrates deeper and I have found it incredibly helpful when placing directly over the ear for about 10 minutes.

• Onion Ear Muff: This is such a simple trick that can really help ease the pain and discomfort. Slice and onion in half and then take out a few of the middle rings so it looks like a dome and has enough space for your ear to sit inside the dome. Bake it at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes then let it cool enough to wrap it in cloth, and hold it over the ear for 10–15 minutes.

• Probiotics: There are specific strains of probiotics that can really help decrease ear infections, strep and upper respiratory infections. These specific probiotics called Probiotic + ENT were created by an ENT and include them in it.

• Immune Support: Whether it is viral or bacterial in nature, you still want to support the immune system. Some of my favorites are Vitamin C, Elderberry (I love the Elderberry from Wise Women Herbs & you can save 20% on it through my Fullscript link), and Essential Immune Support.

• Herbal Pain Relief: before I reach for kids ibuprofen I always try natural remedies for pain relief and they typically work beautifully. My favorites for my kids are Nature Profen and Lemon Balm, and Children's Relief.

Always monitor symptoms closely and consult a healthcare professional if you’re unsure — especially with infants or children who can’t describe their pain well.

⚠️ Understanding Mastoiditis

Mastoiditis is an infection of the mastoid bone — the bony area just behind the ear. It usually develops after a severe or untreated ear infection spreads into the boney area behind the ear.

Signs of mastoiditis include:

• Redness, tenderness, or swelling behind the ear

• The ear sticking out or being pushed forward

• Severe, deep, or worsening ear pain

• Persistent high fever (often over 102°F)

• Drainage or pus from the ear

• Severe headache, irritability, or fatigue

• Vomiting

• Diminished hearing

Mastoiditis is a medical emergency and requires prompt treatment — often with IV antibiotics or, in rare cases, minor surgery to prevent complications.

I will tell you how my sons case presented and the red flags I saw that made me take him into the ER. He had a minor cold at the beginning of the month with a runny nose and slight cough. After his cold resolved a few days later he started developing really bad ear pain, headache, fever and vomited one time. I tried my natural remedies for ear infections first and it wasn't resolving his symptoms so I took him into an Urgent Care for the first time ever. They diagnosed him with a bilateral ear infection and prescribed oral antibiotics. It was the first time he has ever needed antibiotics so it kind of broke my Mama heart knowing how disruptive antibiotics can be to the gut and immune system, but I knew he needed them. He finished the course of antibiotics and felt great for roughly 10 days and then all his symptoms came back with vengeance and that immediately drew some red flags for me. He went to bed feeling great the night before and woke up with a horrible headache, vomiting, ear pain and fever. I took him back to Now Care and they did a strep test that was negative and said it was likely "a secondary viral infection" and to come back if he gets worse.

I ended up taking him into the ER two days later because his headache and ear pain were getting worse and over the counter pain medicine wasn't helping relieve his pain. His prolonged fevers told me his body was working hard trying to kill off some sort of infection, he wasn't eating or sleeping well and my Mama intuition knew something was off. I was deeply concerned that something neurologically was going on. So I took him to the ER and because of him having symptoms on and off for a couple weeks with such intense pain, vomiting and fevers the ER doctor wanted to do a head CT and labs. His head CT showed bilateral otomastoiditis and he was started on IV antibiotics right away. Thankfully within 24 hours of being on the antibiotics his symptoms drastically resolved. Mastoiditis is scary and very seriously as the infection is starting to spread into your skull bones, but it is treatable and usually fully resolves if caught early. My best advice is to listen to your Mama intuition, you know your kids soo well!

💛 When to Seek Medical Attention

You should contact your healthcare provider right away if your child has:

• Severe or worsening ear pain

• Severe or worsening headache

• A prolonged fever

• Swelling or redness behind the ear

• The ear sticking out more than usual

• Drainage from the ear with other concerning symptoms

🧠 The Bottom Line

Most ear infections heal naturally with rest, fluids, and gentle natural remedies. But always trust your intuition — if something doesn’t seem right or symptoms escalate, go get another set of eyes on your kiddo.

Holistic care is about balance: using nature’s remedies first if appropriate, and knowing when modern medicine is truly needed.

Disclaimer: This post is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider if you have specific questions about your kiddos health or if a supplement might be right for them.

Favorite natural ear support tools + discount codes:

🌿 Garlic Mullein Oil – My favorite Brand is from Dr. Green Mom and her formula is called "Ear Relief and Resolve." Dr Green Mom discount code: holisticheidi10
💡 Red Light Device – We use our Lumebox for all things aches, pains and inflammation. (This link will automatically take $260 off at checkout)
🧅 Natural Pain Relief: Dr. Green Moms Nature Profen (Dr. Green Moms discount code: holisticheidi10), Kids Lemon Balm from Herb Pharm or Wise Women Herbs (Save 20% through Fullscript link), Rowe Casa Organics Children's Relief Tincture (Rowe Casa discount code: holisticheidi)
🦠 Probiotics – Super Teeth created a Probiotic + ENT for targeted support for ear infections, strep and upper respiratory infections. Super Teeth discount code code: holisticheidi

NOTE: some of the links are affiliate links to products and companies we love and use and thus partnered with to get you the best price point. Please do not feel obligated to use my links.