Saunatimes

  • Home
  • My Story
  • Health Benefits
  • Build A Sauna
    • Get The DIY Sauna eBook Now
  • Free Sauna Info
  • Podcast
  • Blog
  • Contact

Could sauna be the best way to naturally cure an ear infection?

November 30, 2017 By Glenn 3 Comments

During a recent trip to Southern California, after a body surfing session, where I got bounced around from all directions, I found myself with water in my right ear that just wouldn’t release.  For days, my right ear was plugged and eventually became painful.

walking the beach with da wife after body surfing

A smarter person would get to the pharmacy for some ear drops or an antibiotic, but a more stubborn person (me) just tried to forget it and grind it out, hopefully healing myself.

Plane touching down in Minneapolis, I closed my eyes and creatively visualized the path home to fire up my backyard sauna. That evening, I had a great three round sauna session, getting rid of airplane juice, meditating with a fresh shave in the hot room, and untangling some wires in my head.

I went to bed in my upright and locked position.  Next morning, I feel my right ear: pain is mostly gone.  What’s better?  My ear has opened up.  A good chunk of ear wax released (yes, i know, we aren’t supposed to put a finger in our ears, but it itched!).

My ear feels better now.

I am reliving the deep, intense heat, coupled with some steam, and when I close my eyes I see the words “natural remedy.”

Could a sauna session be the best way to clean out our ears and get rid of an ear infection?

Sounds good to me.

Filed Under: Health and wellness Tagged With: body surfing, ear infection

Comments

  1. Martina Simpkins says

    December 4, 2017 at 11:47 am

    Ear infections can really be nerve wracking Glenn. It is good to hear that you got rid of it, without any antibiotics. After all, why take antibiotics for something that can be taken care of by traditional home remedies. Sauna therapy is an ideal way to clear our sinuses, open nasal passageways and preventing spread of infection to the middle ear. However, if the symptoms return, it would be better to get it checked by a doctor.

  2. Eugene Ollila says

    December 4, 2017 at 5:29 pm

    Glenn,

    I think you are giving sauna some benefit to the ear which it does not have. You had your ear canal plugged with water behind wax, which eventually gave way and problem resolved. There may have been mild infection but the problem resolved once the obstruction was gone, so no antibiotics were called for. I once had a similar process when wresting with boys in a pool while on a skiing trip. I had balance issues and no hearing in that ear till return home. I had to get the obstruction resolved by an ENT person.
    You may want to consider olive oil on semiregular basis if wax continues to be a problem, and use rubbing alcohol after the episode you had to keep any residual infection down, since sea water near shore has bacteria, and obstructed ear canal is not a bad culture medium.
    The comment about sinuses, etc is partly true. Our body uses fever to fight infection, so we are doing the same thing with getting body temp up in sauna. To the extent that the nasal passages stay open would help prevent ear infections, for the same reason that there is no obstruction any longer. There needs to be some followup, since the same issues will return once you return to normal body temp.

  3. Glenn says

    December 4, 2017 at 10:33 pm

    Gene: Thanks for your thoughtful, knowledgeable (and humble) response and tips. I say humble in that I know you are a renowned physician yet you don’t wave that title as part of your name. PS…When can we Sauna Talk? Real soon now, we’re going to be met with brrrr temperatures and great 612 Sauna weather!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Time to build your own sauna?

Get The DIY Sauna eBook Now

Get The DIY Sauna eBook Now

I wrote "Sauna Build: from start to Finnish" for you. I'm not a professional builder. But I've built a bunch of authentic saunas. And I know how to build saunas. And I love helping others realize their own AUTHENTIC sauna dreams. For a $20.00 USD donation, I will send you my ebook. I took careful note of many of the details, shortcuts, and special tricks about building a … READ MORE

Read different sauna subjects:

Search sauna keywords:

Listen to Sauna Talk podcast

A warm understanding of Russian Banya: Sauna Talk with Vladimir von Tsurikov

A warm understanding of Russian Banya: Sauna Talk with Vladimir von Tsurikov

"When you go out of the heat an into the extreme cool, and back from the extreme cool and into the … [Read More...]

Wim Hof talks about enjoying sauna as part of his cold plunge therapy

Wim Hof talks about enjoying sauna as part of his cold plunge therapy

"You bring 100 people together and they are all strangers, but in the sauna, you open up because … [Read More...]

Sauna Talk: Managing Partner of Wisdom Woods tells us what it’s like to run a first class private resort

Sauna Talk: Managing Partner of Wisdom Woods tells us what it’s like to run a first class private resort

In this episode of Sauna Talk, we get a behind the scenes view of Wisdom Woods, Spooner Wisconsin, … [Read More...]

Sauna Talk Podcast

Sauna travel

Shipping container pop up sauna brings a community spirit to Wellington, New Zealand.

Shipping container pop up sauna brings a community spirit to Wellington, New Zealand.

From the mailbag, Enter Sam: I was just listening to your most recent podcast, good stuff! Your … [Read More...]

Chicago Sweatlodge rekindles the Eastern European bathhouse experience, creating an oasis for an authentic sauna traveller

Chicago Sweatlodge rekindles the Eastern European bathhouse experience, creating an oasis for an authentic sauna traveller

Getting to the Chicago Sweatlodge It's 5 pm.  I am being driven through the heart of Chicago on … [Read More...]

National Sauna Day 2016 celebrates its third year in Embarrass, MN

National Sauna Day 2016 celebrates its third year in Embarrass, MN

Saturday June 4, National Sauna Day, started with an early summer drizzle and kept sputtering all … [Read More...]

Sauna Stuff

Sauna backrests:  We all deserve this level of support and relaxation while on the sauna bench

Sauna backrests: We all deserve this level of support and relaxation while on the sauna bench

These backrests are the best.     Sauna is about being comfortable.  Sauna is … [Read More...]

nICE mug – a drinking glass made entirely out of ice – is enjoyed by NHL players between sauna rounds

nICE mug – a drinking glass made entirely out of ice – is enjoyed by NHL players between sauna rounds

A recent sauna gathering in Minneapolis included a few NHL alumni guests from different NHL teams. … [Read More...]

Outdoor faucet protector extends the outdoor shower sauna season

Outdoor faucet protector extends the outdoor shower sauna season

in an age of global warming and el nino, we are feeling less and less of intense sub zero bone … [Read More...]

Recent comments

  • Joel Huotari on What I Learned from Building an Outdoor Sauna with a Wood Burning Stove
  • Joel Huotari on Should I get a wood fired sauna stove or an electric sauna stove?
  • Glenn on Should I get a wood fired sauna stove or an electric sauna stove?
  • Larry on Bubble wrap: sauna building secret #5
  • Joel Huotari on Should I get a wood fired sauna stove or an electric sauna stove?

More hot air:

612 Sauna Society articles authentic backyard sauna benefits building build your own sauna cabin sauna candle window clean rinse cool down culture escape finland finnish sauna gasification health and wellness health club sauna hotel sauna how to infrared kuuma stove lake superior loyly minneapolis mobile sauna nature nICE mug outdoor sauna rubber band theory sauna benches Sauna how to sauna party sauna popularity sauna rocks Sauna Yoga sleep snow summer sauna Sweat Therapy weather winter wood burning wood stove yoga

Further Review

Build your own sauna ebook: easy to follow 9 chapter step by step instructions, photos, building material list, blueprints available now.




nICE mug: a drinking glass made entirely out of ice.
A wonderful cold partner for your hot sauna.
Please click photo:

Copyright © 2018 Saunatimes, A division of Pine Island Trading Company, Minneapolis, MN, 55419, USA