Infection of the ear is called otitis. The ear, anatomically,  can be viewed as three different parts: the outer ear, the middle ear and inner ear. 

Outer ears are the parts that stick out from both side of the head and are cartilages that are covered with skin, together with the ear canals that channel sound to the ear drums.

The middle ears consist of the ear drums and three tiny bones on each ear called ossicles that amplify the vibrations from the eardrum and send them to the inner ears.

The inner ears consist of vestibules and cochleae which convert vibration of the sound into electrical impulses that are transmitted to the brain.

Usually the infections of the middle ear are being referred to as inner ear infections by the general public. Medically the the inner ear infection is called otitis interna which is not uncommon.

(1) simple infection of the inner ear, and

(2) cholesteatoma and

(3)  bone infection. 

The latter two categories can develop complications that can be life threatening. 

Conservative  treatments are not effective on the latter two categories. Usually surgery is the solution. Herb therapy is appropriate on the simple type of infection.

The above classification is more commonly used in China by modern medical schools.

There is no unanimous agreement on how middle ear infection (otitis media) should be classified. Most authorities have classified otitis media as the following :

    A. Acute otitis media without effusion:

        also called: Catarrhal otitis media, Baro-otitis,  Acute myringitis.

    B. Acute otitis media with effusion:

          also called: Acute serous otitis media

    C. Acute purulent otitis media

    A. Chronic serious otitis media

        also called: Persistent otitis media with effusion 

    B. Chronic purulent otitis media with perforated ear-drum and discharge

    C. Chronic otitis media with chronic mastoiditis and cholesteatoma

    D. Chronic adhesive otitis media   

    A. Tuberculosis

    B. Sarcoidosis

    C. Wegener's granulomatosis

Inner ear infections, otitis interna, or labyrinthitis, associated with infection, are 

often caused by infections elsewhere in the body such as respiratory disease, like throat or sinus infection . The cause of these infections is difficult to determine. 

Antibiotics are usually used for symptoms as they occur. Vertigo or motion sickness can caused by bacterial infections. Usually meclizine hydrochloride is used for vertigo.

                            
Simple middle ear and inner ear infection can be treated with herbs. Diagnosis should be made by professional health care  specialists because inner ear infections may have serious underlying causes.

There are hundreds of formulae being used in simple chronic middle and inner ear infections. The ingredients are easy to get and are inexpensive.

Uses:  For cutting down infection, swelling and getting rid of toxins. Can be used for inner ear infection.

Ingredients: walnut oil 5 cc, Borneo camphor 1.5 gram, huang lian powder 1 gram.

Dry several walnuts in low heat.  Grind into powder. Steam for 40 minutes. Press to get oil. Heat oil until all water evaporates. (Watch with a thermometer. It is hot enough when the thermometer registers 130 degrees centigrade. Turn off heat immediately or the oil will burn). Cool.

Wash huang lian thoroughly with warm and previously boiled water and dry in low heat.  Grind the Borneo camphor and huang lian into fine powder and mix with cooled oil. 

Make sure that all ingredients are clean.

Use 2 to 3 drops a day. (External use, not to be taken internally.)

Experience: used by 80 patients. All healed. Revisited after one year. No recurrence found.

Source: Chen Bian Qain, Health Department of Miao Shi Zhen, Chi Li District, Hunan Province, China.  

Walnuts (it is better to get those of two years old) , 2 pieces.

 Borneo camphor, about 2-3 grams ground into powder.  

Wrap the walnuts in fine cloth. Smash and squeeze out the oil. Add Borneo camphor to the oil. Before applying the mixture, clean ear with lukewarm, previously boiled water. Use 2-3 drops of the mixture in the ear once or twice a day. 

This formula came from a minority race in China, the Chinese Turkistanese of  Xinjiang.  Provided by a retired government official, Wang Qi Pu of Bo Ai, District of GuangXi province, China.

Use he zi. 50 grams and mu xiang 50 grams. Grind the two ingredients into a fine powder and strain with fine strainer. Use 3 grams each time, mix with 100 cc of water and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. Cool and drink it. Repeat 3 to 4 times a day.  

No long term side effects or toxicity.

It can be taken orally or can be used as drops for the ear. Both are effective.

source: Inner Mongolia, Alasan Mongolian Medical Research Department, China. 

Provided by Fan Zuorbu. 

This is a formula from Inner Mongolian ethnic group, a Chinese minority.

訶 子 50克，木 香 50克。磨成細粉。混均。
每日用3～4次。每次用3克。以水100毫升，文火煎三，四十分鐘。涼後服。可以長期服用。無副作用。可以內服或用來滴耳，均可。
藥方來源：內蒙古，阿拉善盟，蒙醫藥研究所，范.倬爾布，獻方。推薦人：烏蘇日特。
 

Formula #4

Classical Chinese herb formula:

long dan xie gan wan  (in pill form, available over the counter in Chinese herb store)

Use 9 grams, 3 times a day. Ten days is a treatment period.

Usually 1 to 2 treatment periods will produce satisfactory results.

Do not use this formula for a long period of time.  Stop using it when symptoms have subsided.

Source: Lan Shi Mi Chang

It can also be taken tea form:

long dan cao 6 g, huang qin 9 g, shan zhi zi 9 g, ze xie 12 g,

mu tong 9 g, che qian zi 9 g, chai hu 6 g, gan cao 6 g, sheng di 9 g.

Boil with water. One prescription a day, made into two servings.

Stop taking when symptoms subside. Do not take it for a long time.

Rinse herb with water. Add about 3 bowls of water and simmer it down to about one bowl. Use as tea.

Avoid eating spicy food.

Warning: This formula can be toxic to the kidneys because of the herb mu tong. There are different varieties of mu tong in the market. Before the Qing dynasty, however, it was not toxic because mu tong was derived from either the plant of Akebia guinata or the plant Akebia lobata.  Today, ninety five percent of mu tong (guan mu tong 關木通) used in China is from the stem of Aristolochia debilis, a toxic plant usually grown in the northeastern provinces of China, formally called Manchuria. Only rarely in a few localities in China, is mu tong obtained from Akebia guinata or Akebia lobata being used. Many cases of kidney failure have been reported in the China from taking this formula.Today in China, all manufactured formulae that contain guan mu tong (Aristolochia debilis) are being banned because of the toxicity to the kidneys.

If you use this formula, make sure you are not using guan mu tong. Use chuan chuan mu tong or huai tong, or bai mu tong tong instead.