Use of Camphor Oil for Ear Infection
Camphor oil is produced from the camphor tree, a native of Southeast Asia. It has antiseptic and medicinal properties, and has been used in a number of ways for centuries. It is commonly used as a home remedy to combat ear infections.
Common Camphor
There are actually two forms of camphor oil, one common and one quite unusual in Europe and the United States. The oil of the common camphor tree, Cinnamonum camphora, is from a tree found as a native plant in India and Southeast Asia. The second form of camphor oil comes from a different tree, Dryobalanops camphora, and is used primarily as an aromatic. It is unlikely that you will accidentally purchase the second form unless you are buying through Asian sources, where the second oil is used more commonly than in the West. The second is also believed to have medicinal use, but is far less well documented in Western herbal literature.
Antiseptic Properties
Camphor oil is an antiseptic oil. It shows a moderate ability to kill off bacterial and fungal infections. Using it as a topical application in a dilute oil formula is therefore useful in the case of ear infections.
Pain Killer
Camphor also deadens nerve sensation. Earache being one of the most agonizing of common maladies, camphor's ability to reduce pain is a welcome element which has encouraged its use as an earache remedy.
Anti-Inflammatory
Camphor oil is also an anti-inflammatory. By reducing the swelling that is associated with middle ear infections it can encourage drainage and reduce pressure on the ear, allowing healing and ending much of the pain associated with earache.
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