Does anyone know of a good natural cure for an ear infection that doesn't involve antibiotics and can be made using standard household items - eg, salt vinegar, cloves etc.
Not easily--you can't get those things from the outside of your body inside the part of the ear that's infected, at least not without doing damage. Ear infections probably resolve themselves pretty well, but antibiotics make it go faster.
it totally depends on what is causing the infection, if it's recurrent, if it's to the inner ear or not... Most ear infections are caused by a virus or allergies, bacteria only sets in if fluid sticks around too long inside the ear. So if you've had it longer than a week, it's probably a good idea to see your doctor and get some abx. recurrent ear infections are almost always a sign of food allergies (usually dairy, but could be other foods). Easy solution, stop eating the offending food. gargling with hot salt water can help, too. And a good chiropractor can show you how to move your head a certain way (sorta like a figure eight over your shoulders) to help clear the eustacian tubes and let the fluid drain.
