Hydrogen peroxide in small quantities, usually in a solution of 3 percent, is common in medical procedures for cleaning external wounds. This is because hydrogen peroxide oxidizes on contact and because of this property can disinfect parts of the body. When it comes to the ear, things might be a bit different because of the skin in the ear and the eardrum it self, which are very sensitive and fragile.
The kind of a solution used to treat an ear infection usually depends on the level of infection. If a boil or a pustule has developed in your outer ear, a doctor would usually aspirate it with a needle and drain the pus. Once this is done, any dead tissues in an around the area of the wound are destroyed by the oxidative effect of hydrogen peroxide. An infection in the outer ear is also a bit tricky to deal with if it is too close to the eardrum itself, and if perforated, it would cause deafness. At times like these, and when there is an infection of the inner or middle ear, the focus of treatment changes to the use of antibiotics or antifungal medicines instead. One benefit that hydrogen peroxide application in your ear will give you is that it might loosen up the earwax. This might be an important thing in treating an outer ear infection.
A better and safer method of treating an ear infection is to use some herbal antimicrobial. This may be slower to act but is a much safer alternative to use because at the end of the day, hydrogen peroxide is a blind attack on microbes. Instead, the use of diluted tea tree oil might be more appropriate. Tea tree oil is a native of Australia’s bushes. It has been used there for its magical curative properties and when it was finally isolated in an oil form, it was found to kill off most bacterial, viral and fungal growth while being almost completely safe for the patient if used in responsible quantities. To use it for your ear, take a small quantity and dilute it in water. Your measure should be three parts water for one part tea tree oil. Pour this into your ear and lie down for a while to let the oil set in your ears. Never pour undiluted oil directly in your ears and never ingest it in a large quantity.