Home Care To Relieve Ear Pain
If you have ear pain, itâs a good idea to talk with your doctor about it.
Thereâs little research to say whether or not home care works, but most doctors agree these treatments are safe to try yourself:
A cool or warm compress. Soak a washcloth in either cool or warm water, wring it out, and then put it over the ear that’s bothering you. Try both temperatures to see if one helps you more than the other.
A heating pad: Lay your painful ear on a warm, not hot, heating pad.
Over-the-counter ear drops with pain relievers. If they help at all, itâs only briefly. You shouldnât use these drops if your eardrum has a tear or hole, so check with your doctor first.
Pain reliever. Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen can often relieve the pain of an earache. Ask your doctor which is right for you.
Chew gum. If youâre on an airplane or driving at high altitudes and your ear pain is from the change in air pressure, chew some gum. It can help lower that pressure and ease your symptoms.
Sleep upright. While it may sound strange, resting or sleeping sitting up rather than lying down can encourage fluid in your ear to drain. This could ease pressure and pain in your middle ear. Prop yourself up in bed with a stack of pillows, or sleep in an armchair thatâs a bit reclined.
Try Out Apple Cider Vinegar
Another ingredient that has been used in herbal remedies for centuries is apple cider vinegar. This is an excellent option when the reason for the infection is fungus growing in or around your ear. The vinegar is acidic and will kill off the bad that is collected within the ear. It is also full of other nutrients that will support the immune system and reduce inflammation in your ear.
The great news is you dont just necessarily need apple cider vinegar. You can use white or distilled vinegar. However, you will want to get apple cider vinegar as much as possible.
Depending on where the infection is, you wont necessarily want to put the vinegar directly into the ear. This can cause some discomfort. If you are going to place it directly into the ear, make sure you dilute the vinegar with some water.
The best thing to do would be to put the diluted vinegar onto some cotton wool and create an ear plug with it. Place this in your ear and allow the liquid to get to work. You only need the ear plug for five minutes. You can then use a hair dryer to dry out the ear, but do make sure your setting is as low as possible to avoid damage to the ear drum.
Another option is to massage the diluted vinegar around the ear, allowing the skin to soak it in. If you have sensitive skin, you can find this becomes an irritant.
Earache Remedies You Can Try
1. Hot or cold compress
The skinny: Grab an ice or heat pack and put it onthe affected ear to help with the pain.
Doctors advice: The temperature you use is up to you. Wrap it in a towel tomake sure its not too cold or too hot. You dont want to cause any burns.
2.Over-the-counter pain relievers
The skinny: Pain relievers work as advertised, helping take the edge off the pain.
Doctors advice:Both adults and kids can rest easier when they take acetaminophen or ibuprofen at the right dosage. These medications reduce pain and fever, making you feel more comfortable.
3. Sleep position
The skinny: How you sleep can affect ear pain. Rest with your head on two or more pillows, so the affected ear is higher than the rest of your body. Or if the left ear has an infection, sleep on your right side. Less pressure = less ear pain.
Doctors advice: It could be effective, though a few inches may not make a big difference in pressure measurement. But if it makes you feel better, go for it.
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Onion Wraps For The Ears
Onions not only taste delicious, but they are also a natural remedy! It has a disinfectant effect, so that drops of onion juice or onion wraps on the ear are the first remedy for ear pain. When in the form of ear drops, onion juice can work directly in the ear.
How do you make an onion wrap? For this you need a finely chopped and slightly warmed onion. This is filled into a cotton bag and placed directly behind the ear. There it releases soothing essential oils. Alternatively, the wrap can be attached to the ear with the help of a headband or scarf. In order for the onion wraps to work best, leaving them on for at least 20 minutes is recommended. However, they can also remain in place for several hours if the person concerned prefers.
Articles On Ear Infection Treatments
If you care for children, you likely know already how often they come down with earaches. Adults get them, too, but youngsters have them much more often. Thatâs because they donât fight off viruses and bacteria as well, and their little ears arenât good at draining fluids yet.
You or your child may have a sore throat, stuffy nose, or fever along with an earache. These are signs of a possible infection.
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When To See Your Doctor
Dr. Nguyen-Huynh recommends seeing your doctor if:
- Your symptoms remain after two or three days, even if youve tried over-the-counter or home remedies.
- Your ear is very painful, or you have other symptoms that bother you.
- You have a fever over 104 degrees Fahrenheit
Other common conditions like temporomandibular joint dysfunction , can masquerade as earache infections. TMJ causes ear pain because your ear canal and jaw joint share a nerve.
If you have ear pain along with trouble chewing, talking or yawning, then you should see a dentist or TMJ expert to be sure youre treating the right condition, advises Dr. Nguyen-Huynh.
The good news? Hot and cold compresses and OTC pain relievers can also help relieve TMJ pain until you sort things out.
In Some Cases: Surgery
Ear infections often go away with time or with the help of antibiotics. However, some people may experience recurrent ear infections and fluid buildup, or have ear infections that wont heal for months.
In children, these issues can lead to hearing loss, behavioral issues, and speech development delays.
In these instances, a surgery called a tympanoplasty may help. In this procedure, a doctor inserts tiny tubes, called tympanostomy tubes or grommets, into the eardrum. These tubes reduce the occurrence of ear infections and allow drainage of excess fluids.
The procedure is very common and poses minimal risks. An ear tube insertion is more common for children, who tend to suffer ear infections more often than adults.
Home treatments for ear infections may be considered for mild cases in adults only.
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How To Get Rid Of Ear Infection
While some cases require medical attention, most ear infections clear on their own. Rest and some home remedies will usually do the trick.
1. Holding a Warm Piece of Cloth over the Ear
Applying a warm compress relieves pain. You can do this in the following ways:
- Dip a piece of cloth in warm water, drain and hold it over the affected ear.
- Microwave a clean sock filled with either rice or beans for about 25 seconds and hold it on the ear.
- Alternatively, do the same with one cup of salt. Heat some salt and put it in a bean bag. Place it on the infected ear while lying down making sure that the temperature is not too high to make you uncomfortable. The heated salt will draw out any fluid from the infected ear and subsequently reduce pain and swelling.
- Do this for 10-15 minutes every day until the pain subsides.
2. Garlic
Garlic is an effective natural remedy for ear infection. It has antimicrobial and antiviral properties. You can use garlic in any of the following ways:
- Start by eating one or two cloves of fresh garlic every day to boost immunity and fight the infection.
- Crush a few cloves of boiled cloves add some salt before placing them in a clean piece of cloth and putting it on the affected ear.
- Fry some cloves of garlic in mustard oil until they are dark. Strain and leave to cool before putting a few drops into the affected ear using a dropper.
3. Olive Oil
You may substitute white vinegar for ACV if thats what you have.
5. Tea Tree Oil
Use Garlic Oil In Your Ear
Lets start with garlic oil for your ear infection. Garlic is one of the best natural remedies for any infection. It holds antibacterial properties that will kill any bacteria found in your body. It also has antifungal and antiviral properties, helping to improve infections that arent necessarily bacterial. Nothing has been able to gain a resistance against this natural remedy.
You can put garlic cloves into your ear, but you can use garlic oil. Opt for the health store varieties rather than from your local grocery store. You want to make sure that the garlic oil is raw and hasnt had other ingredients placed inside it. The other ingredients can limit the garlic from working.
Most childhood ear infections will be viral based and not bacterial. Garlic oil is safe for use in a childs ear in moderation.
The garlic oil will also help to reduce inflammation within the ear. This helps to speed up the process of healing while preventing the infection and inflammation from getting deeper into the ear.
There shouldnt be any pain when using a few drops of garlic ear. You dont want to massage the oil into the ear, either. Just let it sit and do its work and allow it to drip back out naturally.
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Natural Antibiotics To Avoid
I created this list in a specific order. The first 1-3 natural antibiotics are the best, whereas the remedies lower in the list have the least amount of evidence supporting their effectiveness for fighting infections.
That being said, there are a lot of other natural antibiotics out there that should be downright avoided, despite their popularity.
Some of them simply arent effective, whereas others cause significantly more harm than theyre worth.
So heres the list of natural antibiotics you should AVOID:
Give Warm Or Cold Compresses A Go
One of the best ways of treating an ear infection at home is to give a warm or cold compress a go. Try a warm, damp washcloth or a heating pad to relieve your ear pain.
You can use both a warm and a cold compress and for best results, be sure to alternate between both. Keep the compress on for approximately ten minutes. It is an excellent pain relief method for individuals of all ages.
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When To Call The Doctor For An Ear Infection
Some symptoms of an inner ear infection can be the same as a stroke. If you have vomiting, headache, vision changes, fever, weakness in one side of your body, slurred speech or are unable to walk, seek medical care right away.
Infections involving high fever, discharge or bleeding from the ear canal, headache, vomiting, dizziness, loss of hearing, or severe pain should be seen by a doctor. A doctor should see most people with an inner ear infection.
Surgery And Other Procedures
Drainage tubes . If your child has recurring ear infections that do not respond to antibiotics, or if the fluid in the ear affects his hearing, your doctor may suggest putting in drainage tubes. During this surgery, which requires general anesthesia, the surgeon inserts a small drainage tube through the eardrum. Fluid behind the eardrum can drain out, equalizing the pressure between the middle and outer ear, which should improve your child’s hearing. The tubes usually come out on their own as your child grows and the drainage holes heal.
If ear infections persist after age 4, your doctor may suggest having your child’s adenoids removed.
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How Can I Treat An Ear Infection At Home
If youre wondering how can I treat an ear infection at home, then be sure to check out this list of tips and tricks on how to heal your ear infection faster. Remember to consult a medical healthcare professional if your symptoms persist.
What are you waiting for? The path to healing awaits!
Want to see more posts like this one? Check out the rest of our blog to learn more!
What Are The Advantages Of Ototopical Antibiotics
Administration of antibiotics directly in the ear has several advantages over systemic delivery including the following:
Antibiotic concentration
- Topical antibiotic solutions contain vastly greater concentration of antibiotic than the medications administered orally, or even intravenously. The high antibiotic concentration, delivered directly at the site of the infection, is much more effective in killing the bacteria. It also reduces the possibility for development of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains.
- The lowest level of drug concentration that can prevent bacterial growth is known as minimum inhibitory concentration . Some drug-resistant bacteria have a high MIC, but ototopical antibiotics far exceed the MIC required for destroying even highly resistant bacteria.
Absence of systemic effects
- The absence of systemic effects with topical administration eliminates the risk of systemic antibiotic side effects. The normal beneficial bacteria that live in the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts are unaffected. Absence of systemic antibiotics also prevents the natural selection and proliferation of drug-resistant bacteria.
Alteration of microenvironment
Treatment cost
- Ototopical antibiotics are generally less expensive than comparable systemic medications.
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How Do You Prevent Ear Infections
You may be able to prevent ear some ear infections if you:
- Use earplugs when swimming or diving
- Dry ears thoroughly after swimming
- Never use cotton swabs inside the ear canal
- Wash hands properly to prevent the spread of viruses
- Use soap and warm water and wash for at least 20 seconds
What Is An Ear Infection
An ear infection of the middle ear, medically known as acute otitis media, can be caused by a bacteria or virus. Most often, ear infections occur in the middle ear, which is the air-filled space between the eardrum and the oval window of the ear. The middle ear is responsible for transmitting sound from the outer ear to the inner ear.
In addition to a middle ear infection, its also possible to have an outer ear infection like swimmers ear or an inner ear infection. Labyrinthitis is a serious inner ear infection that affects hearing and balance. People with labyrinthitis often experience vertigo and some hearing loss.
If a middle ear infection is bacterial, its most likely the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae causing the infection. A virus can cause also cause ear infections. A a cold or allergies can cause congestion that blocks the Eustachian tube, which connects the middle ear to the back of the throat. This congestion can lead to a buildup of fluid and pressure and provides an environment for bacteria or viruses that have traveled up the Eustachian tube into the middle ear to flourish, resulting in an ear infection.
Even the CDC recommends breast-feeding children exclusively for the first six months of their lives and continuing until they are at least 1 year old. Injury to the ear, climate changes, altitude changes, pacifier use, family history of ear infections, and exposure to cigarette smoke are other risk factors.
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How Do Ear Infection Antibiotics Work
Ear infections are no fun for anyone.
An ear infection occurs when fluid builds up behind your eardrum in the middle part of your ear and causes swelling . This can lead to significant pain and discomfort.
Since most ear infections are caused by bacteria, its typically best to treat individual cases with antibiotics.
But antibiotic treatment isnt appropriate for every ear infection. There are a variety of factors to consider, including:
- causes
- your age
Recurring ear infections may also require a different approach.
If youre considering ear infection antibiotics for yourself or a loved one, learn more about how these medications work and how they can be both helpful and possibly harmful.
Ear infections are most prevalent in young children. Theyre often the byproducts of upper respiratory infections.
You or your child might experience other symptoms before the ear infection, including:
If an upper respiratory infection is caused by bacteria, then its possible to have an ear infection at the same time.
An ear infection occurs when bacteria gets trapped in your middle ear. Bacteria known as Hemophilus influenza and Streptococcus pneumoniae are the most common bacterial culprits.
But an ear infection may still occur if you have a viral respiratory illness. As you recover, its possible for bacteria to travel to your middle ear and become trapped, leading to a secondary infection in your ears.
How To Use Manuka Honey
Primary Uses: Skin or oral infections , general immune booster.
Manuka honey is primarily used topically .
But since its honey, you can also eat it to give your immune system a boost. Its the most delicious way to fight infection.
- Skin Infections: Take a small dab and lather the honey on the infected area. Cover with gauze or a band aid.
- Internal Immune Boost: If you notice people around you are getting sick or you recently caught a cold, you can take a tsp 1-2 times per day. This can help prevent you from getting sick in the first place or reduce the duration of your illness. I like to combine manuka honey with ginger and cinnamon to make it even more powerful.
I just wouldnt suggest eating it every day for long periods of time since it would get expensive. Manuka honey is more medicine than food. Treat it like something you would put in your medicine cabinet.
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