Top 27 Home Remedies For Earaches And Ear Infections

Nowadays, a lot of people are facing with this problem. In most cases, earache is painful but it is not seen as a life threatening disease to doctors. However, earache is still becoming a common concern of many people. When you are reading this article of Home Remedies For Earaches And Ear Infections, you can certainly find out for some useful treatments to prevent pain properly. But before taking a deep look at how to stop earaches, we are going to obtain some basic information about earaches first.

Home Remedies For Earaches – What Is Earaches?

Earaches, also known as otitis is a burning pain happening in one or both ears.

There are several main types of earaches as below:

Otitis External is a condition of ear infection occurring in outer ear (the visible part of the ear. Not only children but also adults have inclination to be vulnerable.

Otitis media is inflammation of the middle ear. This is the common disease children is affected. 75 to 80% of children aging from 2 to 3is now suffering from this. The infection of the middle ear can suddenly happen and causing endless hurt.

Inflammation of the inner ear is the most dangerous of all ear infections. Although it is rare, it is inclined to result in irreversible injuries such as hearing loss.

What Are Common Causes Of Earaches?

The majority of earache is considered ubiquitous among children. However, even the old and adults still experience earaches. Additionally, ear pain is due to ear infection. There is a wide range of reasons making ear pain as follows:

• Foreign objects in the ear: Usually happens to children. When foreign objects are present in the ear, ear pain may appear. If foreign objects are stayed too deep into the ear, it can lead to eardrumstearing.
• Water in ear: When people swim or bathe in pools or seas, water can intrude into ears and it is not dried completely. Hence, water can accumulate in external ear
• Pressure: Ear dysfunction can lead to increased pressure and pain in the ear when the pressure of the environment changes suddenly and the pressure in the middle ear cannot be balanced immediately. For example, when plan takes off and lands or people go hiking or in some cases, dive into the seas. The earache will be reduced and eliminated after the pressure in ear is balanced. But in rare and serious situation, the pressure is too big, consequently tearing eardrum.
• Too clean: Many people take care of ears by using swab. Repeated resorting to swab can damage the skin of the ear canal, while earwax and dirt stuck deep inside the ear canal. Long-term accumulation of dirt will facilitate the growth of bacteria and fungi.
• Chemical stimulants: Some people are allergic to chemical stimulants such as hair dying or hairspray
• Have chronic disease: People who are diagnosed with cold, diabetes, eczema, pharyngitis, rhinitis, etc. are vulnerable to earache.
• Using media equipment for long time: Nowadays, it is undeniable and unavoidable to using media equipment such as hand phone or head phone because of busy lifestyle. It is spending long time using this, ear can be affected. You will be earache for a short period of time and it is vanished once you take away from that equipment.
• Physical stress: If you are suffering from a surgery, an accident, illness or any kind of flu, you may experience earache. That is your disease treatment; the ear is affected. But you do not need to worry about it, this is temporary only. Ear pain is vanished when you gain complete recovery.
• Emotional stress: There are differenttypes of emotional stress such as divorce, love sick and other more. Although the ability of causing earache from emotional stress is less than that of physical stress, it still happens in some cases.
• Genetic: People who are inherited from old family members affected with ear ache have higher percentage of being vulnerable to have ear pain. Or in some cases, those living in the community lead to infection.
• Posture: When the baby is lying to drink a bottle of milk, if is not carefully, milk can be inserted into the ear causing inflammation.
• Ear injury: Ear injury is any type of injury that occurs to the outer part of the ear. This type of injury can occur when participating in competitive sports, but the risk of injury can also be reduced by wearing protector equipment.
• From other body parts: Sometimes, ear pain is not caused by the ear, but from other parts of the body. This is especially true because the ear is connected to other parts like the head and neck. For example, the ear canal will drain into the back of the throat. The ear is also connected to the sinuses of the nose and sinuses, which are connected to the nostrils. Earache can be caused by a disease that occurs in another part of the body such as toothache, other oral health problems, headaches, sore throat etc.
• Eardrum tearing: At first, perforation of the eardrum can cause severe pain. However, the pain will quickly decrease after the eardrum has been torn. The most common cause of perforation of the eardrum is ear injury due to pressure, which occurs when you experience sudden pressure changes. However, perforation of the eardrum can also be caused by exposure to excessive sound intensity, or injury due to foreign objects in the ear.
• Rare reasons: Some uncommon reasons can lead to earaches, which can be seen as tumor, thyroid disorders, gastric reflux, and viral meningitis.

What Are Symptoms Of Earaches?

As a matter of fact, sometimes we experience pain in one or both ears. But how long earache lasts is considered to be normal? The answer is up to 2 to 3 minutes. If your ear is painful for long time and endless, you are having earache. Basically, if you are experiencing an earache, there may be some typical symptoms as below:

• Insomnia from pain
• Have a fever
• Anorexia
• Runny nose
• Cough
• Difficulty in balancing
• Jerk, pull or shove the ear continuously
• Speak louder than usual
• No response to weak sound

As I mentioned above, earache is due to ear infection. There are three common ear infections, hence, symptoms may vary a little depending on the type of ear infection you have as follows:

Otitis External:

• Pain in the ear: External otitis usually causes itching and severe pain in the ear canal and ear lobe. Increased pain when pressing or pulling the helix, especially when chewing, when yawning, may be accompanied by mild fever.
• Sometimes a colorless liquid can be seen. In some serious cases, the ear may be red and the patient may diagnosed with a fever and dizziness.

Otitis media: Otitis media usually has one or more of the following symptoms:

• Severe pain in the ear
• Fever: Usually high fever from 39-40 degrees C together with crying, poor eating, vomiting, convulsions
• Digestive disorders: excrementis liquid and many times, simultaneous with fever
• Reduced hearing loss
• Feeling uncomfortable: irritable
• Not having a good sleep
• Vomiting
• Deafness
• When the disease is severe, the ear will drain

Inflammation of the inner ear

• Loss of hearing
• Overbalance
• Nausea

Home Remedies For Earaches – When To See A Doctor?

• Sudden high fever
• A swelling formed under or behind the ear
• Endless ear pain
• Difficulty in moving parts of face in usual ways
• Smooth change: people become angry or fussy

There, you have discovered some information about earache, it is time to find out what the best natural home remedies for home remedies for earaches and ear infections are. Take a look at TrueRemedies.com!

Top 27 Natural Home Remedies For Earaches And Ear Infections

1. Ice Pack

It is very widely popular and easy to find. Placing an ice pack on your infected ears might decrease the condition of aching. Also, it might lessen swelling and pain ^[1].

What you need to do is:

• Ice pack (about 3 to 4 ices)
• A wet towel

Put ices in a prepared wet towel. Applying an ice pack on the ear for 20 minutes may help numb the injured ear and reduce the inflammation that causes ear pain.

In case you feel it is too cold and your ear skin becomes numb, you should remove the pack.

2. Garlic

Garlic is an herb which is widely used for culinary purpose. Additionally, garlic is a great natural ingredient to soothe ear ache. Garlic consists of anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-oxidizing properties which can help to treat the bacterial action on the ear that causes ear infection. Besides, it also can reduce the ear swelling, pain and infection ^[2].

There are many ways to use garlics as below:

Method 1: Garlic Juice

• Remove garlic skin and wash thoroughly cloves of garlic
• Take six to eight garlic cloves
• Put the cloves and pour some water into a food processor to form a paste
• Extract the paste to get as much garlic juice as possible
• Put garlic juice in a clean cloth or towel
• Apply garlic juice directly on your infected ears for 5 minutes
• Leave it for at least 20 minutes
• Redo 2 times a week for best result

Method 2: Garlic With Salt

• Peel garlic skin and wash thoroughly cloves of garlic
• Take three to five garlic cloves
• Heat water and put garlics inside container. Boil for 3-5 minutes
• Keep it cold.
• Grind garlics, together with some salts
• Place in a towel
• Place against affected ears for few minutes
• Repeat the process continuously.

Method 3: Garlic Oil

• Pull apart the cloves of garlic until they are all separated into several pieces.
• Peel the skin off the garlic cloves
• Place the garlic in a small pot
• Cover the garlic with about 2 cups of any oil you enjoy
• Heat the oil and garlic on a low to medium-low at least 30 minutes
• Use a strainer or a slotted spoon to discard the garlic cloves
• Cool the oil to room temperature
• Drop a few drops directly into ears
• Let it sit for 5-10 minutes
• Cover ears by a cotton ball
• Redo regularly

Method 4: Eat directly

• Eat about 2 to 3 cloves of garlic a day

Caution: Although garlics contain “allicin” which is thought to be useful in the fight against infections that can cause earaches. However, garlic can interfere with antibiotics, so you can eat garlic when you consult doctor's opinion.

3. Chewing Gum

Gums may have some effectiveness in preventing ear infections. According to analysis of the studies conducted in healthy children from Finland, there is approximately 25% reduced risk for developing ear infections.  However, more findings are needed to support the conclusion.

Many ear infections normally occur when bacteria accumulate in the ears. While, xylitol – a natural form of sugar contained in gums may also prevent ear infections by preventing bacteria from growing there.

Consequently, giving patients who have ear infections number of gums twice a day can make them feel relieve.

Caution: Children who chew gums must be supervised by adults in case they swallow the gums and it is very dangerous.

4. Onion

One of the most readily available home remedies for earaches and ear infections is onion.

Onion is a one type of vegetable that is white, yellow or red with strong smell and taste. It is widely known with the function as food. Onion, however, has been also a successful treatment for ear infectionssince the past. Onion contains two extremely powerful antioxidants namely polyphenols and flavonoids. These two substances work to protect cells and body against free radicals, prevent cancer.

This type of food has strong taste. When it comes to reason why you “cry” when you shed onions, it is the presence of sulfur. This substance is explained why the onion has numerous benefits to health.Sulfur in the onion prevents the formation of blood clots, limits bad cholesterol in the blood, reduces triglycerides, anti-inflammatory and lowers blood sugar.Onions deserve to be considered a super food because of the full use of the body. Do not hesitate any more, please store in your home a few onions.

Now, let’s have a look at how to use:

Method 1: Onion Core:

• Slide one onion and take “onion heart”
• Make this piece fit with your ear
• Place the onion core in your ear and keep it overnight
• In the morning, remove the onion and clean the ears by water

Method 2: Onion Juice:

• Place one onion into the oven at 450 degree for 15 minutes
• Remove the onion from the oven
• Keep it cool
• Cut into half
• Squeeze to take as much juice as possible into a bow
• Put from 2 to 3 drops into infected ears for 2 to 3 times a day

In case you do not want to apply onion juice directly into your ears, you can take advantage of clean cloth or a cotton ball. Hold the cloth absorbed with onion juice over the affected ears for about 5 minutes. Remember to repeat the process many times a day

5. Grapefruit Leaves

This is another must-try home treatment in this list of home remedies for earaches and ear infections.

Grapefruit is a fruit that is commonly grown in every family but has an effective cure. Grapefruit leaves have some special characteristics such as spicy taste, warmth. Hence, they are considered as one of the most effective and efficient methods for treating otitis and otitis media

How to use:

• Prepare 3 old green grapefruit leaves
• Grind the leaves with enough water to make a liquid
• Put this liquid into a bag or cloth
• Squeeze it to extract the juice
• Drop grapefruit leaf juice into the outer ear infection to gain antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. This medication should be taken twice a day.

6. Lettuce Fish

Lettucefish, also known as lettuce, cabbage, leafy lettuce, is a grass favoring in growing in humid places. This kind of vegetable has roots and roots growing underground.Stems have hairy or less hairy stems.The leaf has an unusual taste that is often described as ‘fishy'; sour taste; non-toxic and are effective in detoxifying, good antiseptic.

Besides the function as a kind of vegetable which is used in salads or cooked with other vegetables, lettuce fish is well known for one of the best home remedies for earaches and ear infections, especially totreat otitis media.

To make this cure you perform the following:

Method 1: Lettuce FishMedicine

• Prepare 10 lettuce fish leaves
• Dry the leaves
• Slow-cooked medicine with dried red apples and water. Take about 200ml juice
• Drink 3 times per day and need to persevere implementation

Method 2: Lettuce FishJuice

• Take 5 fresh lettuce fish leaves
• Wash the lettuce fish leavesthrough and through
• Let the leaves dry completely for 15 minutes
• Chop leaves into small slices.
• Grind these slices to make a paste
• Put this paste into a cloth
• Squeeze to collect fresh lettuce fish juice
• Use a cloth or a cotton ball absorbed with this juice
• Apply the clean cloth into infected ears from 2 to 3 times a day

7.  Life Plant

Life plant, also known as the air plant, cathedral bells, miracle leaf; is a type of tree adapted to a variety of climates, sprout naturally everywhere, capable of reproducing very fast only by it leaves bybending or cutting an old leaf then put into the ground,it will grow new trees.

Many people plant life plant for ornamental plants because they are beautiful flowers and easy to plant. According to traditional medicine, the leaves of life plants are sour and slightly acrid, but they contain substances that can kill inflammation, antibiotic natural, having the effect of cooling, detoxifying the liver, eliminating infections and healing the ear infection.

To make use of life plant for eliminate ear infections, you should follow these steps:

Method 1: Life Plant Juice

• Put 10-15 life plant leaves in a pot of 5-8 cups of plain water.
• Let it simmer, but do not overheat to avoid clearing its nutrients
• Strain in a container after about 5 minutes
• Pour it into a glass and add ice cubes
• Drink the juice three times a day and it is much more better when serving with warm juice

Method 2: Life Plant Drops

• Prepare 3 to 5 fresh life plant leaves
• Wash the life plants leaves through and through
• Grind them with little warm water to make a fine paste
• Drop this liquid directly into your ears about 1 to 2 drops

With traditional remedies to cure ear disease, you only need to do the method 3 times and persist for a week, the disease will improve significantly.

8. Salt

The next treatment in this list of home remedies for earaches and ear infections is salt.

According to many researches, edible salt is not only a spice using in food but also a precious medicine used to treat a multitude of diseases.In traditional medicine, salt has salty taste, welding properties, non-toxic.

Using salt to treat ear infections especially middle ears has been scientifically proven to be effective.The way to follow is very simple

• Put 200gr clean salt in a bow
• Place the container into a microwave for 1-2 minutes
• Make sure salt is heated completely
• Put heated salt on a clean sock, tie it tightly
• Apply this sock on affected ears for 10 to 15 minutes
• The effect of this pain will be seen immediately after the first operation, however, with this method you need to be persistent for a period of 10 days so that the disease can be treated definitively.

Caution: There are some points you need to take into consideration when taking advantage of this method

• You should try to choose raw sea salt as it will be able to remain the heat longer and not easy to fall through the layer of sock like othersalt.
• You should choose white cotton socks, clean and a little thick to avoid heat can burn your skin. The reason for choosing white socks is that dye colors are easy to react to heat and result in burning sock.
• Some people who areafraid of heat that makes knotting tight becomes difficult will put salt on their socks in advance. If you choose this way, you should heat a pan before put a sock on, after every minute, turn over the sock and gently shake to ensure salt is heat evenly. You will need about 4-6 minutes for heating the sock.

9. Porcupine Quill

Porcupines are animals that live mainly in the wild but nowadays people have raised porcupines in the family to provide for food and take parts of the urchins as medicines including the porcupine quill thanks to their warm and spicy characteristics. If you desire to make earache vanish quickly, never forget to pay attention to these following directions:

• Crushed 3 to 5 porcupine quills intosmooth powder.
• Put a small amount of powder into infected ears
• You should do so regularly for about 1 week, the symptoms of ear infections are greatly reduced and the disease gradually disappears.

Caution: It is important to note that although hedgehog is a very valuable remedy for treating otitis media, this disease is difficult to identify and may be accompanied by complications. Many studies are conducted to give more evidence to support the effectiveness and find out the side-effects

10. Reed Plant

Reed plant, one of effective home remedies for earaches, is a common name for several tall, grass-like plants; often found in wet areas, mudflats. Reed plant has high body, vertical hollow in the middle. Leaves are long, flat, smooth. It is considered a weed but few know that reed is a very effective medicine.According to traditional medicine, reed plant is sweet and cold taste. To be used as medicine, people dig fat, white, soft roots, which are slightly sweet. If you desire to find a safe, easy and effective treatment for earache, never forget to pay attention to these following directions:

• Pick 2 fresh reeds
• Rinse with water through and through
• Use clean cloth to dry the reed
• Heat the green part, if possibleGrilling on charcoal is best or on fire is good
• Pound the reed plants to make a fine paste
• Drop this juice one drop one time.
• Repeat the process 3 times
• Absolutely not reduced to gain effectiveness
• At first when apply the juice into infected ears, you will feel a little bit pained but the next day you will be familiar so everyone should be persistent to implement the method.

11. Eel

Eel is a snake-like fish but has a back, chest and lower body. Eel is about 1.5 meters long, usually dark brown or blue on the back, while the lower part of the belly is yellowish. Marine eel usually live in coastal areas. Eel is not only a nutritious food for children but it alsohas the ability to curepain in the ear.

How to use:

• Prepare a live eel
• Cut off its tail and take the container to get the blood
• Drop eel blood from 2 to 3 drops
• Repeat the process twice a day

Caution: Eels usually go under muddy ponds, muddy water. Because living in such a dirty environment, together with omnivores, the digestive system and even eel itself can be contaminated with germs and parasites. So when taking advantage of eel blood to soothe the ear pain, you should buy eels from fresh origins, do not use dead or rotten eel, or suspected poisonous eels. Additionally, pregnant women should never use this method.

12. Antibiotics Or Acidic Substances

Some people can resort to use medicine such as otrivin 0,05%, collydexa, sunfarin, xylomethazoline, naphtazoline etc. Drop from 2 to 4 times at a time with 3 -4 drops into the ear. For effective treatment, it is necessary to use the drug for at least 5 to 7 days. Severe cases it takes about 10 to 14 days

Caution: Some people may need to see a doctor to make sure that the selected medication will not affect the prescription medications they are taking.

13. Sleep In Upper Position

Sleeping in high position is often advised to help reduce the buildup of pressure in the ear.

14. Chiropractic

Some people pin their faith on the belief that earache is due to the wrong posture of neck bones. As a result, a remedy for ear pain is to make an impact on spinal, bring the bone back straight, helping to reduce ear pain.

15. Hairdryer

Water can accumulate into external ears and they are easily vulnerable to bacteria. After taking a bath, remember to dry your ears by using a hairdryer for less than 5 minutes. In other case, you can resort to a soft dry cloth. Place into your ears gently to remove water.

16. Eating Foods High In Vitamin C

Vitamin C is mainly found in plants (vegetables, fruits) and less in animals. Vitamin C does not accumulate in the body.In addition to increasing the resistance; vitamin C also participates in collagen synthesis, which plays a key role in tissue growth and wound healing. So you should supplement your body with vitamin C by eating some kinds of fruits such as oranges, papaya, strawberry, etc.

17. Radish

Containing Phenoleic acids with anti-inflammatory and antibiotic properties, radish can help you get rid of ear infections naturally ^{[3] [4]}. What you need to do is:

• Grate a proper amount of radish
• Heat in the mustard oil
• After cooling down, strain it
• Put several drops of this solution into your ears

18. Carom Seeds

Using carom seed oil is another good suggestion among home remedies for earaches introduced here. It can relieve your symptoms instantly thanks to its antifungal, antibacterial and antiseptic properties ^[5]. Follow these steps:

• Put 2-3 drops of tepid carom seed oil into the affected ears
• Do this before your bedtime daily

Note: Remember that this oil should be used in the pure form without mixing with any other oil.

19. Basil Leaves

Due to anti-bacterial property, basil leaves are good at warding off bacteria ^{[6] [7]}.

• Take basil leaves to take out its juice
• Pour 2-3 drops of the juice into your affected area.

20. Lavender Oil

You can use different essential oils to heal earaches. This will reduce your inflammation and infection significantly ^[8]. They are often used with a carrier oil to get the most benefits for ear infections.

• Mix 10 drops of each of lavender oil and tea tree oil with ¼ cup of pure olive oil
• Pour 2-3 drops of this mixture into your ears

21. Cinnamon

The next but not least effective home remedy for earaches is cinnamon. With anti-inflammatory properties, this herb can cure earaches from inside out.

• Heat some cinnamon powder with olive oil
• Allow it to cool down and strain it
• Use this as your ear drops to relieve earache symptoms

With all these above helpful home remedies for earaches, you are now able to treat ear infection by yourself at home. Practice some of those methods, you will see how fully effective they are. Do you know any other exciting ideas for the article “Top 27 Natural Home Remedies For Earaches And Ear Infections” that we have not mentioned above? Please feel free to share with us in Home Remedies Category

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