Home Remedies for Earache

Earache refers to the inflammation of the middle ear or the outer ear. It usually occurs due to cold and is most common in winters and spring months. It is most prevalent among children. In severe cases the infections and aches can cause hearing loss.

Causes of Earache

The most common cause of earache is plugged Eustachian tube. It is the small tube that connects the ear with nose. Due to the blockage in this tube the moisture is not able to pass through nose and then to throat as a result the pressure in the ear increases, resulting in earache. The various other causes of ear infections and earache are:

Colds
Bacterial infections
Excess of ear wax or fluid in the ear
Sinus infections

The mineral zinc is very helpful in the earache treatment.

A good earache remedy is to put few drops of 3% hydrogen peroxide in each ear for 10 minutes. It will help curing the infection.

Warm onion juice and put 2-3 drops in each ear. This is simple and effective home remedy for earache.

Do not prick the ear with fingers, ball pen or hairpins as it increases the chances of infection. This is very effective earache treatment.

Extract the juice of the tender mango leaves and make it a little warm. Put four drops in aching ear at a time for earache treatment. This earache remedy is good home remedy for earache.

1-2 drops of warm olive oil in the earache cures irritation of the ear.

Put two pieces of garlic in two teaspoonfuls of mustard oil and heat it till it turns black. Allow it to cool and put 2-3 drops to the side of ear. This is another simple and effective home remedy for earache.

Pouring warm mustard oil in the ears daily reduces the chances of ear infection. This is one of the natural remedy for earache.

Take a teaspoonful of sesame oil and add half a clove of garlic to this oil. Heat it on a flame to make it a little warm. Put four drops of this oil in the open ear. Lie on this side for ten to fifteen minutes. Then turn over and put the oil in the second ear also. Lie on this side too for ten to fifteen minutes. This is one of the effective home remedies for earache.

Diet for earache - Intake of good amount of vitamin C fights infection.

Make a mixture by adding 1 tablespoon of almond carrier oil, 2 drops of lavender essential oil, 2 drops of chamomile oil and 3 drops of tea tree essential oil. Warm this mixture and add 2 drops thrice a day to the infected ear. Good home remedies for Earache.

Put a cup of salt in the microwave for 2-3 minutes and dump it on some small cotton bag or socks. Keep this close to the ear; it will reduce the pain and swelling caused due to infection. This is very effective natural remedy for earache.

The oil of the ajwain (Bishop's weed) is excellent in earache. Take some of this oil and mix it three times of the amount with sesame oil. Warm it a little on a flame and then put this mixture of oils in the aching ear. Four drops in each ear at one time is sufficient. This is also useful natural remedy for earache.

Dip any cloth in hot water and wring out the excess water. Now keep this cloth close to the ear, the moist air will improve the circulation in the ear.

Add your Home Remedy below..

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Comment Script

Comments

Drink something

Drinking water can help I've heard it triggers something in the ear.

#1 - Lydia Riggs - 07/11/2007 - 15:50

If you are a nursing mother you can use your breast milk to cure an earache. Just place two drops of breast milk in the infected ear every 4 hours. This will cure an ear infections in 24 hours. This benefit isn't limited the child who is nursing.

#2 - Yolanda - 02/29/2008 - 14:23

Olive oil infused with mullein leaf and raw garlic is a great remedy, except that you need to make the concoction ahead of time so that the effecitveness is immediate. A few drops in each ear three times a day should take the infection away in a couple of days.

#3 - jannell - 07/11/2008 - 17:56

I just read on another site that lemon juice works. Something to do with the PH balance in the ear. Tell you what, it DOESN'T WORK!!! So anyone who tries to tell you lemon juice works, they're wrong.

#4 - Dianna - 07/25/2008 - 19:26

Ive read on previous websites that hydrogen peroxide works great. Well it doed NOT work. It actually makes the ear hurt worser

#5 - Jessy - 07/30/2008 - 19:32

Ive had a horrible ear infection for 2 weeks now and I dont have insurance so I havent went to the doctor, but Ive been gargling with warm salt water, just started putting hydrogen peroxide in my ear and it seems to be doing the trick, or so I think...I guess Ill know in the next few days or so! Try it if you please

#6 - CASSI - 08/17/2008 - 19:15

As a licensed massage therapist and naturopathic doctor in training, I should remind readers that that any reparable natural health healer or website should advise that there are many causes for the SYMPTOMS we experience and complain. Therefore, there are many ways to relieve these SYMPTOMS, the most effective being what brings the body out of a state of imbalance and allowing it to heal itself.

Ears problems could be infection from bacteria, virus, or fungi. Additionally, many times under stress, illness, or injury, the cranial muscles around the skull, the pterygoid in the jaw, as well as the muscles and connective tissues that span from the neck to the shoulder tighten down on the nerves that go to the ear. Most of the time the remedies are simple, other times more complex, where as a last resort, only a trained professional can use special treatments (such as surgery to fix a congenital condition) to produce relief for the affected individual.

Sometimes one thing works for one person but not another in a given set of symptoms. Sometimes nothing helps relieve the condition. Nevertheless, that one experience does not prove that they do not work ever, just that they are not currently working at that time, for that individuals set of symptoms.

#7 - Neko - 08/22/2008 - 20:50

the warm mineral oil works great but smell horific

#8 - Teresa - 08/28/2008 - 20:16

I have used Garlic and Mullein in my sons ear for a week twice a day (morning and night)...Got rid of it!!!! So please don't listen to the doctors when they say they NEED antibiotics, honestly antibiotics does more harm then good. God Bless and hope this works for you.

#9 - amber - 09/09/2008 - 21:33

I have a question for amber. I need to know how much of the mullein to use. Also how much garlic do we use. Sorry to bug you but I need to know. I have a horrible ear infection. It hurts BADLY!!

#10 - Noelani - 10/11/2008 - 11:11

I have found that if you put a cup of salt in the microwave for 1 minute and then putthe salt in a sock and hold it to your ear it helps the pain

#11 - Amber - 10/11/2008 - 22:21

Suprising warm garlic juice works great....can be fresh or from jarred garlic.

#12 - Char - 10/18/2008 - 21:02

I heard if you pour vinegar in your ear it would help to get rid of pain and wax build up.anyone know if it is true or not. thanks

#13 - Eva D. - 10/19/2008 - 17:42

When we were kids my mother use to heat liquid vanilla in a sauce pan and let it cool a little and dip a cotton ball in it and stick it in our ear and that helped us with earaches.

#14 - Gina - 10/19/2008 - 21:15

BREAST MILK WORKS FOR MANY THINGS SUCH AS STUFFY NOSE, ACNE, EAR INFECTIONS, AND BABY SCRATCHES.

#15 - Dina - 12/06/2008 - 22:25

There are a few different sources of an ear infection. The most probable are infection and fungi.

The treatments for each are different. What may work for an infection may make fungus grow faster. I suggest you do not try anything unless you know which it is.

Antibiotics are for infections.
Antivirals are for viruses.
Antifungal are for fungi.

#16 - Johnny - 12/31/2008 - 19:05

yea i just tried the salt thing OMG!it does helppppp cause i was in some pain! :-D

----do 2 mins it stays warm longer.

#17 - Erica - 01/01/2009 - 16:43

also this morning i learned that heated and cold stuff help i uesd a warm rag against my ear!it worked ok.

#18 - Erica - 01/01/2009 - 16:46

equal parts of 70% alcohol and vinegar. Can place a few drops of Olive oil as well. Put in each ear let it set a minute then drain out. This is what has worked when nothing else has. Better than antibiotic most times. Learned it from a Vet for our dog it worked so well I tried it for my chronic ear infections and it worked wonders. :-D

#19 - Sherry - 01/02/2009 - 12:59

Instead of salt...rice works well in a sock, heated for 60 sec....gets real hot for quite awhile....just dont burn your ear...may want to slip a towel inbetween

#20 - Regina - 01/13/2009 - 23:23

my ears were hurting bad and i used ear cones totally helped!
also peroxide works i warm the spoon and pour slowly let it sit for 19 min then flip head onto a towel and do other side

#21 - terri - 01/14/2009 - 00:34

laying on my side I tried peroxide this a.m.....felt dizzy for a few moments~ I could hear the sizzling of the peroxide~ did this for 5 mins....then I drained it by tipping my ear the opposite direction~ the pressure has somewhat disappeared, pain is still there, just not as severe as before...

#22 - Kiki - 02/14/2009 - 15:50

A good home remedi is to:
1. pour olive oil on a tea spoon
2. heat it up for 60 secs
3. grab another spoon
4. hold the empty spoon updside down
5. pour the olive oil onto the back of the spoon so it gently run in the ear. it reduces.
sometimes this works sometimes it dosnt....depends how bad the earache/infection is..
hope it works

#23 - Gemma - 02/16/2009 - 04:53

Having chronic ear aches, my opinion is that the peroxide treatment has always unclogged the ears. I wouldn't say it helps with pain though. You will feel and hear the ears drain which is no more uncomfortable than the ear aches itself. For me it's never made it "worser" as stated above. It does take a few treatments though.

#24 - Jenn - 02/21/2009 - 09:53

If you use hydrogen peroxide like it saids on here but only do it for 5 min. instead because you do get dizzy after awhile and then clean gently with a QTip and then in each ear after the hydro put olive oil in for 5 min. in each ear it works and helps heal your ear naturally. :-)

#25 - Elizabeth - 03/05/2009 - 13:12

I just got over a nasty cold that i've had for about a month, and remmenissing from the cold, I've devloped a sever ear ache, more than likley an infection. I've been looking at home remedies for the past couple days now. and whats been really working for me (just to ease the pain, not fight the infection) is to use a hair dryer on a medium setting for about 5 minutes, then laying on a heating pad for about 30 minutes. Do this process about 3-4 times and the pain should be soothed away for a good 2-3 hours. May not work for you, but if your frustraited with your earache, this is a quick fix, and i suggest you try it.

#26 - Josh - 03/06/2009 - 21:31

Im sitting in bed right now, with an ear infection, and I've had ear infections ever since I was little. What I have found that helps is to lay/sleep on a heating pad. It moistens up the "fluid" in your ear, and makes it less painful. Also, I take a vitimin C everymorning.

Thanks.

#27 - Dylan - 03/07/2009 - 06:11

My dad always blew cigar smoke into our ears when we were kids and then stuck cotton balls in our ear and it really helps, stinks but does help, i also do this with my kids

#28 - Michelle - 03/08/2009 - 12:16

I have had a ear infection and no insurance and so I have been using apple cider vingegar and it appeared to be working after 3 days but when I stopped after 4 days it came back and worse...also How long would I have to use it to make it totally disapear.

#29 - Rebecca - 03/09/2009 - 13:42

I have heard that olive oil or coconut oil or sweet oil or mustard oil or sesame oil(til oil) with garlic oil is a very good remedy for ear infection. When ever I get itching I use sesame oil or coconut oil and it works well for me. If ear infection is not reduced by using these with in a day and if it is become worse immediately stop putting in ear and immeidately consult ENT specialist. If there is an perforation you are not supposed to pour any kind of oils/ear drops in the ear with out advice of ENT.

#30 - iamhere - 03/29/2009 - 02:16

My daughter gets ear aches quite often..she will cry and cry. What helps is if I breathe in her ear. She always stops crying...not sure if its because she feels comforted or if it just releaves the pressure.

#31 - Carmen - 03/30/2009 - 12:24

Colloidal silver works wonders.

Also if you don't want to try that, then emu oil mixed with a tad of oregan oil works a treat. use two parts emu oil and one part oregano oil. Or you can use tea tree oil. But don't use organo oil or tea tree oil straight, as it burns like the dickens if you do.

Emu oil is a water loving oil unlike other oils which repel water. It is also a natural anti inflammatory. It also relieves pain. I've use it on painful joints, ear aches, and pulled muscles, and it does work. Be careful and make sure you clean your skin well before applying emu oil, because it penetrates all 7 layers of skin and carries anything that's on the skin with it.

#32 - ANNE - 04/02/2009 - 18:41

My son just woke me up at 2am crying of ear pain. I put some rice in a sock, microwaved it for 1 minute. Then warmed up some sesame oil. Placed that on a qtip. Then inserted qtip in ear let it asorb some of the oil. Then took it out and finally placed the warm rice sock over his ear. He's sleeping like a baby!

#33 - julie - 04/09/2009 - 03:39

don't pour anything into your ear that you are uncertain about. the ear is a very sensitive thing. and you dont want to risk doing some serious damage. check with a real doctor before you decide to be your own doctor.

#34 - me - 04/14/2009 - 16:15

i put ginger ale in my ear and it didnt do a darn thing,so i put nail polish remover in my ear and it burned my ear so bad that i had to go to the hospital and later have the insides of my adams apple removed!!!!!!!!!

#35 - pain - 05/19/2009 - 14:04

my 3 yr old is suffering with hearing loss and earache, he has been reffered to the ENT but that is 4week away.. i have been using plain warm olive oil but it hasnt sempt to have helped, ive just read above it could make it worse ! now im wondering if i should keep persisting, any ideas folks ???!!!

#36 - pam - 06/03/2009 - 06:38

When I was younger I use to lay down on a heating pad and usually fell asleep. about 30-45 minutes later i would wake up and the ear ache was gone or not hurting. It usually seemed to work. I have also been told that warming up olive oil with crushed garlic works. Use a q-tip to soak up the warm juices but be sure not to get garlic pieces just the juice as it is to strong.

#37 - Jay - 06/08/2009 - 15:36

just wanting some advice.i dont have pain in my right ear.but i do feel it clogged.not sure what to do?i dont wana put anything to bring pain.any suggestions?

#38 - sandy - 06/18/2009 - 21:02

Help,your site says,mustard oil is good to remove worms or insects in ears,but I found out there are several mustard oils ? which one should i buy ? Just the plain old cooking one ?

#39 - Trudy - 07/08/2009 - 16:48

I have unbearable pain. I take two tylonal every three hours. Every 4 hours I put 3 drops of rubbing alcohal
in my ear. :-D

This works well. Every night before I go to bed, I grab a cloth and soak it in hot water. I rinse it out, and then I put the hot cloth on my ear. I fall asleep pretty fast. Then in the morning, I take vitaim C and tylonal. I tried rice in a sock. The results? Excellent! I lay on a heating pad sometimes too. It works well,as well.

#40 - Brooke - 07/13/2009 - 16:18

Drinking A-LOT of water helps too. Warm olive oil is the best! ;-)

#41 - Brooke - 07/13/2009 - 16:21

I just put some peroxide in my ear and now I have a sock with salt on it. The pain has eased of but I am going to have to go to the doctor because I can't take this much longer. This is my first ear infection and I am ready to cry like a baby!

#42 - it hurts - 07/16/2009 - 00:39

i have not got earache but a pressure like feeling in one ear all the time and it is very iriitating,associated with a little bit of pain...but it makes me not be able to hear properly and it also makes me hear myself breathe,its very annoying and uncomfortable and seems to be returning all the time...i am not able to get anything from the pharmacy due to pregnancy,so any advice PPPPPPPPLLLLLLLLeeeeeaaaassse!!!!

#43 - help - 07/25/2009 - 06:52

i have a ear infection,only have oral antibotic would like to have something to dry up the secretions in my earany suggestion?thanks peggy

#44 - peggy jean marcus - 08/11/2009 - 03:26

I've had a fungal infection in my right ear for two years now. Early on a doctor gave me some drops to use that smelled like creosote (what they use on telephone poles!) I used them as prescribed, but to no avail. What will kill the malodorous fungus?

#45 - kevin - 08/12/2009 - 14:15

I have always suffered earaches and tonsillitis when i was younger , this is the first time ive heard/read about all these home remedies.... very interesting i must say. 2 nights ago i came down with tonsillitis/earache after all these years of not having it, i feel like i have been hit by a train! I can't believe the non-stop pain i use to go through as a kid. I'm really not sure about the whole garlic, peroxide, etc. thing, I think i might just stick to the old hot water pack, rice pack or just the plain old olive oil which all 3 i have never tryed. :-D

#46 - Brooke D - 08/15/2009 - 05:03

My boyfriend has had a major ear ache for a few days now and we tried the peroxide but it didn't seem to work:(. So we are going to try the rice/salt in the sock seems like a very popular one on this site :) as well as the heating pad thank you everyone!?!?

#47 - Lindzi - 09/10/2009 - 20:11

My 10 year old went to the dr. today for a different matter, he also complained of ear ache. The doctor took a look, said it looked a 'little inflamed' ok so two hours later he's writhing in pain, gave tylenol, motrin, tried peroxide, hot rag on his ear, etc. Tried the 50/50 water and vinegar about 10 minutes ago, he's now finally fast asleep. Can't say that it was the vinegar for sure or a combination of everything, but if it hurts in the a.m. I'm trying the vinegar mix again.

#48 - Lisa - 10/09/2009 - 00:09

I have such bad pain and pressure in my left ear that I tried a bunch of stuff and nothing works I'm bouts to go to the hospital but have no insurance I don't know what else to do :-[]

#49 - sherry - 10/11/2009 - 14:21

when i was little my mom used my water baby doll to help my ear ack by filling it with hot water and haveing me lay my ear on it. It would relax me and aleviate the pain in my ear.You dont have to use the doll trick but u could use a hot water bottle or put hot washcloth in a plastic bag so it dosent leak all over.

#50 - liz - 10/13/2009 - 11:20

I'm not sure I would try ANY of these, except for the rice/salt/washcloth/heating pad/heating bottle suggestions. If you damage your ear(s) by putting these oils, vinegar, or juices in it/them, then what will you do? Seems dangerous to me. :-o

#51 - Sabrina - 10/21/2009 - 16:07

I've suffered from an ear ache for 3 days now, I have the OTC drug for ear pain, it doesn't seem to work, after reading about all the remedies I reluctantly tried the salt in sock. Must say I'm feeling the pressure ease some. Thanks this site was very helpful :-)

#52 - Angela - 11/09/2009 - 15:43

i had earache because of throat infection........i got up at 3.30 am and had very severe earache...these are the following tips to get rid of earache.....

1.take hot water steam for 5-10 mins...
2.then dip thick towel in hot water ,,,squeeze the water and place it in the ear......it gives great relief......and
3.take hot milk boiled with pepper powder....put some 1 full spoon of pepper powder for one glass of milk and finally before drinking add turmeric powder.....it gives good relief .......
follow all three steps to get rid of earache......u will definitely see the difference

#53 - SANGITA - 11/13/2009 - 19:23

Yes by all means do not put anything that God gave us for healing into our bodies. Seriously though, regular ills can be remedied if we actually took the time to figure out what works and what doesn't. Olive oil and garlic have been used for centuries for healing.

I just used coconut oil with some garlic rubbed into it (garlic then taken out but the garlic oil remains mixed with the coconut oil) and put it into my ear. I can feel that it has helped on the pain. I also have been using the hot washrag against my ear and it feels so much better each time I do that. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences of what works - or didn't in some cases.

#54 - Gabriel - 11/23/2009 - 18:54

We deal with ear infections in our household once a year or more. Everytime we put a small dab of warm olive oil in a small container with sliced garlic in it. Let it sit for a bit and then use a medicine dropper to get the mixture into the ear easily. I place a few drops into the infected ear and add a little sliver of of the garlic into the ear. I don't like to crush the garlic, but prefer to slice it long ways and place one in there, so it can easily be taken out.

Once I do this, I place a warm compress over the ear, and let the mixture sit for 30 minutes before draining out into a cotton ball. Works for my entire family when we have all gotten an ear infection. I've never needed to put any addition treatments in the ear, as the first round has always done its job.

We didn't have ear infection problems until we moved into our home years ago. We believe our problem comes from a persistant mold problem under the house. So if you have a persistant case of ear infections in your home, you ought to consider that something within your home may be causing the ear infections to come about. I don't believe the mold is the direct problem, but the direct problems of other things which led to an ear infection. Now that we believe this is the problem to our ailments in our household, we are taking steps to remedy it, but in the meantime, this tried and true remedy works great for our family when dealing with ear infections. ;-)

#55 - Tami - 11/24/2009 - 12:14

My husband and I were on our honeymoon in mexico, and he got a hurendous ear infection. We didnt know what to do so we called the neighbors family doctor. He came over and asked for a cigarette, for my husbands ear. lol sounds weird huh. But he took it and lite the cigarette and put the filter end of it in his ear he said it would help remove all the water that was in his ear. He burned two cigarettes and my husband said he could feel the water coming out. Later when we got back my mother in law said that was one of the tricks they used to do when she was a kid. My husband has an ear ache now and we tried the sock trick the one with rice and it seems to be working. :-P

#56 - telsa - 11/29/2009 - 17:29

in response to the last message=using a wick helped me too-
my ear was so swollen i couldnt even get the drops in so the dr. placed a foam"wick" in my ear to kind of channel the drops into my ear canal. it worked for as long as the wick would stay in but, then again, the wick wouldnt stay in long because as it expanded my ear pushed it out because my ear was that swollen. im kind of lost myself, nothing seems to work..and the pain is excruciating. not to mention the annoyance of being deaf in my left ear for almost an entire week. >-(

#57 - robyn - 12/16/2009 - 14:56

Some of the remedies you people suggest sound harmless enough, but some of you are pretty willing to try anything anyone tells you. Be careful and use a little common sense regarding what you are willing to pour down your ear canal or any other hole in your body for god's sake! This is especially true of post #35... nail polish remover? That's acetone! Honestly, some people are crazier than a shit house rat.

#58 - Champion of North Huron - 01/03/2010 - 09:16

I swear I have black fungus in my ear! When I clean with qtip, the tip is black. A few weeks later the pain began. I noticed a few sites that say it is possible to have an ear mold and some have had very serious complications. I went to the emergency room dr and he and an assoc almost laughed when I told him I think it's mold. Even the nurse looked in my ear before the dr and stared at me for a few moments and said. It looks like mold to me, I've never seen anything like it. But no the drs said that was VERY unlikely and said the wax has dirt on it and they irrigated it with water. Now I can't even hear out of my ear and the pain is aweful! I poured peroxide in my ear and afterwards the qtip really was black, seemed to have loosened it. But the PAIN OMG. I'm going to try the hot rock sock. Anyone have the same problem?

#59 - moldinear - 01/07/2010 - 17:59

My husband has a hole in his ear drum he had terrible pain....green fluid leaks out...if you have that you may want to think about what you put in. Extreme pain could be a hole. He has a tumor that causes it...not cancer but it will take your hearing if you don't get it fixed. Its like a weird growth of skin.

#60 - Court - 01/13/2010 - 19:19

I'm very unsure about taking any advice from a website with so many grammatical errors. however, i have read about a few of these things before on other sites that look much more professional!

#61 - Amy - 01/22/2010 - 19:05

My 7 year old daughter is complaining about her ear please if you have any anwsers please.

#62 - Andrea Bremer - 02/04/2010 - 18:26

This is an old Jamaican remedy. It is guaranteed to work the first time. Tilt you head to the side and pour in 3 oz. (no more or no less) of lighter fluid. Strike a match and place into the ear canal. Promise you the ear ache will no longer concern you.

(As I was writing this, it occured to me some of the mental giants on here might actually try it. This is sarcasam. It is to poke fun at the idea of putting the equalivant of an antipasta salad in you ear and expecting good results.

#63 - Dr. Longjoy - 02/05/2010 - 00:51

Love post 54. Seriously... people dealt with earaches for centuries w/ natural remedies. Sure, it may take a little longer and yes, not all treatments work for all aches... trail and error is annoying, but if you pay attention to your body (or ask your children what they're feeling) you will find things that work. God forbid we try natural remedies first before running to the doctor pumping us full of drugs b/c we want a quick fix.

What a great feeling knowing you can help your child or yourself.

My 5 yr old woke up at 1:30 crying of ear pain... he's had a cough this week, which we worked through w/o going to the doc, which I'm sure is blocking the tubes causing pain. Just did warm oil (just veg, nothing fancy) w/ a few drops of garlic oil & a warm rice sock. We're just about asleep. :-D