Sleeping Upright — Ear discomfort from viral infections is often the result of fluid buildup in the middle ear. Draining this fluid can help to relief pain. Gargling with Saltwater — An earache is sometimes associated with a sore throat , and gargling with saltwater can help ease your symptoms.
Simply mix a 1 to 5 ratio of salt to warm water, then gargle, spit out, and repeat. If you have a sore throat, warm liquids like honey and lemon tea or a broth soup can provide some relief. Essential Oils — Many essential oils have antibacterial or antiviral properties which help to kill bacteria or prevent viruses from reproducing.
Tea tree oil, oregano oil, basil oil, and garlic oil, in particular, are known to alleviate ear pain. Try mixing a couple drops of essential oil with a couple drops of olive oil and placing them directly inside the ear.
You can also soak a cotton ball in essential oil and put it on the opening of the ear to let the essential oil seep in. Onion — For centuries, moms have sworn by the curative power of onions. While there is no scientific evidence behind their effectiveness, onions do contain chemicals, like flavonoid quercetin, that have anti-inflammatory properties which can help with ear swelling.
To help heal an earache, place a couple drops of onion juice in the affected ear or half of an onion on top of the affected ear. To get rid of water trapped in the ear, you can make hydrogen peroxide earache drops from a 1 to 1 ratio of peroxide to water and use a dropper to put the liquid into your ear.
Do use painkillers, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen children under 16 should not take aspirin place a warm or cold flannel on the ear. Find your nearest pharmacy. Non-urgent advice: See a GP if you or your child:. Urgent advice: Get an urgent GP appointment if:. You or your child have earache and: become generally unwell a very high temperature or feel hot and shivery swelling around the ear fluid coming from the ear hearing loss or a change in hearing something stuck in the ear your child is under 2 and has earache in both ears Call for advice if you cannot get an urgent appointment.
A table showing possible causes of earache symptoms. Symptoms Possible condition Ear pain with toothache Children teething , dental abscess Ear pain with change in hearing Glue ear , earwax build-up , an object stuck in the ear do not try to remove it yourself — see a GP , perforated eardrum particularly after a loud noise or accident Ear pain with pain when swallowing Sore throat , tonsillitis , quinsy a complication of tonsillitis Ear pain with a fever Ear infection , flu , cold.
People who are experiencing severe ear pain should always speak to a doctor, especially for the first time. However, there are remedies that people can use at home to relieve less severe earaches, or as a means of reducing pain. If an earache is not severe, or if a person is waiting for medical treatment to take effect, they may wish to try home remedies to relieve pain. People experiencing ear pain can try:. It is important to remember that it is not safe to give aspirin to babies and young children.
The U. Food and Drug Administration FDA recommend that parents speak to a doctor before giving over-the-counter drugs to a child under 2 years old.
These drugs can cause serious side effects in babies and young children. Note also that the dosage for children is often significantly lower than the proper dosage for adults.
Apply a hot pad to the ear for 20 minutes. For best results, people should touch the neck and throat with the hot pad. The heating pad should not be unbearably hot. People should never fall asleep with a heating pad, or allow a child to use a hot pack without adult supervision. Try wrapping ice in paper towels or freezing a cold pack and then covering it with a light cloth. Hold this to the ear and the area immediately under the ear for 20 minutes. Some people find that heat offers greater relief than cold.
For others, alternating hot and cold packs 20 minutes hot, followed by 20 minutes cold provides the best pain relief. Ear drops can reduce pressure in the ear caused by fluid and earwax. People should read the directions carefully, and talk to a doctor before using ear drops on a child.
Ear drops are no substitute for prescription ear drops or antibiotics, so people should only use them for a few days. If symptoms return, people should see a doctor. It is important to remember that people should not use ear drops in a child with tubes in their ears or whose eardrum has ruptured. Gentle massage can help with ear pain that radiates from the jaw or teeth, or that causes a tension headache.
People can massage the tender area, as well as any surrounding muscles. For example, if the area behind the ear hurts, try massaging the muscles of the jaw and neck. This type of massage may help drain excess fluid from the ears, and prevent the pain from getting worse. Garlic has long been used in folk medicine to relieve pain. Some research suggests it has antimicrobial properties that can fight infection.
People should not use it as a substitute for antibiotics a doctor has recommended. Instead, consider adding garlic to an antibiotic regimen to speed up relief.
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