10 Natural Earache Relief Methods That Really Work
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Earaches and ear infections can have a number of causes, but no matter the cause, they are no fun! Here are some ideas for natural earache remedies using things you might have around the home, and they really work!
In this post, we'll talk about some ways to help with earaches while you are trying to determine the cause, and we'll also address the possible overuse of antibiotics in the case of ear infections.
Antibiotic Use and Ear Infections
Did you know that antibiotics aren’t typically necessary for ear infections and that overuse of antibiotics for ear infections can cause long-lasting health problems including gut dysbiosis and antibiotic resistance?
It's a common misperception that an infection means that one must use an antibiotic. In the case of an ear infection, that is definitely not the case. In fact, according to the CDC, for most ear infections, antibiotics are not recommended. Overuse of antibiotics for children’s ear infections can end up causing gut microbial imbalance and even antibiotic resistance.
What's more, ear infections are often over-diagnosed and of course, viral ear infections won't respond to antibiotics.
For these reasons, it's important to know how to address ear infections at home to avoid unnecessary exposure to antibiotics and the problems that can arise from their overuse.
I try to avoid antibiotics as much as possible, for those same reasons. We try to use saline washes, essential oils, probiotics, and other natural methods of addressing issues before turning to OTC and prescription medications.
Ear Infection Symptoms
Following are some symptoms of an ear infection.
- feeling of fullness in the ear
- fever
- pain in ear
- sore throat
- feeling sick
- lacking energy
- difficulty hearing
- discharge from ear
- feeling of pressure or fullness in ear
- itching and/or irritation in or around the ear
When to Seek Medical Care
If any of the following occur, do seek attention from your healthcare provider:
- Symptoms last for more than a day
- Ear pain is severe
- Your infant or toddler is sleepless or irritable after a cold or other upper respiratory infection
- You observe a discharge of fluid, pus, or bloody discharge from the ear
Additionally, an adult with ear pain or discharge should see a doctor as soon as possible.
Natural Remedies for Earache / Ear Infection
Following are some natural helps for ear infections and earaches. You likely have some of these in your home already or they can be purchased at health food stores or online holistic sites.
1. Vitamin C
Personally I like sodium ascorbate but camu camu is a new one that we love; its natural vitamin C power in a whole food form. Or try this Homemade Vitamin C! Vitamin C supports the immune system so it's great to use when the body is fighting something. Homemade Vitamin C is
2. Saline Wash
Saline washes are known to help remove the germs from the nasal passages and the back of the throat to reduce viral load.
3. Garlic Oil
Garlic is well known to help with immune support and has antimicrobial and antiviral properties. And, according to many parents, garlic oil is a great home remedy for ear infections. One to two drops in the ear is often recommended, however, this is not recommended if there is suspicion of a burst or ruptured ear drum.
4. Probiotics
Probiotics help support the body's immune system and also are thought to help with preventing ear infections in the first place.
You can get probiotics in the form of a supplement or fermented foods and drinks like sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and kombucha. In fact, ferments are known to be exponentially more potent than probiotic supplements, so they are often a better choice unless one is dealing with histamine intolerance. In that case, a low-histamine probiotic is a good option.
5. Mullein
Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) oil is well-known as a natural earache remedy. It's also known to be an expectorant. You can easily find mullein tinctures online or in health food stores.
Research published in The Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine demonstrates how an herbal ear drop containing mullein was just as effective for pain relief as an anesthetic one. Mullein oil is also used to naturally treat ear infections (and more) in dogs too!
6. Breast Milk
Breast milk is full of natural antibodies and is known to have many benefits for a baby's health. Breastfeeding has also been shown to reduce the number of ear infections in babies and in children who were breastfed as babies.
There is conflicting information about putting breastmilk directly in the ear canal. Some say that you can put it in the outer ear canal, whereas others say that putting a few drops in the ear canal has brought relief. Both of those claims lean on the claim that each drop of breast milk has over one million white blood cells.
7. Hydrogen Peroxide
Many sources recommend putting a few drops of hydrogen peroxide in the ear and then letting it bubble for a few minutes before draining it out. I personally never got much benefit from this, but have heard of others who have. It's important to not put peroxide or any other liquid in the car if you suspect a perforated ear drum. Also, if you have a cut in your ear, peroxide should not be used as it can be damaging to injured tissues.
8. Vitamin D
It's a good idea to take vitamin K2 with Vitamin D for it to work better.
9. Warm Compress
While warmth isn't going to cure an ear infection, it can help relieve the pain and inflammation so you can get the rest you need. To make a warm compress, wet a clean small towel with warm water, wring it out well, and then hold it against the infected ear. Some people like to alternate warm compresses with cold compresses to help address the inflammation better. You can use a cloth soaked in cold or ice-cold water and then wrung out, or an ice pack can also be used. A heating pad can be used instead of a warm compress.
10. Apple Cider Vinegar
Yes, most of us use apple cider vinegar for cooking (like in salad dressings) or for personal care (like in this hair rinse), but ACV apparently can also be used for ear infections. But you do need to be careful when trying this. The reason why this can help is that apple cider vinegar has proven antibacterial and antifungal properties.
To use apple cider vinegar for an ear infection or earache, dilute the vinegar with equal parts of warm water or isopropyl alcohol, and place 5-10 drops in the affected ear. Tilt the head (lying down with the affected ear up works well) so the mixture doesn't run out and leave for a few minutes before letting it drain out onto a cloth. Repeat throughout the day.
We have tried many of the above remedies with varying amounts of relief. To my recollection, we have never had to use antibiotics once for an ear infection or earache for our kids. Natural methods have worked well for us, thankfully!
More Natural Health Topics:
- Eczema and Food Allergies — From Despair to Healing
- Natural Sleep Help for Kids And Adults
- Andrea Fabry's Mold Story — What she learned just might save your life.
What natural ear infection remedies have you used?
Sorry, this just grossed me out! My mother-in-law was told about a remedy from an Indian chief while in the doctor’s office. It worked for her 3 boys, I used it for my 3 children and all 8 of the grandchildren and to my knowledge has ALWAYS worked. Cook an onion until you smell it. Cut in half, dab the juices from the heart of the onion on a cotton ball, let it cool just enough to put in the hurting ear (should be nice and warm.) That’s it! It’s soothing because it’s warm, it’s a poultice so it draws the illness out. Just that simple…
I’m 53 now but as a child getting a ear infection my Grandmother made me urinate in a cup . Then proceeded in dripping a couple of drops in my ear Instantaneously problem solved . Firm believer in the practice. Have used it religiously my hole life and my kids.
Very interesting – thanks for sharing!
I have an ear infection and i went to the doctor and he prescribed antibiotics but its not working, and my ear pain is killing me. What should i do?
I’m so sorry. I would call the doctor again asap. Are you sure it’s an infection? If you don’t have a burst eardrum you could try what we did but I can’t medically advise. Please take care of yourself.
I tried using peroxide and it works. I put peroxide in my ear every hour and the inflammation and pain went away after the first couple of times.
I’ve heard of that as well. Thanks for commenting!
Hi, the best remedy I have found for ear infections/ear wax is Hydrogen Peroxide 3% solution (H2O2). Lie on your side and pour a few drops into the ear. It will fizzle and pop and sometimes feel a bit hot. This means it is doing its job. Lie there for 5 minutes. Then turn over for another 5 minutes and let whatever is inside run out. Do this 3 times per day, morning, mid-day then again before bedtime. Do this for 3 days. Your ear infection or blocked ear wax will be gone after 3 days. Do not put stinky pee in your ear, this is disgusting.
Hi there. I have heard of that as well – I have heard that it is better sometimes to dilute it as it is quite strong. Did you see that in the book and in many countries it appears that urine therapy is well regarded? Thanks for reading.
Thank u very much.even me too i have the ear infection pls i need ur help sometime is water come out in my ear. Also i feed pain pls show me the soluction and how i we use it thank u
Hi. I’m sorry you are having this problem. I’m sorry but I can’t give medical advice. If you have something coming out of your ear please do not put anything into it as you might have a burst eardrum. Please take caution and see if you need to go to the doctor. I hope you get better.
Just went to see dr for water coming out of ear and dizziness sounds like you need to see a dr I ended up having vertigo and needed an eply maneuver to be cured
I have ear infections often, but I can clear them up within a day just by using either H2O2, or tea tree oil.
By the way, the statement you are using to address the sterility is still wrong…urine is only sterile when it leaves the bladder, by the time it’s made it’s way out of the body it’s picked up bacteria which we are full of.
This quote from Dr. D.E. Evans at Univ of Manchester should prove to be helpful:
https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-2473,00.html
Dang, where do I begin…okay, urine is not sterile…ear infections clear up on their own 99% of the time with neither antibiotics or urine, Just because you got away with it doesn’t make it a good idea. Ear infections aren’t contagious, he didn’t get it from kids at church (church…I’ll let that one go) it’s a secondary condition brought on by the original virus because children’s Eustachian tubes are at an angle, some more than others, and all that mucus and sinus drainage builds up and can’t drain and dry out NOT because your poor mother who was doing what she had been taught was right to take the best care of you that she could at the time based on the science of the day just to later be accused by you of destroying her health and subsequently causing you to pass on the weakness to your children. You are an idiot AND a jerk.
Hi Libby. Thanks for commenting. I’ll address your comments point by point.
Yes, I addressed the sterility issue in the post.
Yes, I know that most ear infections clear up on their own — I am a firm believer that too many antibiotics are being doled out for such things.
I didn’t say that my kid got it from the kids at church – I just suspected that they did since we hadn’t been out much (or at all) due to just getting over being sick.
I love my mother, but she between her and the doctor who continued to hand out antibiotics like they were candy caused tons of issues for me and for my kids (including my son who has a form of autism now). We all make mistakes and I forgive her for it, but it is true that these things were passed on. I wrote more about it here. https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/do-you-believe-this-myth-about-gut-health-plus-the-perfect-storm-for-gut-imbalance-and-illness/
If you have more comments, happy to respond, but please do refrain from calling me names. Thanks in advance.
The very fact that you repeated your reason for assuming your son contracted an ear infection from other kids just compounds the fact that you can’t get your head around the fact that it’s not contagious and the very cold he was just getting over caused the secondary condition. You STILL told people to put urine in their children’s ears.
I too very much agree that antibiotics have been grossly overused and should only be used to save someone’s life but to repeatedly declare your mother responsible for your numerous psychosomatic as well as potentially legitimate ailments which cause you to be unable to do your housework not to mention implying that she also caused your sons autism is unconscionable EVEN IF IT IS TRUE. She didn’t do it for any selfish reasons, she did it because the world told her that the infection is dangerous and must not be allowed to run it’s course, it must be treated immediately with the magic penicillin. I can’t imagine how many time she’s heard you blame her for these things. We all have been pumped full of it but some of us do clean our houses take care of our kids and even go to work, you don’t KNOW what caused your son’s autism. It was probably all the fake food full of preservatives, sugar and modified wheat and corn we’ve had massed produced and shoved down our throats since the 50’s by greedy corporations with the assistance of the government and it’s pack of lies food pyramid.
The reason I seem angry is because all the uninformed psycho-babble out there such as yours makes it that much harder to get the pill popping fake food eating population to take a more legitimately holistic approach because they find blogs like yours and think “this is such quackery” and move on.
Hi again, Libby. I didn’t state that my son caught an ear infection from the other children. Did you reread the post?
I know that the cold / virus caused the secondary condition.
If you have an issue w/ urine therapy, then contact the authors of the books and those that run the conference that I mentioned.
I did not tell anyone to do this. I only stated what I did.
I did not talk about any psychosomatic illnesses. I have lab tests (many) showing gut damage and it is well known that excessive antibiotic (and even non excessive) damages the gut microflora and leads to other conditions since the immune system is housed in the gut. Do you dispute that?
I don’t know what you are talking about regarding housework.
You are reading into my statements. Yes, I do believe that the overuse of antibiotics contributes to gut issues which leads to a greater likelihood of getting autism. If you disagree, perhaps you should read Martha Herbert’s work (asst prof at Harvard) and also Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride. Then feel free to come back and tell me what you disagree with.
I never said that my mother gave me antibiotics for selfish reasons — you read into that. I only stated that she did it and it caused health issues for me.
Just so you know, my mother did not treat infections with antibiotics, they were normal colds and viruses. Over and over again. I mainly fault our physician, but my mother kept asking for them every time I got sick. That kind of thing still continues today, which I am sure you know.
My mother and I actually talked about this before she died and she regrets that she did it. It was her ignorance that led her to do it. It still caused these issues and I am upset about it, but again, you are reading things into this situation.
Again, I have no idea what you are talking about regarding cleaning my house and going to work and taking care of my kids. I homeschool and work here at home and had full time jobs until after my oldest was born.
Yes, the fake food contributed to poor gut health as well. It’s a perfect storm as I stated in that post I linked to for you earlier. Perhaps you missed that?
What exactly do you think is psycho-babble in my post? I do advocate getting away from fake food and going holistic so I don’t understand what you are upset about. Thanks.
I’ve never heard of ear infections clearing up on your own. Now, I am a firm believer in doctors and antibiotics… I had a MONSTER ear infection three weeks ago, that after a strong regimen of antibiotics and steroid drops still had not gone away. I know for a fact that pee works for athlete’s foot and jellyfish stings, so when I read on here that it also helps ear infections, I said why not, since I had already paid for one doctor visit and prescriptions, not all of us can afford to go to the doctor all the time, even if we aren’t trying to go all natural. So I tried the pee and it went completely away. I’m 43 years old, and I don’t have any kids. Just my two cents.
Thanks for sharing. It’s fascinating. Actually most ear infections will clear up on their own. Thanks for coming back to share and glad you are doing better!
Adrienne, you rock! I think it’s clear who the real idiots and jerks are.
You are too kind. Thanks – hope to see you around again!
Ah, colloidal silver is a must, our son is 8 now and has use it since he was a baby, every day twice a day,
What do you use it for?