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?
Wow! It makes you wonder how someone even came up with the idea that maybe putting urine in the ear would help clear up an infection. The mind boggles, but I can imagine some possibilities. This is one I’d never heard of, and I’m not sure that I would try it. However, if the pain were bad enough, I break down and try it.
I have used lavender EO on a cotton ball and put that in my ear with decent results. If my ear is starting to hurt or itch like something’s coming on, I’ll put the lavender on a Q-tip and dab it in the ear canal a bit.
Hi there. I don’t think you should put EOs in the ear at all. It can be very dangerous. Thanks for reading.
I personally wouldn’t try it but I know for a fact it’s a real remedy considering my mother also grew up watching her own grandmother (and mother) do the same thing. I woke up with an ear infection a few days ago, (it’s still going strong, unfortunately.), and I was looking for some natural remedies when I came across this. I couldn’t believe someone other than my mother would actually recommend this. It’s definitely not a bad thing, I was just shocked. I suppose I’ll be telling my mother her natural remedies from the good ole days aren’t so crazy after all 😉
Fascinating! Thanks for sharing and yes, I guess she wasn’t so crazy!
I used garlic oil and colliodal silver. Works!
Do you have a brand of colloidal silver that you like? I have some but haven’t had great success with it. Thanks!
I work in the medical field. I don’t know where people are getting their information from but urine is not sterile. It is waste from your body. If it were sterile people with kidney failure would not have to go through dialysis to have their system cleaned.
Hi there. I thought dialysis did the job that your kidneys are unable to do?
Thank you for saying this. I’ve always heard that urine being sterile was an old wives tale. Why would you think human waste in any form would be sterile? That’s crazy. Lucky she didn’t cause a worse infection!
The info is that it is sterile until it touches your body – maybe you should take this up with the author of the book in the post. Thanks!
Dialysis does not sterilize the urine, it removes potassium, and other products that the kidneys normally excrete.
I am not sure what area of medicine you work in but you should pull out your anatomy books and reread…you are way off base with your comment…
I’ve suffered alot with ear infections since I was 6 months old, I was supposed to go get tubes put in my ears but do to lack of money, and no insurance my parents were never able to get them. I’ve always had a problem with my hearing and recently got my hearing checked and now I have an answer to my problem, I am considered “legally deff” due to all the ear infections and my ear drums rupturing, I have so much scaring on both of my ear drums, it can’t be fixed with surgery and I need to wear hearing aids the rest of my life.. it sucks cuz it’s the day before my birthday and I’m sick with an upper respiratory infection and 2 ear infections 🙁
How terrible!!!
Never in a million years.
I used urine on my ear infection it cleared it up in hrs … or atleastit feels like it did …
Glad to hear it!
I can’t believe you try all this stuff on your son poor kid. I am sure he’s in a lot of pain because I get inner ear infection all the time and I am 51 years old and they are very very painful.. I can’t believe you are putting all this stuff in he’s ear making it worse.. I bet you never had an inner ear infection before. Cause if you had you be taking him to see the Doctor because how painful they are! He needs an antibiotic shot and some ear drops! I’m sorry this piss me off when this kids suffering and mom putting all the stuff in his ear making it worse and more painful.?
Hi Lorraine.
Thanks for reading and writing. Yes, I know that they were in pain and yes, I did have ear infections. No, I don’t think that a child needs an antibiotic shot – possibly, but not in the majority of cases, kids need antibiotics. Here is information on how doctors are being urged not to use antibiotics, and for good reason: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2013/02/25/172588359/pediatricians-urged-to-treat-ear-infections-more-cautiously
My kids’ ears got better very quickly and from the comments you can see that this is the case for many others. Thanks again.
Hello,
I’d just love to comment on people that fear natural remedies… Yet have no problem taking antibiotics. Let’s just say this. It’s poison for the good bacteria in our gut. And if our gut isn’t healthy… Our entire body starts breaking down! Sinus infections, strep throat… The list goes on. I’m happy to hear about any natural remedy over crap antibiotics. I’m here still, thanks to silver, probiotics and herbs! Thanks to the Lord for his wisdom?
If you wish to put urine in your own ear, whatever. This whole idea disgusts me bc it was my mother’s family’s home remedy that she learned as a child born in KY in 1936. She forced it upon me and my 5 sisters as we grew up. I am in therapy today partly because of it & bc she felt it necessary to wash us with our urine soaked diapers bc “there is ammonia in pee & ammonia cleans things”. Don’t force this disgusting idiotic home remedy(?) on your crying child – they will grow up pissing on you for you having pissed on them. A well deserved response in my book. If it is a warm soothing sensation you are looking for, try warm drops of organic olive oil. If it is acids, try lemon juice or vinegar infused warm olive oil – I’m not a professional – but I do know that pee is NOT a good answer, medicinally or psychologically. Good luck.
Hi Judy.
I appreciate your concern, but perhaps you should take this up with the multitude of people commenting in the post who talk about how much they appreciated this when they were younger, in addition to the author of the book that I cited. I can assure you that I never forced this on my kids and that no one has peed on me. And I didn’t pee on my kids . I’m sorry that wasn’t the case for you – did you end up peeing on your mother? I sure hope not. Thanks for reading.
Yea Judy! I had pee put in my ear as a child and I still put pee in my ear now as a grown up. It does sound disgusting but to get rid of infection fast and not suffer pain is better than any other medicine out there.
Judy,
Your comment is horrible! Honor thy father and mother for it is the first commandment with promise (that you will have a long life in fact). I did not grow up in your home and I’m sorry it was not what you wanted, but try and think of your mother’s perspective. Yes, there are some inherently evil people in this world, but it sounds like she was doing the best she could for the time. I did not have an ideal childhood either, but we can’t let that keep us from having a great life! I find aversion therapy helps me. When my positivity glasses get replaced with negativity ones I must force myself to look on the good. It also helps to do something for someone else to get the focus off myself. I tried therapy too. Unless you are suicidal, you should stop. They aren’t called quacks for nothing.
As for the above, I find it amazing. Yes, urine is gross, but if it works and keeps you off the meds, a little gross is worth not damaging your body with meds. I tried it after a round of amoxicillin. I have to say, my hearing did clear up a bit. Thanks for sharing.
Amen
I definetly agree with you. Our parents do have the best interest. And even if they didn’t thats up to the Lord to decide. My mother did the urine thing and im happy to see someone else is sharing how thoughtful. Also doesnt urine also help with jelly fish stings …..not so weird after all the Lords creation is awesome everything has a purpose
Thanks. I have no idea about jelly fish stings but I read somewhere it might make it worse. Take care!
Hi Judy… yes rubbing urine all over your child could be a disgusting feeling. My mom had 18 children and yes we got the urine drops in our ears if anyone had an earache… when my son was about 3 he had earache so I got him to put of few drops of his urine in his ear… he was crying lol and saying ” no pee in my ear” anyway after I did the earache went away for a long time… when he was 17 years old he got an earache again but he took it upon himself to do the urine drops in the ear… well he’s 36 and hasn’t had another earache!! My the was urine is good for athletes feet also!!! Like I said my mom had 18 children and lived a long ways from town so home remedies do work !!
I thought it was a crazy idea, but I get ear infections on a regular basis, so I tried it this morning. yup. it works.
Glad you are feeling better!!! Thanks for taking the time to share.
Warm olive oil works too.Its worked for me and all 5 of my kids and now grandkids. Pretty simple and takes 3 minutes