12 Must-Know Home Remedies for Earache

Olive Oil

How It Helps: Using olive oil is one of the best home remedies for earaches and provides fast relief from pain. By working as a lubricant, it plays a role in eliminating any infection in your ear. It will also help get rid of buzzing sensations you feel inside your ears.

How to Do: You simply need to put 3 drops of lukewarm olive oil into your ear canal for pain relief. You can also use a cotton bud to put oil into your ear.

Garlic

How It Helps: When an ear infection is the underlying cause of your earache, you may benefit a lot from garlic that possess antibiotic and analgesic properties.

How to Do: Mix 2 tablespoons of sesame oil with a teaspoon of mince garlic. Heat it for some time and leave to cool off. Put a couple of drops of this oil in your aching ear for relief.

Onion

How It Helps: It is among the simplest home remedies for earache and is available in every kitchen. It has antibacterial and antiseptic properties that help correct the problem.

How to Do: Grate a few onions to get a tablespoon of juice. Now, heat it over low heat and put a couple of drops into your ear twice a day to eliminate infection and find relief.

Ginger

How It Helps: Ginger is yet another effective home remedy for ear infections. It has anti-inflammatory properties and works as a perfect natural painkiller.

How to Do: Take a fresh ginger and extract its juice. Put it into your affected ear to reduce inflammation and pain.

Apply Warm Compress

How It Helps: You can use a warm compress to alleviate pain by reducing swelling.

How to Do: Simply take a hand towel and soak it into hot water for some time. Rinse it well and place it over your ear. Leave it there until it cools off again. Repeat for a few times to reduce pain sensations. You can also consider icing it first using a freezer bag filled with ice for 15 minutes. Then use a warm compress for instant pain relief.

Give Your Nose a Blow

Your earache may well be the sign of a flu or cold, especially if your nose is stuffed up completely. You may blow it to eliminate the mucus that will open up any blocked air passages. This will release pressure from the ear canal and your pain will alleviate a bit.

Inhale Herbal Steam

How It Helps: Any nasal swelling caused by cold or dry winter air will respond well to herbal steam inhalations.

How to Do: Simply add some dry, fresh herbs such as elderberry flowers, German chamomile, or lemon balm to a bowl of boiled water. Now, lean over it and take slow, deep breaths to inhale the steam. Do it for a few minutes to open up your nasal passages and reduce any pressure on your ear canal.

Try OTC Medication

If your earache is unbearable, you may consider taking OTC pain medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Both will help relieve pain. Remember, you shouldn't give aspirin to children under the age of 18 or it may contribute to the development of Reye's syndrome, which causes liver and brain damage.

Mullein Flower Oil

How It Helps: You can make use of mullein flower oil to reduce the earache caused mainly by an ear infection.

How to Do: Pour some mullein oil into a bowl. Now, take a cotton ball and dip it in the oil. Place it in your ear and leave it in for a few minutes. Take it out and repeat whenever you experience severe earache.

Peppermint Oil

How It Helps: It has anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and mild anesthetic properties, which will help clear the infection and reduce any inflammation. It will have a soothing effect that makes it one of the very best home remedies for earache.

How to Do: Mix 5 drops of olive oil and a drop of peppermint oil together. Now, take a dropper and fill it with the mixture. Put it directly in your ear to remove infection-causing bacteria. You may want to mix more olive oil to this mixture if you're sensitive to peppermint oil.

Follow the Right Diet Plan

It is important to stick to a balanced diet when you're feeling sick or are in pain. Here are some suggestions for anyone suffering from an earache.

• Eat more vegetables and fruits that contain vitamin A and C.

• Don't eat too much of dietary products such as buttermilk and yogurt.

• Add food rich in zinc to your diet and avoid any mucous forming food like dairy products, wheat, peanut butter, oranges, bananas, citrus fruits, etc.

• Drink plenty of water and add some herbal teas to your diet.

Eat food rich in omega-3 fatty acids and avoid junk foods and processed meals.

Prevent Earache from Happening

It is a good idea to take some precautions to avoid earache in the first place. For this, you should consider putting mineral oil in your ears every time you go for a swim. Dry your ears properly after swimming and bathing. Never insert any foreign object in your ears. Avoid smoking and try not to be in an environment filled with pollen or dust.