Effective Natural Earache Remedies for Pain Relief

Supplements

Posted by Hippocrates (Odin, Missouri, USA) on 04/29/2012 9 posts
★★★★★

Hello all, I have suffered from sinus problem my whole life. This often leads to ear infections (several times a year, certain times almost constantly). This causes some discomfort and dizziness, which can lead to falls and makes it difficult to drive sometimes.

Well, my child recently had an ear infection, then a high fever, which lead to Roseola and Hand/Foot/Mouth disease. Needless to say, I am a bit overly cautious in protecting myself from communicable diseases. During this time I had been suffering from an ear infection as well, which at this point I have kind of learned to live with, since doctor antibiotics have not worked (makes worse usually), and most natural treatments have gave minimal results at best. My ears have been popping, discomfort, dizzy, and if you wiggle your scalp using your facial muscles, you head a clicking in your ears.

So, to help protect myself from the baby, I started taking "something-C" (available in most pharmacies, can't say the exact brand name). It is basically 1000 mg of Calcium Ascorbate. I have been taking two a day, one every 12 hours.

Also, I've been taking a Zinc/Copper/Iodine gel cap (zinc and copper are as "amino acid chelates", and iodine "as kelp"). Zinc content is 50 mg, Copper is 2 mg, and Iodine is 53 mcg. I have been taking two a day, one every 12 hours.

I am on no other drugs prescription or otherwise, and not taking any other vitamins or supplements at this time.

Like I said, I was taking these to up my immune system from "Typhoid Mary". But 24 hours in, I started noticing that my ears were not popping, dizziness and discomfort was minimal. Day 2 it was even better. Day 3 I forgot to take, feeling better, and by day 4 symptoms were back to a great degree. I started taking again day 5 and by day 6 they were back subsided. Day 7 and 8 have been like normal.

I believe, like anti-biotics, that this should be taken for a period of time to totally clear up, and that my lapse in memory on the one day caused my flair-up. I am thinking of continuing for a month, just to make sure.

I am unsure of this form of vitamin-c's role in the equation, since I have taken it and regular C before and did not notice an improvement. I postulate that it is either the Zinc or Copper, as both are anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal. Copper metal destroys these on contact by a currently unknown mechanism. The F. D. A. even approved its use in hospitals for these reasons.

If you have an allergy to Zinc or Copper, or disease where you can not take them, I am unaware if this would be safe for you in your particular circumstance.

But if you suffer from ear infections, I wanted to tell you what seems to be working for me that I have accidentally stumbled upon.

P.S. I have not been doing this currently, due to my experimentation, but usually, to help clean out my sinuses, I use a Neti pot, use the standard salt/baking soda solution, but I add less than 1 teaspoon of Xylitol and a few drops of hydrogen peroxide to it, sometimes a few drops of 500 ppm Colloidial Silver to it, when I have it on hand.

But, the trick I do is, using your jaw muscles, make your ears pop repeatedly as you are pouring the solution in each side. You will feel a cool sensation in each ear, this is the solution going in each Eustachian tube. This will help clean them out and coat them with the solution which helps kill off the bad things hiding in there. Just a trick I have learned I thought I would share.

Garlic

Posted by Helen (Kaiserslautern, Germany) on 03/13/2012

4 YEARS LATER AND THIS IS STILL FLIPPIN HILARIOUS!!! Thanks for the visual ouchy, I feel better already :)

Cigarette Smoke

Posted by Jordan (Newfane, New York) on 02/04/2012
★★★★★

My mother always blew cigarette smoke in my ear to ease my earaches. I absolutely loved it. It made the pain and discomfort go away immediately.

Garlic

Posted by Kristen (Santa Cruz, Ca) on 01/23/2012

Ouchy mcnumb face thank you for such an hysterical account of your ear pain! Just reading your entry made my husband and I laugh so hard that I think his ear is already feeling better. You should definitely consider creating a blog as you are a great writer! Here's to no more garlic encounters in your future! Thanks again;)

Garlic

Posted by Dawn (Springdale, Pa) on 01/10/2012

I'm new on this site...... And I love it. It's so helpful. Thanks!

Vinegar

Posted by Obeybunny (Santa Ana, Ca, United States Of America) on 12/30/2011
★★★★★

What do you do about Ear aches, ear infections?

This is what I always do when I have an ear infection and it works every time, no matter how mild or severe the infection is.

Step 1: Take some vinegar. Dilute it to 50% vinegar and 50% warm water (just a few degrees above your normal body temperature).

Step 2:Tilt your head and poor in the vinegar water until your ear canal is full. Keep the vinegar water in there for 5 seconds and then dump it out.

Step 3: repeat step 2 at least twice.

Step 4: clean out your ears with a Q-tip (which are ear-cleaning cotton swabs on sticks)

Do these steps every day until your ear infection hasn't returned for 2 days. You can "vinegar up" your ears as often or as little as you like. If you're home all day, go ahead and wash out your ears with vinegar water on an hourly basis- you'll recover to full health in your ears faster this way.

And I do mean it cures "severe ear infections. " You may be doubled over in pain, deaf in both ears, and have been suffering with the infection for more than a month (as my mom was before she discovered this cure)- but if you follow the above instructions, you'll return to normal within a week.

Garlic

Posted by Ashley (Celle, Germany) on 12/21/2011
★★★★★

I have never read a recommendation to put garlic juice into your ear. Onion juice is usually recommended, or a chunk of garlic wrapped in tissue.

Garlic is highly potent and should be used accordingly. I currently have a chunk of raw garlic in each ear wrapped in toilet paper to help clear up ear pain from a cold/flu that's been coming on slowly. I also just ate two cloves of raw garlic, crushed and doused in olive oil to protect the stomach.

I put the crushed and oiled garlic onto a spoon and take about half to all of it at once, depending on how big the clove(s) is/are, then I swallow the crushed clove with a swig of water like a pill. This helps me to best avoid the strong taste of garlic.

Vinegar

Posted by Thismodificationworkedforme (Trenton, Nj) on 12/05/2011
★★★★★

For ear aches, skip the alcohol part. Just use 50% white vinegar and 50% warm water. The alcohol is too damaging to the skin, especially in a child's ear canal and is unnecessary. The vinegar creates an environment that is too acidic for fungus to grow in any event. That's why it works so well in dog's ears for cleaning. I used this 50 vinegar 50 water solution on my kids this summer and it worked like MAGIC. GONE in 10 minutes. I'm not sure of the actual mechanism or process but it works.

Rubbing Alcohol and White Vinegar

Posted by Courtney (Los Angeles, Ca) on 12/04/2011
0 out of 5 stars

I have an earache and I tried the alcohol and white vinegar remedy, but so far all it has done is ease the pain very lightly and it is making my ear canal feel as if it is burning almost. The "burning" does not hurt, but I can tell it is there. Maybe I did not mix the alcohol and white vingegar correctly. Please help me I am in pain and I have class tomorrow.

Cigarette Smoke

Posted by Jessica (Dallas, Tx) on 12/02/2011
★★★★★

Just tried cigarette smoke for an earache and can't believe it worked! Had sinus issues the last few days.. Everything else had mostly cleared up but I was left with horrible pressure and popping in my ears (I think due to some post nasal drip). I lit half a cigarette, placed in ear, let it sit there for about a min while I hunched over to keep it in place. The popping stopped!

Steaming Washcloth in Mug

Posted by Krissy06 (Detroit, Canada) on 11/03/2011
★★★★★

The mug thing did work with me as well :) thanks!

Steaming Washcloth in Mug

Posted by Kirsty (Preston, Uk) on 10/08/2011
★★★★★

thank u so much! Just woke up with excrutiating earache and came online looking for something to help, did not fancy sticking ciggies or garlic in my ear an your suggestion seemed most sensible as when I was little and had earache my mum would always do me a hot water bottle to alleviate the pain. Within seconds of putting my ear over the mug I felt bubbles coming out of my ear and the pain subside. I am now happily going back to bed to finish my nights sleep before my 3 young children wake me up, I just wanted to say a huge thank you! And thank god for the internet! Lol.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Dee (London, Uk) on 09/27/2011

I would say this does help but if it's your first time trying this please use lukewarm water mixed in with the Hydrogen Peroxide and make it much less then 3% to begin with - say about 1% - you can always reduce water later to make it stronger but please start off with a weak mix and see how that goes first.

The reason I say this is because I think for some people 3% might be too much and cause damage - I also used 3% in my mouth for gargling and noticed it made the top of my tounge white.

I think Hydrogen Peroxide has it's uses but just start off weak to begin with is my best advice.

Rubbing Alcohol and White Vinegar

Posted by Carbon Scorn (Boston, Ma) on 09/21/2011
★★★★★

In my early Twenties my scuba instructor, ex-US Navy, told me how to rid myself of my very regular and annoying ear infections. Mix 50/50 white vinegar and rubbing alcohol in a dropper. Tip yoru head to the side and put 3 drops in each when ever you complete a dive (or whenever you feel your ears starting to itch or hurt). Wiggle the outer ear and the base of the ear to be sure it settles deep, add a few more drops if you need to, wait one minute then tip your head and let it drain out into a tissue. Then do the other ear. Well, I've done this so many times I can not count. It works every time, and I've also done this with my kids whenever I saw them starting to scratch their ears when they were toddlers. They have never once needed to be seen by a doctor for an ear infection.

My description of the science at work here? Ear wax is acidic by nature, that's how it protects the area from bacteria. And ear "wax" is hydrophobic (it doesn't like water), so its coating keeps the ear canal free of bacterial breeding dampness. The white vinegar is simply helping to restore a high level of acidity while the alcohol dries up any water.

P.S. prior to learning this trick I used to use Hydrogen Peroxide with mixed results. After learning more with age I realized that the Hydrogen Peroxide, after oxidation, leaves behind water, aka a damp environment for any residual bacteria to flourish. Using this 50/50 of vinegar & alcohol mix post a hydrogen peroxide flush yielded desirable results every single time. Soon I totally left out the hydrogen peroxide step. Oh, and never cover your ear after flushing as that again inhibits the dry environment required to put an end to the bacteria.

Onions

Posted by Rene (Los Angeles, Ca) on 09/19/2011
★★★★★

Yes, Onion a miracle and the absolute only thing that helped right away after trying everything else to cure my Swimmer's ear after a tropical vacation. I put some slices of onion into my ear deep enough so it stayed lodged for two days. Use a big enough piece so you can pull it out again.

This episode also taught me that most of the body's skin needs to be acidic to fight off microorganisms, not alkaline, as you might start to believe after reading earth clinic articles, which should be more explicit in referring to internal body alkalinity.

Cigarette Smoke

Posted by Supportnatural (Calgary, Ab, Canada) on 08/02/2011
★★★★★

Hi I saw this work at the emergency. A woman in great pain due due to an ear infection was shaking and crying. A Persian woman offered to blow cigarette smoke into her ear. The woman in pain refused at first but eventually accepted. They stepped out of the hospital. Five minutes later the woman in pain looked calm and no longer in pain. Cigarette smoke doesn't cure but relieves pain.

Garlic

Posted by Bitten (Largo, Florida) on 07/27/2011

I would like to thank all who have added their stories, I have greatly benefitted, and I thnk this is a SUPER site! Thanks again :D

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Dee (San Diego, Ca) on 07/02/2011
★★★★★

ACV also works great when getting an earache. My ENT told me to put some in the ear at the first sign of trouble, leaving it there for a minute then letting the ACV run out the ear... Repeat one more time 12 hrs. Later. This has worked for us!

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Jas (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) on 06/08/2011
★★★★★

It worked! I was a bit skeptical about putting it in my ear but it hurt so much... So I got 3% Peroxide and a cotton ball... Soaked the cotton ball, tilteld my head to side then put inside my ear and squeezed so the liquid can go inside my ear... Kept my head tilted to side for a few minutes, couldnt hear anything but as soon as I straightened my head out the peroxide dripped out and I could hear again, and pain was almost gone!!! I did that a about three times in an hour... Went to bed and my earache is pretty much gone this morning!! Still a bit sensitive but nowhwre near the pain last night! Thanks EC once again... Awesome site

Garlic

Posted by Jc (Fullerton, Ca) on 06/01/2011

Ouchy McNumbface; sorry for your experience with garlic juice. But totally agree this was hilarious and should consider stand up comedy! You've made my day... now I have to explain to my co-workers why I was laughing so hard ;D I hope you are better.

Steaming Washcloth in Mug

Posted by Fanciullag (Buffalo, Ny, Usa) on 05/16/2011
★★★★★

A friend taught me this trick and it helps. Take two washcloths, wetting them both with warm to hot water. Then stick them in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Place a washcloth in the bottom of a coffee mug, then put a mug over each ear. The steam in the ear seems to help alot!

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Elaine (Edmond, Oklahoma, Usa) on 03/03/2011

You need to irrigate your ears with warm water and maybe a little liquid soap and peroxide after you use hydrogen peroxide in your ears. The Peroxide caused the ear wax to dislodge and swell. You can buy a ball syringe at any pharmacy. I use my water pic and it seems to wash all the "trash" out of my ears pretty well. If you wait too long this will turn into an infection and you'll have to see your doctor. Judging by the date I imagine you already have. Many years ago my doctor told me it is quite alright to irrigate your own ears. In fact he gave me a syringe to do it with.

Cayenne Pepper

Posted by Stan (Las Vegas,nv, Usa) on 02/26/2011

I just did that pepper thing. The guy who said it makes you feel like you just puked was right. But, most of the pain is gone with my sinuses drained. I'll do it a couple of more times later and see what happens. I will update.

Cayenne Pepper

Posted by Bess (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) on 02/16/2011

Thanks "S" for the link to the cayenne pepper Web site. I didn't realize it was good for so many things. I'm going to try taking 1/4 teaspoon in warm water (with a straw) to see if it will lower my blood pressure. Thanks again!

Cigarette Smoke

Posted by Siamesecat (Fort Dodge, Iowa) on 02/13/2011
★★★★★

It always bothered me that this remedy worked when I was a child, crying at night... Just in horrible pain with an ear ache. After several hours, my mother told me that cigarette smoke would alleviate the pain. I first said no, but after another hour of severe pain, I said yes to her method of treatment. She blew cigarette smoke into my ear and the pain went away! Almost immediately... And never came back! Never has! It seemed gross to me then and now.... Like 50 years later... But, it worked! I just wanted to see if anyone else ever experienced this. Sounds like they have.

I am a sociologist now, but I still recall my mother's form of treatment for that intense earache and how miraculously and quickly it worked! So, I guess we can deduct that there is some chemical in cigarette smoke that cures ear aches. And greatly and swiftly... And permanently!

Garlic

Posted by John (Cumberland, Md) on 02/08/2011
★☆☆☆☆

WARNING!

Garlic has given me tinnitus for five weeks now. Really worried. Do not, Do not put garlic in your ear

Cayenne Pepper

Posted by Sara (West Allis, Wi) on 02/08/2011
★★★★★

I tried this a year or two back when I had an inner ear infection with fluid in my ear due to a sinus infection. The doctor put me on antibiotics to clear up the infections, but I also did this cayenne pepper remedy. I felt it working on the first try, but I noticed more relief as I did it a couple more times. I would say after the 2nd or 3rd treatment, the fluid was almost completely gone and I could hear normally again. I have since bought stronger cayenne (the other stuff was old). It may not take as many treatments if you have some good quality cayenne.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Lisa (Stamford, Ct) on 01/23/2011

What did you end up doing to relieve your symptoms? By accident I took full strength 29% H202 in my ear and now it is a little achey. Hope you're feeling better!

Garlic

Posted by Maria (Gippsland, Australia) on 11/03/2010
★★★★★

Thanks for this info. I have never used the garlic clove but have used garlic oil capsules with great success. We just pierce a capsule and squeeze it into the ear, we try to lay down for a few mins.

Garlic

Posted by Lizzy (Fargo, Nd) on 11/02/2010
★★★★★

I use this method for my ears as well. I usually wrap the garlic clove in gauze so it doesn't burn my skin. It really clears up my infections and I am in my 30's! I use to have to take antibiotics when I got ear infections, now I use garlic! (I have had tubes 3 times in my life, I have had my eardrum rupture... So I truly mean this works! )

Garlic

Posted by Johnny (Portland, Or) on 11/01/2010

LOL!!! Thanks for the good laugh :D I think you cured me. The juice of 7 cloves of garlic! Why such extremes? I can't imagine the pain that much alicin caused. Hope you got better quick. Alicin is very powerful indeed and obviously a strong irritant. As such, only a small amount is needed, 1 clove peeled only at the tip and carefully scored there is enough (as instructions given above). You CAREFULLY insert clove (big enough to fit but not enter fully) into the ear for a few hours (max 3) and it will kill anything with little pain (think fumigating more than pouring liquid alicin onto your ear drum). Fresh garlic is also important, as the alicin vapors quickly dissipate after a few hours of contact with air. Hope this helps you! It helped me a great deal.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Jules (Denver, Colorado) on 09/30/2010
0 out of 5 stars

Here's a twist, two plus days ago I dropped hydrogen peroxide in my ear because I thought it needed to be cleaned. There was no popping or fizzing and when I tried to drain it, nothing came out. Now my ear is aching, my glands are swollen, can't hear a thing and my ear feels full of water. I've tried to drain it; jumped around, alchohol, heat, antihistamines, oral acv, gse... Anyone have some advice? I'm in so much pain and can't hear a thing but the inside of my head!! :(