Earache Treatments
8 effective remedies for 8 effective remedies for ear pain from ear
Over-the-counter pain relievers
Compresses
Olive oil
Naturopathic drops
Chiropractor
Sleeping position
Neck exercises
Ginger
When to use a home remedy
To remind
Earache can be debilitating, but antibiotics are not always needed. The prescription guidelines for ear infection have changed in the past five years. Your child may not even be prescribed antibiotics.
Not all ear infections are bacterial, and not all need prescription medication. In fact, you can find all the relief you need at home, with treatments such as:
over the counter pain reliever
cold or warm compresses
olive oil
neck exercises
ginger
Garlic
peroxide
Here are 11 over-the-counter home remedies and treatments for earaches.
1. Over-the-counter pain relievers:
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen to control pain associated with an acute ear infection called acute otitis media.
These medications are safe to use with or without antibiotics, but be sure to follow the label directions for dosage. These medications can also help lower fever.
Talk to your doctor about the right dosage for children. There are over-the-counter pain relievers for children and babies. It is not safe for children under 16 to take aspirin.
2. Cold or warm compresses:
People often use ice packs or warm compresses, such as heating pads or wet compresses, to relieve pain. The same can be done for earache. This method is safe for both children and adults.
Place the ice pack or warm compress over your ear and alternate between warm and cold every 10 minutes. If you prefer a single temperature, either cold or warm, you can use a single compress.
3. Olive Oil:
The use of olive oil for earache is a popular remedy. There is no solid scientific evidence to prove that olive oil drops in the ear canal alleviate ear pain. But putting a few warm drops of the oil in your ear is safe and could be moderately effective, according to the AAP.
It is a good idea to discuss this method with your doctor first, especially for children. Using a thermometer, make sure the oil is not hotter than your body temperature. This will help prevent burns to the eardrum.
4. Naturopathic drops:
Naturopathic drops are made with herbal extracts. They can be found online and at some pharmacies. A recent study found that drops containing olive oil-based herbal extracts may be as effective or even better than traditional over-the-counter ear drops.
5. Chiropractic treatment:
If you go to an appointment with a chiropractor for an adjustment, you will notice that your appointment can alleviate ear pain as much as your back pain.
A 1996 study involving 46 participating children under 5 years old found that 93% of them showed improvement after chiropractic adjustments. Of these children, 43% felt better after just one or two sessions.
The Mayo Clinic cautions that no long-term clinical studies have been done to associate chiropractic treatment with reduced ear pain.
6. Sleep without putting pressure on the ear:
Some sleeping positions will worsen ear infections, while others help ease them. Sleep with the affected ear raised instead of pressing it against the pillow. This can help drain better, if necessary.
You can also sleep with your head elevated using extra pillows. This can help the ears drain faster.
7. Neck exercises:
Some earaches are caused by pressure on the ear canal. Certain neck exercises can be done to relieve this pressure. Neck rotation exercises are particularly beneficial.
Follow these steps to perform the neck rotation exercises.
Sit up straight with both feet flat on the floor.
Slowly rotate your neck and head to the right until it is parallel to your shoulder.
Rotate your head to the other side, until it is parallel with your left shoulder.
Raise your shoulders as high as if you were trying to cover your ears with them.
Make sure you do the movements slowly, keep stretching gently until you count to five, then relax.
Repeat these exercises every time you get up.
8. Ginger:
Ginger has natural anti-inflammatory properties that can help ease ear pain. Apply ginger juice or warm ginger oil (warm) to
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