Home Remedies for Ear Ache/infection

I am all for home remedies, and everything recommended below sounds fine.

I just also want to stress that an ear infection is a bacterial infection that can potentially lead to deafness and other inner-ear problems (affecting balance and coordination) if it's not treated with antibiotics.

There are plenty of things that can be treated without a visit to the doctor, but not this one.

Heat is actually a *bad* idea because if the pain is caused by bacteria, the heat will speed the growth :(

I also suffered from dozens of ear aches and infections throughout my childhood and if it's an infection, you need to see a doctor. Period.

For an ear ache that is caused by congestion and pressure from a cold, try mixing equal parts water, vinegar and rubbing alcohol together. Make sure the mixture is body temperature (stick the bottle in your armpit for a few minutes to do this) and then, using a dropper, fill the ear canal with the mixture. Let it sit for as long as you can before draining onto a tissue (no rubbing or digging!). I usually get my kids to lay down on the couch with the sore ear up and watch a show or something. Repeat several times per day. Also, giving Advil might help better than Tylenol because of the inflamation.

I suffered chronic ear infections as a child...at least one a month all the way until I was a teenager. I know how absolutely painful they can be, and really, the only thing that DOES help is ear drops. You can ask your doctor for some. You can put all the heat or tylenol or whatever home remedy you want, but I speak from experience when I say all that pretty much does squat. Even the ear drops don't help a ton...but they can take the edge off if used properly (meaning, keeping the head to one side to let them fully drain into the ear canal...five minutes at least.)

ear infections are something not to mess around with. whatever caused it, it will need an antibiotic to treat it. so i suggest motrin for tonight for pain and doc visit tomorrow if you haven't done so already.

Last year, I got several ear infections (more than an ear ache). I am not young and I couldn't figure it out. I hadn't had an ear infection in decades !

One of my friends lets hers cure on it's own. The 1 home remedy I used did not work.

I had sooo much pain a few of the times; I had to go on antibiotics (and buy good probiotics from the health food store).

Then, I took a chance and went to a chiropractor. She listened and said that an adjustment would most likely do the trick.

It did!

I have not had an ear infection since then.

I mentioned this to the ENT who gave me the 5 rounds of antiobiotics for the 5 ear infections. Do you know what he said to me? "Oh, yes, an adjustment can do wonders for ear infections!"
***How come he didn't tell me that after the 3rd or 4th ear infection????

Heating pad (with a cloth between the skin and the pad) and Tylenol/Motrin.

I don't have much to add but wanted to politely disagree with Mira about the ear infection being bacterial. It MAY be bacterial (if it is even truly an infection), but many ear infections (more than half according to some reports) are viral. I am not saying you shouldn't have a doctor check it out, but many doctors are now, rightfully, taking a wait and see approach with ear infections. If not improving in 2-4 days (or whatever timeline the doctor gives) then return for a recheck and possible rx for antibiotics.
I think the responses you have already gotten have covered most of the typical approaches for ear pain. Hope you find something that works.

Smash a clove of garlic with the flat side of a knife and let it sit in a tablespoon of olive oil for a few minutes. Drop a few drops into the ear canal and lay still for about 10 minutes.

This works very quickly for me. You can run it past a doctor, but that's where we got the advice to do this. :)

EDIT**** I should have been more clear- you don't put the garlic in the ear! The smashed garlic infuses the oil and you drop the OIL into the ear. Garlic oil is not harmful in any way to the ear.

My grandmother used to put a spoonful of warm mineral oil down our ears and stuff a cotton ball in there. Worked like a charm.

motrin will help with the pain. pediatricians do not give antibiotics for every ear infectin. many are viruses adn they will clear up on their own.

I used to have problems with my ears whenever I flew and my eustachian tubes never drained properly so I was prone to ear infections. I went to a chiropractor and learned to do some exercises (moving my head forward kind of like a pecking chicken) and it opened my eustachian tubes and made my ears pop which eased a lot of the discomfort.

An ear ache can be treated as Boss Fan mentioned. I've also heard of olive oil remedies.
http://www.parenting.com/article/ask-dr-sears-natural-ear...

If it is an infection, you need to see a doctor for antibiotics so it won't progress to something worse (like a burst eardrum). If you see drainage out of the ear, you really need a doctor for that.

My ex neighbor told me about cooking an onion and putting it next to ear. I've never had to do with mine. But it worked for her children. You'll need to google how to do it as I don't know the specifics of what all is involved.

For us?

Hydrogen Peroxide in the ear...let set until the fizzing stops, flip over and let it drain into a towel...do the other ear while that one is draining...helps with ear wax build up as well as infections.

Also - warm compress to the neck area helps...

Good luck!!

I haven't read any replies yet, but I'm already going to say - ignore any advice to put anything IN the ear canal unless it is a medication prescribed by the doctor after an exam.

Putting oil, garlic, alcohol, etc in the ear can cause permanent damage to the canal, and hearing loss if the eardrum is perforated.