One of the worst pains that someone has to deal with at some point in life is an earache. It’s a pain in the neck, the head, the jaw, and the ear – it’s the worst and it’s sometimes unbearable to deal with. Children are always susceptible to earaches and up to 70% of children will get an ear infection at least once by the time they are 3 years old. They’re common in adults, too, and serious earaches are those that need medical intervention. The good news is that there is plenty that can be done to help.
Sometimes, home remedies are not the best for medical treatments. After all, you can read about treatments and management at home on the Wellstar ENT Blog, but you’ll still learn that there are things that you should never do when it comes to your ears. For example, people will talk about using cotton sticks to swab out your ears, but that would be a bad idea! You can’t put things into your ear to fix a problem – especially if you have been told by an audiologist or an ENT not to do it! If you want to stop your earaches, you need to speak to the right medical practitioner as soon as possible.
So, with all of this in mind, let’s look into 8 things you could do to solve your earaches and get your hearing back on track.
- Start Warm
Heat is often the go-to for back pain and other joint issues, so why not use heat for earache. Warm compresses can be made by dipping a cloth into hot water and squeezing it out. You can use heat packs and hot water bottles, too. It should be warm and not hot, as you don’t want to burn the delicate skin around and inside your ears. Put the warm compress onto your ear for as long as you are feeling comfortable. You can alternate the warm compress with a cold one and manage the pain this way.
- Painkillers
Alternating painkillers is a good way to ensure that your ear pain is minimized. You want to make sure that you follow the correct dosage and all of the packaging instructions so that you are comfortable. For children, it’s best to get some advice and ask for help before you administer any medication. If medication that you take over the counter is not touching the pain, you need to speak to a doctor and get some advice.
- Steam Inhalation
Most people use this as a way to clear the sinuses, and it works because the ear, nose, and throat are all connected together. Sometimes, fluid blocking the Eustachian tubes causes ear pain in the first place. When steam is used, it drains the fluid and brings relief from the pressure in the ear. Speaking to an expert will help you to learn which oils can be added to help with the pain! This isn’t something that should be done for children with ear pain, though.
- Boost Your Immune System
Avoiding the common cold is one of the best ways to avoid ear pain. Boosting your immune system includes washing your hands and sanitizing regularly, taking your vitamins, getting enough sunshine, and eating your fruit and vegetables. Boosting your immune system will mean that you are able to avoid developing as many ear infections, which causes pain in the first place.
- Look Into Lavender
Before you go for it, never apply any oils inside the ear. You want to make sure that you don’t put anything in the ear canal at all where possible! Massage the exterior of the ear and behind the ear, but use lavender oil within a carrier oil like olive oil. You want to help to improve the circulation and improve inner ear drainage.
- Olive Oil – Oh My!
You can use olive oil as a lubricant for your ears. This will enable you to reduce infection and prevent any buzzing you’re hearing. It’s not foolproof, though!
- Go For Garlic
Did you know that garlic acts as both an antibiotic and an analgesic? You can use garlic mixed with sesame oil and apply to behind the ear – but again, never in the ear without medical guidance!
- Going Natural
While you may have attempted garlic, there are other options naturally that you can try. Onions, for example, have antibacterial properties. You don’t need much and all you need to do is hold an onion cut in half over the ear for up to ten minutes at a time several times a day. You can do the same thing with ginger, except this time, you extract the juice from a piece of fresh ginger and mix it with olive root. You can give the infusion ten minutes to sit before applying it to the base of the ear and around the back. Peppermint is the last natural option you could try. Fresh peppermint leaves can be the best option for your natural remedy test. You can try olive oil as a carrier again!
These options are all going to help the pain but you need to know when to see a doctor, too. Earache is not a joke, and it can escalate into a perforated eardrum and other infections, too. If you have symptoms of earache for five days or more, you have a stiff neck or a fever, you need to get some help. You are not supposed to take care of your own ear pain all the time. Sometimes, a doctor needs to intervene so that you can do more for yourself. If you don’t treat your ear infection, you are going to cause permanent hearing loss and no one wants to risk that. You should always get the help necessary, even if that means being referred to a specialist.
Earache is not something that you should suffer with – so don’t suffer anymore. Take your time and know that you can get better with these suggestions!
