Cures for Ear Aches

Earaches are a common ailment in both adults in children. However, according to Mothernature.com, earaches are more common in children because the Eustachian tubes are still developing. The Eustachian tubes are located in the middle of your ears and are connected to your nasal passageways. There are home remedies you can try to relieve the symptoms of your ear ache and to help treat it. If symptoms do not improve, call your doctor (Reference 1).

Causes

• Earaches are often caused by bacterial infections (Reference 1). Other causes include inner and outer ear infections, jaw arthritis, pressure changes from changes in altitude, severe earwax buildup, tooth infection, sore throat, perforated eardrums, sinus infection, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome or an object that gets stuck in your ear. Ear aches in children are usually associated with ear infections. However, ear aches are also caused by soap or shampoo buildup, an over-usage of cotton swabs in the ear and trapped water from bathing or swimming (Reference 2).

Home Remedies

• Sit up if you have an earache, as this eases the pain by allowing the blood in your head to flow so that there is less congestion. Lying down worsens this congestion (Reference 1).

  Drink lots of fluids, especially water and juices. This helps relieve your symptoms and clears your Eustachian tubes (Reference 1).

  Apply a heating pad to the sore ear for pain relief. You can also blast a hair dryer towards the ear canal. Be sure to use the lowest setting and keep the dryer at least 6 inches away from your ear. Do this for up to 5 minutes (Reference 1).

  Heat up olive oil until it is lukewarm. Use an ear dropper to apply it, just enough to coat the inside of your ear (Reference 1).

  Take an over-the-counter pain relief medication, such as Tylenol or Advil. Call your doctor if the pain persists (Reference 1).

  Try taking Neo-Synephrine, an over-the-counter nasal spray, for a few days. This spray may return your ear's Eustachian tube back to normal (Reference 1).

Medical Treatment

• According to Medline Plus, you should call a doctor if your ear ache does not improve or gets worse within 48 hours. Also, a sudden stop in pain may be indicative of a ruptured eardrum, which needs immediate medical attention. Let your doctor know if new symptoms develop, such as dizziness, ear swelling, a severe headache or facial muscle weakness. If your child has an ear ache, call the doctor if the pain is severe or a fever develops (Reference 2). Your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic, such as Ceclor or Amoxil (Reference 1).