How to Relieve the Pain of an Ear Infection at Home

There is a small pocket of air behind the eardrum called the middle ear. At times, germs can get inside the middle ear, causing it to fill up with pus. When that happens, you have an ear infection. Doctors prescribe antibiotics to kill the infection. Most patients also want to treat the pain of an ear infection at home to find relief from the earache that accompanies it.

Things You'll Need

• Bottle of water
• Salt bag
• Heating pad
• Acetaminophen or ibuprofen
• Topical ear drops
• Pillow

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Instructions

• 1

  Place a warm bottle of water, a warm salt bag or a warm heating pad against the ear. Hold it there as long as possible to help relieve ear infection pain.

• 2

  Use pain medication such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen at four-hour intervals. If you're treating a child or an adolescent, do not use aspirin or products containing aspirin because it can cause Reye syndrome.

• 3

  Consider over-the-counter topical ear drops designed specifically to help relieve earache pain. They can be found in a pharmacy in the same section as eye drops.

• 4

  Prop one side of the bed up by placing a pillow under the mattress to elevate the head. Sleeping at an angle may relieve some of the pressure in the ear.