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Home remedies for earache

Tips & tricks for ear ache relief

Last update on Jun 17th, 2021

Pain in the ear can quickly lead to serious restrictions in quality of life. Those affected not only suffer from the pain, but are also often plagued by a general feeling of illness, hearing problems and fever. The use of proven home remedies for earache helps to alleviate symptoms at an early stage.

There is often an inflammation or an injury to the eardrum behind the pain. These manifest themselves in a variety of ways, for example as persistent or spontaneous pain in the outer, middle or inner ear and are accompanied by dizziness or uncomfortable pressure in the ear.

Proven home remedies for earache include a disinfectant mustard wrap made from mustard flour and water. The mass is wrapped in a cloth and placed on the ear. Heat in the form of ear vapours is another tip. Warm water vapour, which rises from moderately heated water, is conducted directly to the ear using a grommet and a rubber hose.

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Ear pain: what to do in young ears?

Ear pain is common in children. However, since they are more sensitive than adults, some home remedies for ear pain in children need caution. For example, essential oils contained in mustard irritate the skin, which is why they should only be used sparingly. Onion wraps offer a gentle way to treat earache in toddlers. The warmth of a lukewarm cherry stone pillow also helps. Children often do not want the ear that hurts to be touched. In this case, a red light lamp can help, which warms the ear from a distance. However, this type of treatment may only take place under the supervision of adults. If there is suspicion of otitis media, an ENT doctor should be consulted to clarify the causes and explain treatment options to parents.

Otitis media: which home remedies help?

Children between the ages of six months and six years are particularly often affected by otitis media. The reason for this is, among other things, their short ear trumpet, which swells when there is inflammation, which means that pressure equalization and the outflow of liquids cannot take place as usual. But adults can also be affected by the spontaneously occurring disease. The use of a red light lamp and onions have proven themselves as home remedies for middle ear infections. But even a drained and cooled chamomile tea bag has an anti-inflammatory effect.

Earache: when to see a doctor?

If the ears are inflamed and no home remedies help, it may be time to go to the doctor with earache. In the case of long-lasting pain, suspected otitis media or injuries, a visit to the doctor is imperative. This clarifies the cause of the earache and gives advice on relief. If infants or young children are affected by ear pain, parents should consult their doctor.

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Red light for ear pain & otitis media

The infrared radiation from red light lamps works wonders for chronic ear pain. The warmth of the lamp stimulates the blood circulation and thus the metabolism of the problematic ear. In this way, inflammatory secretions can flow out of the ear canal, which leads to pain relief. Red light also relieves pain in middle ear infections.

How long and how often red light is used for ear pain depends on the severity of the symptoms. However, make sure that the ear is exposed to the lamp for a maximum of ten minutes and at a minimum distance of 50 centimeters to avoid burns.

Onion wraps for the ears

Onions not only taste delicious, but they are also a natural remedy! It has a disinfectant effect, so that drops of onion juice or onion wraps on the ear are the first remedy for ear pain. When in the form of ear drops, onion juice can work directly in the ear.

How do you make an onion wrap? For this you need a finely chopped and slightly warmed onion. This is filled into a cotton bag and placed directly behind the ear. There it releases soothing essential oils. Alternatively, the wrap can be attached to the ear with the help of a headband or scarf. In order for the onion wraps to work best, leaving them on for at least 20 minutes is recommended. However, they can also remain in place for several hours if the person concerned prefers.

Home remedies for stuffy ears and ear pressure

If there is pressure on the ears, home remedies help to clean the ear. If the ears are closed, this is usually due to too much ear wax, a cold or an inflamed ear canal. Those affected can rinse their ears with lukewarm salt water. A steam bath with chamomile also releases the ear pressure. In case of an ear canal infection, onions, chamomile tea and warmth help as a home remedy for blocked ears.

Do olive oil and garlic also help against earache?

Garlic in the ear is an alternative to the onion for ear pain. Cut it into small pieces, heat it slightly and wrap it in a cloth before placing it directly on the ear. It is also possible to squeeze the juice out of the toes and drizzle the cloth with it so that the garlic can work against ear pain.

However, slightly warmed olive oil that is dripped directly into the ear is not recommended. With a perforated eardrum, this home remedy can even make the symptoms worse. In addition, germs can get into the ear with the oil or cause burns if the ear is treated with heat at the same time.