4 Effective Ways to Treat Earaches

Updated on March 26, 2023

Young woman feeling a pain in earEaraches can be the result of a cold or a more serious infection. Stop the hurt by identifying the signs and symptoms, and determine if your earache can be treated with a home remedy.

1. Consult virtual health care providers

Sometimes you’re miles away from an urgent care facility or local health care provider’s office when health concerns pop up. Perhaps you’re off on a camping trip or live remotely in the country, but are worried about symptoms you’re experiencing in your ear. Play it safe before administering home remedies by contacting a virtual doctor about earaches. If you are experiencing the following signs and symptoms, it’s important that you contact a health care provider before taking further action.*

  • Strong sense of pressure in and around the ear, often described as a pulling sensation that can be felt in the jaw
  • Pain is moderate to severe
  • Fever
  • Feeling generally unwell

*With children, the only apparent signs may be fever, pulling at the ear and general irritability.

2. See an acupuncturist

Not all ear infections call for strong medication. You can seek out a licensed acupuncturist in your area for treatment if someone in your family is experiencing an earache. Acupuncture is known to treat the root and branch of health concerns. While it balances the immune system to help fight a potential ear infection, it will assist in reducing associated symptoms such as swelling, headache and fatigue.

Can’t get to the acupuncturist quick enough? Try stimulating some acupuncture points yourself with these tips:

  • Measure two thumbs’ width up the inner arm from the wrist crease directly in the middle of the wrist and massage. (If administering acupressure to a child or another person, measure using their thumbs.)
  • Massage the fleshy mound between the index finger and thumb on top of the hand.
  • Massage along the area where the lower ear meets the face, down and around to just behind the earlobe. This area may be sensitive so press lightly at first.

3. Poultices to soothe

Applying a compress can stimulate the lymph system to circulate congestion away from the ear. Onion, a medicinal food, can help facilitate the process.

  • In an oven, “toast” onion for two minutes on a low temperature
  • Surround and wrap onion with a thin dishcloth
  • Apply this to the back of the ear for approximately 10 minutes

4. Use therapeutic oils

Garlic, St. John’s Wort, lobelia and mullein oils mutually accentuate the medicinal action of one another to help treat earache and ear infection. You can purchase a therapeutic preparation such as Gaia Herbs to have on hand if earache presents. If you need to make a preparation fast, garlic alone has been shown to exhibit medicinal properties that may work just as well as pharmaceutical agents for ear related infections.

Try this:

  1. In a small saucepan, combine 10 whole peeled garlic cloves and 1/2 cup sesame or olive oil.
  2. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
  3. Transfer to a dropper bottle and allow to cool.
  4. Place a full dropper into the affected ear and lay down on the opposite side.
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