Table of Contents
Ear Remedies
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Home Remedies to Stop Ear Aches, Ear Infections, Ticking, Clogged, or Blocked Eustachian Tubes
"Otalgia is ear pain or an earache. Primary otalgia is from pain that originates inside the ear. Referred otalgia is from pain that originates from outside the ear.
Otalgia is not always associated with ear disease. It may be caused by several other conditions, such as impacted teeth, sinus disease, inflamed tonsils and infections in the nose and pharynx.
Ear pain can be caused by disease in the external, middle, or inner ear, but the three are indistinguishable in terms of the pain experienced." (Wikipedia)
DISCLAIMER
Our readers offer information and opinions on Earth Clinic, not as a substitute for professional medical prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with your physician, pharmacist, or health care provider before taking any home remedies or supplements or following any treatment suggested by anyone on this site. Only your health care provider, personal physician, or pharmacist can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your unique needs or diagnose your particular medical history.
POPULAR REMEDIES:
| HYDROGEN PEROXIDE | 13 YEAS |
| GARLIC | 9 YEAS |
| WARMED OIL | 5 YEAS |
1 YEA
[YEA] 09/12/2008: Michele from New York, New York writes: "Apple Cider Vinegar cured my ear infection.
I had itchy Eustachian tubes (connection from the ears to the throat) from seasonal allergies. If left untreated I get a very bad cold. I put some drops of ACV into my ears until I felt it pass all the way through to my throat (I could taste it). The itching stopped immediately and I never developed a cold. You can also put some on a Q-tip and it works just as well. Michele-NYC. "
02/06/2009: Eben from Hilo, HI, USA replies: "hmm.. wouldn't this require that you had a ruptured ear drum in order for it to pass through to your throat? if this is the case i wouldn't mess around with home remedies which damage your inner ear but see a doctor to see if the drum is ruptured...."
02/19/2009: melissa from Wallingford, Ct, USA replies: "-Regarding the comment/question on the ACV passing through a person's ear to their throat:
It IS possible for that to happen, without a ruptured ear drum! It happens ALL the time to me in the shower, or when i've used rubbing alcohol in my ears. Our ear canals, nose/sinuses, and throat are ALL connected! Ever see some crazy stunt on tv or just some kid when you were in school, pulling spaghetti thru odd places and milk up their nose and out of their eyes?!? Yes, even your tear ducts are connected. This is why you wash your hands and keep them away from your face! lol. No, i'm no dr, but I read- alot. and I also have gotten sick- alot."
07/23/2009: JB from Brisbane, AU replies: "Yes, isn't it common knowledge that the ear and throat are connected? I don't think it has anything to do with a ruptured ear drum."
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2 YEA
[YEA] 07/10/2008: Vera from Houton, TX writes: "Earache - For the first time ever, I have experienced a double ear infection which has lasted for four days. I suspect what brought it on was a combination of a new unknown allergy (allergies are a first for me) combined with the irritant effects of smoking. I have tried most of this except for inserting the whole garlic clove in the ear or using any of the sweet oil remedies. I tried using capfuls of peroxide and colloidal silver..which has antibiotic properties.. in the ear but these have temporary and only minor effects. I also tried liquid garlic from the health food store, which appeared to do nothing.. the pain only worsened. The homeopathic ear drops from the drugstore for earaches didn't relieve the ear pain as advertised. There was no improvement from Oreganol (Extract of Oregano) or tea tree oil. The only option that finally appeared to be working for me as far as clearing up some of the infection was rinsing the ear with a capful of apple cider vinegar. The remedies I found effective for relieving pain were dampened washcloths warmed up in the microwave which work for the short term as heating pads, but the the salt remedy worked best for the pain. Sea salt warmed up in a cloth tea bag in the microwave is the only thing I used that could take away the fiercest ear pain instantly, and I probably had some of the worst. The process of rinsing with cidar vinegar for the infection along with warm washcloths and applying warm salt for the pain because the ear pain may have to be repeated after intervals because the pain will keep coming back if any part of the infection is still there. The infection is reduced but is not gone yet. I am still testing the vinegar and I will also test the garlic clove in a cloth bag remedy (not crushed garlic I've heard enough about how painful that can be :)), just to compare its effects with warm salt which in my experience has been the most effective for pain."
01/15/2009: Dolphina from Christiansburg, Va. replies: "I am replying to the submission on apple cider vinegar for the cure of plugged up ears.
I have had reoccuring bouts with this problem due to sinus infections and some strange buildup of wax clogging the eardrum leaving me nearly 50% loss of hearing when I have these occurences.
Usually, squirting the ear drum out with a syringe and hydrogen peroxide, followed after 15 minutes of letting the solution bubble in the inner ear, washing out with warm tepid water will do the trick. However, this time, in the past four days, the problem seemed more severe. I have seen a doctor regarding this in the past, and the diagnosis is due to sinus infection complications with a chronic buildup of weird wax. His best solution was just what I described, yet he and his assistant actually could guide the problem along. If there is obvious infection, they generally prescribe an antibiotic and Zyrtec D. That is the best way to resolve the problem, if nothing else works, but now with the clinics charging close to $90 just for an office visit and without having insurance, this seems prohibitive.......I have always tried the natural remedies first and foremost.
So, here is my suggestion. Do try over the counter ear drops first , 2 times a day with 5 drops in each ear. After about 8 hours, make a tepid solution of warm water(1 cup) and Natural sea salt(1 tsp) to rinse out the ear...test the solution on your wrist first as you would do for a baby....your eardrums are very sensitive and delicate....never put hot water, hot oils into the ear canal...only warm or tepid. Or you can use the hydrogen peroxide method or Organic apple cider vinegar(make sure it is free of pulp)followed by the sea salt solution. You will need to tilt your head to "bubble" the freeing agent. Then, you will hold your head over the sink so that the ear can drain and all debris fall into the sink when you do the syringe forcing of the saltwater solution. Now, here's the gross part, the "Shrek" wax will come out and it is gross, you will feel a little light headed and sort of faint......so keep doing this until you feel that the ears have "popped" and all debris is out. Then clean the outer ear gently with tissue and hold a towel next to the ear to keep it warm. I also just wear ear muffs/knit cap for about one hour after if the climate is cold, this is better so that you do not catch another cold or infection does not set in. I have also been taking a natural antibiotic(Grapefruit Seed Extract-for price of $7.99) from the start of this last episode. It generally takes a couple of days and of course a regiment this way, but so far I have been successful. Just make sure that you are gentle with your inner ears......don't want to hurt the ear drum or Eustachian tubes. Apple Cider Vinegar and Sea Salt combined cures so many things including gout........This is an age old rememdy and we need to pay attention to all that is out there.........that is what it is all about, don't support a failed Medical Society/Health Care System that does not support the general public with their needs for a reasonable and ethical cost!"
[YEA] 05/04/2009: Dandy5 from London, Canada replies: "As I write this, I am suffering with the flu, and on top of that managed to plug my ears with wax. Having administered several drops of olive oil over the course of last night and today, and then syringing, I was getting nowhere, and feeling very depressed. I have a dr's appointment tomorrow, but couldn't stand the pain, so I went on the internet researched ideas, decided to try the sea salt and water, as I had softened the ear wax already with the olive oil. Tried a couple of times nothing, was about to give up, and voila, out came the wax, and a huge relief of pressure. Thanks for the info."
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4 YEA
[YEA] 05/06/2006: Jack from Toledo, Ohio writes: "IF YOU SUFFER FROM SINUS HEADACHES, THIS WILL GIVE RELIEF IN 30 SECS TO 5 MINUTES DEPENDING ON HOW LONG YOU'VE HAD IT. IT WILL ALSO STOP AN ASTHMA ATTACK; TAKE 2, 8OZ GLASSES, FILL ONE WITH COOL TO COLD WATER THE OTHER WITH NO MORE WARM TO HOT WATER YOU CAN SWALLOW IN ONE GULP. IN THE HOT WATER, PUT 1/8 TO 1/4 LEVEL TEASPOON OF "CAYENNE POWDERED RED PEPPER", MIX VERY WELL, THEN PICK UP BOTH GLASSES, DOWN THE HOT WATER AND RED PEPPER IN ONE GULP "QUICKLY". AS SOON AS YOU'VE DONE THAT, PUT THE COLD WATER INTO YOUR MOUTH AND RINSE VIGOROUSLY AND SWALLOW, REPEAT THE RINSE WITH COLD WATER UNTIL YOUR MOUTH IS WARM TO HOT, QUIT RINSING, FILL YOUR LUNGS WITH ALL THE AIR THEY CAN HOLD, AND HOLD YOUR BREATH FOR AS LONG AS YOU CAN, THEN LET THE AIR "SLOWLY OUT YOUR "NOSE" REPEAT THE BREATHING EXERCIZE 4 TO 5 TIMES, BY THE FIFTH TIME YOUR PAIN WILL BE GONE!! IF YOUR EUSTACIAN TUBES ARE PLUGGED UP THEY WILL OPEN IN A FEW MINUTES, AND YOU'LL FEEL YOUR SINUSES DRAINING DOWN YR THROAT, YOU'LL NEED TO BLOW YR NOSE BECAUSE THIS WILL DRAIN YOUR SINUSES. THIS WILL ALSO GIVE UP TO 32 HOURS OF ASTHMA RELIEF AS WELL AS CLEANS YOUR BLOOD OF IMPURITIES WHILE YOU SLEEP."
[YEA] 11/17/2007: Robin from Warriors Mark, Pennsylvania replies: "well, i tried the above cayanne pepper remedy, and aside from leaving my throat feel like i just threw up, my ears feel a bit better! i go to boarding school, and the weekend before exams i ended up with an ear infection--so i went to the nurses, and they put me on a "Z Pack," a form of antibiotics. well THOSE didn't work, and now I can barely hear and am developing a sinus infection--way to go modern medicine! not. anyway, I had an herb garden this summer and produced a healthy amount of holy basil, yarrow, chamomile, lemon balm and feverfew. I took a small shot of yarrow tincture, and just to add to the effect, I did the cayanne pepper thing. we'll see how I feel tomorrow morning, but I definitely think it helped. Again, the only downside is that it leaves you feeling like you puked...my guess is, it's all that capsacin! thanks for the remedy!"
[YEA] 09/07/2008: Missy from Sherwood, Arkansas replies: "I've had an ear infection for almost four weeks...and I've been to the doctor three times. I have had trouble keeping the auditory tubes open. I tried the cayenne pepper treatment listed on this site. I don't know how long it will keep the auditory tubes open, but it'll definitely drain the sinuses!"
[YEA] 02/03/2009: Justis from St. Louis, MO replies: "I had such severe sinus pressure i thought my ears were going to explode and I couldn't hear at all...I made a cayenne tea and shot it up into my nose and my sinuses repeatedly. Talk about pain...sinuses drained by the time i went to bed couple hours later and pressure all gone next day."
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CIGARETTE USED LIKE AN EAR CONE
1 NAY
[NAY] 06/28/2007: Jessica from Chicago, IL USA writes: "to the person who said use a cigarette to cure ear infections -- that's COMPLETELY false because cigarette smoke is one of the causes of ear infection... i have one now and i have yet to try any of these tomorrow im gonna try the peroxide... but cigarettes and smoke is one of the causes of an ear infection.... SO NO ONE TRY THAT!!!"
08/31/2009: Leah from Friendswood, Tx replies: "Hi, well I dont know about cigarettes blown in the ear, but I do know for a FACT, that if you roll up a newspaper and place it in your ear like a torch, all the smoke that goes into your ear will place pressure and pop whatever it is in there. Its usually good for air in the ears or ear infection to relieve the pressure. I wouldnt call it a cure, but it does help alot, my mother did this to me when I was like 3 on up and its not painful, just dont make the point on the end that goes in your ear to pointy."
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[YEA] 06/04/2007: Renee from El Dorado, Kansas writes: "Cigarette smoke gently blown into my ears instantly cures severe ear-aches that I get when my ears are exposed to cold or cool wind for too long. Since I don't get ear infections, I've no idea if this works for those or not. For prevention, I always wear the new version of ear muffs."
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[YEA] 04/03/2007: Rudy from Hollister, Ca writes: "Remedy - Ear Ache: One time my sister in law had this bad ear ache I told her I could cure her with a cigarette,Of couse she thought I was making this up so she said no thanks. After crying for an hour she said yes I will try it. So I took 1/2 a cigarette with the filter on it, lit the other side and placed it in her ear while she laid down,she said she heard popping and air gush out of her ear. After 1 min I removed it and she was just astonished that her ear felt better. She is a beleiver now"
[YEA] 03/02/2009: Diana from London, UK replies: "I have very sensitive ears and everytime I'm exposed to wind blowing or just a simple air drought, especially after a shower, when my ears are still wet, I get ear ache almost instantly. Sometimes my tonsils ache and my neck becomes stiff. I suffered with this for years until a friend from Transylvania (no connection with you know who...) put a cigarette in my ear. It was unbelievable. I almost felt I had bubbles of air inside there and they were coming out one by one (that's the popping sound) and I can hear a whistle like the wind blowing through a crack in the wall. I tried to find an anatomical reason for this, but until now I couldn't. It definitely works, though and I gladly recommend it to anybody who suffers with this. It doesn't work on an ear infection, though. You will need antibiotics, I guess."
[YEA] 05/12/2009: Mom2_3 from Baltimore, Maryland replies: "I suffer from severe allergies. Once again I gave into my doctor and started a course of antibiotics and steroids. I had the most drainage I have EVER had...I developed earaches in both ears. After 5 days on the meds and still having a lot of pain, I took myself back to the Dr. to make sure I didn't have an infection. I was right, no infection but still a lot of pain! I tried pain meds and that still didnt work. So as a last resort I was reading through your cures. I already tried the peroxide, so I gave the cigarette a try. I cut the cigarette in half and lit it. I placed the filter down in my ear and laid on the floor. I set the timer for 1 minute. I repeated for the other ear. YEAH...my pain went away and has not returned!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for putting, even the weirdest, natural cures on here :)"
09/21/2009: Tiffany from Lillington, Nc replies: "My Microbiology professor (we're discussing Pneumococcal disease) just said that she wouldn't recommend it. She said it works mostly because of the combination of heat and the drying aspect of the smoke. She says to try a heating pad instead!"
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2 YEA
[YEA] 03/07/2007: Rose from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania writes: "The person who has said about giving their baby COD LIVER OIL (10/6/2006: Tammy from Haledon, NJ) I have a question: how much cod liver oil did you give your child? And what was the grams?"
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[YEA] 10/06/2006: Tammy from Haledon, NJ writes: "This wasn't on your site but I am a true believer in this, my son at 3 months of age suffered from constant ear infections. Once I gave him a dose of cod liver oil a day he hasn't had one since!!!! Also I believe the omega 3 fatty acids in cod liver oil pretty much made my kid way advanced in brain function. He is just 2 years old and can count to 30, knows all of his shapes and colors ta boot! Plus he originally had eczema and constipation and the oil cleared all of that up too!!"
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3 YEA
[YEA] 01/03/2007: Robert from Orlando, FL writes: "I clean my ears every so often with a medical instrument called an ear pick, curette or ear wax scoop. About 25 years ago I did this but did not know the hazards of doing it without sterilizing the instrument. I got a severe ear canal infection which I got treated. Since then I have made it a routine to wipe off the ear pick with a tissue and then clean it with alcohol each time I use it. I haven't had any problem with it 25 years since even with regular usage. The other caution is do it gently, and to be sure to be away from any distractions (like children) where damage could be done to the ear drum by accidentally pushing it too far in. Those who say "nothing smaller than your elbow should be inserted in the ear" I'm sure mean well, but I find to be being unnecessarily overcautious assuming one takes the normal precautions with ear cleaning. Nothing else has worked like this, especially Q tips, which I found to aggravate the blockage. Ear picks can often be found at oriental markets."
[YEA] 04/28/2009: London from Sandusky, Ohio replies: "Yes, I'm a believer in the ear pick. I HATE Q-tips. They just push the wax in, and it causes irritation, and more wax build up along with itchiness. The Ear pick actually pulls the wax out, but I have caused my ears to bleed before, and other problems,and that was scary. Now, I'm much more gentle and cautious about it.
The best thing to do is irrigate with a warm, purified water/hydrogen peroxide solution with a bulb syringe. Water is the best thing for your ears."
[YEA] 08/31/2009: Leah from Friendswood, Tx replies: "I found that when I would use a q-tip, I had to twist it or the wax would get pushed into the ear canal to where it felt like I was deaf. Yay for the curette."
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1 WARNING!
[WARNING!] 04/27/2008: Shari from Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada writes: "A lot of the remedies listed here, mention warming solutions or onions or using hair dryers or hot water bottles. This is definitely very soothing when you are experiencing ear pain but can also be VERY DANGEROUS. As a nurse I was taught to never do this....here is the reasoning. If there is infection on the other side of your ear drum??? the heat will draw it out causing the ear drum to rupture and perforate. Scar tissue forms as the ear drum heals but a reduction in hearing will be noted. please be very careful when using any form of heat."
05/30/2008: Shabbir from Bangalore, India replies: "Ear Ache can be relieved almost instantly. Just warm a very small amount of coconut oil with a clove of Garlic cut into two in it. Do not over heat as the oil & the Garlic would be burnt.
Allow the oil to cool down to a warm level. Use a dropper to pour a drop or two into the ear while lying down. Lie down for a few minutes to allow the oil to go down deep into the painful ear.
Caution: Allow oil to cool to bearable level - use your cleaned finger to test. Do not use more than a drop or two of the warmed oil.
Do not worry this is a routine home remedy here in India."
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1 YEA
[YEA] 11/19/2007: Tara from Provo, Utah writes: "All throughout my childhood I had bouts of vertigo. Fluid would get into my ears, cross the ear drum and get stuck around the eustation tube. Recently, I had a severe bout that lasted almost a month. Decongestants and Meclizine would help but it would just come right back. I spoke with a good friend who is extremely knowledgable about herbs and she said she has had a similar problem. She uses a mix of Fenugreek and Thyme. She said its also good to use Pcynogenol as well. I have only been using the Fenugreek and Thyme mix but I have noticed a huge improvement. The mix of herbs is also good for general sinus clearing. Drink lots of water though because this will pull the fluid out of your body. Hope this helps!"
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05/14/2009: Dana from Boston, Ma writes: "My kid got very bad ear ache one night, I didn't know what caused it or what to do. I have aloe vera plant at home for minor burns and such, so I cut it and squeezed some clear liquid and warm it just enough so it's not cold and put 3-4 drops of it into the ear and closed with cotton ball Very soon she fell asleep, next day like nothing happened. We didn't take her to a doctor, because she was fine and never again had any problems, so I don't know what caused the pain. Whatever it was aloe vera helped."
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9 YEA
4 NAY
2 WARNINGS!
[YEA] 06/21/2009: Jeremiah from San Diego, California writes: "EAR INFECTION, PREPARATION SUGGESTION
I had a really bad ear infection in January of 2009 in which the infection caused my right ear to have hearing loss, as well as a constant sense of being clogged with something and/or feeling clogged from high altitudes (pressure change). I took a clove of garlic, peeled it, then scraped a part of it to release the juice and allicin, then CAREFULLY (I CANNOT emphasize that enough) the scraped part into my ear canal and let it stay there for at least 2 hours, possibly 3. When I took the clove out, the infection was gone.
PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU MUST, I SAY MUST!, EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION IN DOING THIS!!!!!!!!"
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[YEA] 06/15/2009: Patti from Nowhere, AZ writes: "This is for all the mothers out there that have a child with an earache. Get one garlic clove crush it in a garlic press mix it with one tablespoon olive oil then gently warm the two ingredients together in a small pan. Next use a Qtip to drop three drops into ear then cover with a cottonball. Apply 2 times a day. My kids want me to add that it takes about 10 minutes for pain to subside."
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[YEA] 03/10/2009: Susy from Woodland Hills, CA writes: "I've been using Garlic for earaches ever since I can remember. It works like a charm. You use one Garlic Tooth, heat it up but not burning hot, you cut the piece small enough to fit in your ear but not small enough to go into the ear canal. It works like a charm. I've done this on my kids as well. They fall asleep & wake up pain free."
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[WARNING!] 02/28/2009: Eb22 from Hilo, Hawaii writes: "Warning! Do NOT PUT GARLIC INTO YOUR EAR! I placed a peeled garlic clove in my ear for 2 hours to relieve a 5 week long ear infection which had made me me desperate. 1 hour later my face went numb on that side. 7 hours later I woke up with vertigo and ringing in my ear. It is now 3 weeks later and I still feel vertigo and the ringing makes it difficult to sleep. I hope this goes away!"
07/01/2009: Jeremiah from San Diego, California replies: "Eb22, there are likely several reasons that this happened to you. If you are allergic to allicin or any of the other properties unique to garlic, that would explain the reaction, which I remember reading somewhere (I'm sorry that I can't remember where). Allicin is a very potent chemical, which is why it can irritate the stomach and/or the digestive tract.
If you are not allergic to any of the compounds, the length of time that you had the ear infection (5 weeks is quite a bit of time) might have something to do with it. The potency of the garlic/allicin, added to the fact that your immune system is working hard against the infection anyways, may cause for a little bit of overcompensation in regards to fighting the infection.
A third possibility is the first two possibilities combined. Both an allergy to the unique compounds in garlic combined with the duration of the infection as well as the fact that your immune system is hard at work already, could very well cause a little bit of overcompensation in regards to fighting the infection.
I don't know whether you are allergic to garlic, but something about it caused an abnormal reaction to what has otherwise been proven an effective method of treating an ear infection if used properly. I would advise that you look further into this, as this could be an underlying symptom of something else."
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[YEA] 11/26/2008: Ani from Ontario, Canada writes: "I never tried garlic juice and it does sound like it would be painful but I've always used garlic successfully to cure an ear infection. Just score a garlic clove, wrap in gauze so there is no too direct contact and place in ear, preferably over night. Usually does the trick.
I've also used olive oil to soothe ear pain. Heat the oil a bit and dip cotton and make into a little ball to pout in the ear. The warmth and something in the oil immediately eases the ear pain and often is enough to cure the problem."
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[NAY] 09/11/2008: Sarah from Youngstown, OH writes: "Fresh Garlic cure for Ear Infection: I put a few drops of fresh garlic juice in my infected ear, hoping the burning would stop the itching. I felt nothing and it did nothing. Disappointed."
08/31/2009: Leah from Friendswood, Tx replies: "Use a few drops of apple cider vinegar"
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[WARNING!] 06/02/2008: Ouchy McNumbface from Suffolk, England writes: "DO NOT .. i repeat DO NOT, EVER put raw, undiluted garlic juice into your ear. I've had an ear infection for most of today, experiencing the normal agony [i've had maybe thirty of these damn infections over the years] and decided that i'd give the garlic juice a try. So i finely chopped seven cloves of garlic, stuck them into a large, plastic syringe [no needle!], put the end of the syringe into my ear and pushed the plunger. I hesitate to call it a plunger, I feel somewhat more inclined to call it a "detonator"; for at that moment the pain in my ear can only be described as... indescribable. I've had broken bones which hurt less than this. I've passed kidney stones which were positively comfortable compared with the insane, unimagineable combination of white-hot blowtorch to the entire right hand side of my face, and dynamite-coated road-drill intent on making a rather large impression/hole on my ear drum. I ran around the room desperately seeking some kind of cure for my newly acquired, self-inflicted facedeath, and in an insane panic managed to: 1: take four pain killers. 2: squirt cold water into my earhole and 3: place a nicotine patch over my ear. I'm not entirely sure what inspired the third choice, but in my insane stupor i think my brain somehow associated nicotine patches with stress/pain relief, so in a cloudy haze of bewildering desperation and nonsensical panic, i slapped 21mg of nicotinell over my earhole.
In a nutshell, it hurts. Don't do it. If you do do it, film it, put it on youtube."
11/19/2008: M from San Diego, Ca replies: "Dear Ouchy Mcnumbface, hahahaha thanks for the story and advice! I will definitely not try the garlic clove remedy but oh my gosh I laughed so hard at your story tears are flowing. I'm sorry you were in pain but you really know how to make a person laugh. Thanks I needed that! I hope your ear got better."
08/21/2009: Toya from Ny, Ny replies: "OhMY GOODNESS< McNumbface@
I TRIED not to laugh, but once you called the syringe a detonator, I couldn't contain myself any longer. You definitely convinced me to never put garlic juice in the ear. Oh my how funny. I'm sorry for your pain and I hope you are better now."
08/22/2009: Sara from The Beach, Canada replies: "to Ouchy McNumbface, and your experience with raw garlic juice for ear pain. i hope you feel better, but if laughter is the best medicine you just single handedly cured everyone on this site. i havnt laughed that hard for a long time."
08/22/2009: Kay from In The Valley, Ca replies: "OMG, I think I just busted a gut!!! What's the cure for THAT? Thank you so much for sharing this story, and I hope you don't mind our laughing. Oh, and thanks for the warning. Did the nicotine patch help (he, he)?"
08/25/2009: Rob from Manhattan, New York replies: "thanks Ouchy for the warning! sorry to have a good laugh at your expense...sort of like laughing at a funeral. I hope that all is healed."
08/31/2009: Leah from Friendswood, Tx replies: "ROFL! OMG, Laughing as Im typing, I can only imagine, I have also had instances like you where you just dont know what to do and do whatever to make it right again. Yeah, raw garlic is some strong stuff, never use just the raw juice, if you do, put some warmed coconut oil in it, like a drop, 2 at the most, Im still splitting my side, thanks for the laugh, sorry it had to be at your expense, I can honestly say, I know how you feel."
09/16/2009: Tracy from Arlington, Texas, Usa replies: "OMGOSH!!! Ouchy McNumbface! I hope your ear is better. I'm sitting here desperate to find some relief for my chronic ear ache till I can make it to the doctor appointment in the morning. I was almost in tears as I searched for some profound new way to ease the pain, and now I am laughing so hard, I think my ear may hurt worse once I stop, but that was hilarious! Have you considered stand up comedy? If you can articulate yourself on stage as well as you can write, I will be looking for you in the movies!!! Thanks for the crazy visuals! And again, hope you are feeling better!"
EC: One of our favorite posts on the site!
09/17/2009: Candi from Spring Hill, Florida replies: "I do not understand why you all are making your own garlic juice or oil. Go to the health food store and BUY a bottle of garlic oil made specifically for ear infections. Then you won't be putting pieces of garlic in your ears. I mean seriously Ouchie, do you not think that small pieces of the garlic went through that syringe tip and into your ear? Talk about OUCHIE! No wonder it hurt so badly. BUY GARLIC OIL AT A HEALTH FOOD STORE AND STOP MAKING YOUR OWN, PEOPLE. It is CHEAP. Won't break the bank OR make you go deaf."
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[YEA] 05/11/2008: Rita from Markham, Canada writes: "My four year old had a severe ear ache after a year of having ear aches every few weeks. I was tired of giving her antibiotics, therefore this time I wanted to find out a natural way to cure this pain. I tried the garlic cure and it worked. Although she did complain about the burning in her ear and she wanted me to clean it out, she ended up falling asleep and slept through the rest of the night. When she woke up she did not have an ear ache any longer. Whereas before putting the squeezed drops of garlic into her ear, she would dose off for a bit but then the pain would wake her up and she could not fall asleep. The crushed garlic juice in her ear really worked."
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[YEA] 01/11/2008: Brigitte from Houston, Texas writes: "Garlic works to alleviate ear aches. You simply must be sure to take the garlic clove and expose the tender inner flesh by scoring the outer flesh of the garlic; then wrap the garlic clove in a light cotton gauze to prohibit the ear from making direct contact with the garlic clove and place this into the ear canal. Be sure that the garlic clove is large enough to prevent its becoming lodged in the ear canal. leave it there and you will find that the pain will disipate. I have used this remedy repeatedly with great success. When my oldest daughter was about two years old she found it so soothing that if the garlic fell from her ear she would pick it up and place it back in her ear all by herself. Garlic works to alleviate ear aches"
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[YEA] 10/04/2007: Vina from Marian, Ohio writes: "your garlic cure is awsome -- i tried your garlic cure for ear infection it work like a charm thank you god bless you."
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[NAY] 05/21/2007: Marie from Arlington, WA writes: "I tried the crushed garlic juice in the ear. I "DO NOT" recommend this. I was in "SEVERE" "PAIN" for about five minutes!!!! It did not cure the ear infection. I only tried it in one ear because I could not purposly take that much pain again!!!!"
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[NAY] 12/05/2006: Melissa from Machesney Park, IL writes: "I used fresh garlic dropped in ear as another person had said that she did for her son. to get rid of the pain. I tried this on my boyfriend to try and get rid of his earache and infection. It immediately made his ear burn like it was on fire. Why, I am not sure. All I know is it caused him more pain then before. I DO NOT recommend this to anyone!!!!!! I felt so bad for him."
[NAY] 04/01/2007: Jinc's from Greenville, SC replies: "Thank you Melissa from Machesney Park, IL . . . I tried the garlic cure after getting an ear infection. I was glad to have read your warning about your boyfriend's ear burning badly. Your description of "like fire," was accurate. I did a little research and below is what Wikipedia had to say about allicin . . ."Allicin is a powerful antibiotic and anti-fungal compound obtained from garlic.
Allicin is not present in garlic in its natural state. When garlic is chopped or otherwise damaged, [squeezed] the enzyme alliinase acts on the chemical alliin converting it into allicin. Alliin is an amino acid that does not build proteins.
Allicin is not a very stable compound. It degrades slowly upon standing and is rapidly destroyed by cooking. Allicin can be used for some medicinal purposes - it helps fighting arteriosclerosis, it has the ability to dissolve fats and it can also be used as an antioxidant to some extent.
Allicin is also the chemical constituent primarily responsible for the hot, burning flavor of fresh garlic."
Please note that alicin is described as the agent that causes the hot burning sensation when you eat raw garlic. Probably does the same thing when you put raw fresh garlic in your ear.
I put raw garlic in a thin meshed gauze and after squeezing the juice into my ear. I then pushed the gauze (with garlic still in it) into my ear. I let it stay until I couldn't take the burning anymore.
Although the burning is great, I will try to endure to see if my ear gets better now that I have some idea of why it happens. I only tried it today (1 April 07). Will let everyone know the outcome in about a week. Wanted to let you know about the burning now!
Note: Wikipedia is an open source, free, web encyclopedia. I happen to trust it greatly, although some suspect it because ANYONE can add a definition."
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[YEA] 03/30/2006: Barbara from Dunwoody, GA writes: "I use fresh garlic as an antibiotic for earache and sinus infection. The antibiotic properties of garlic are a direct result of the allicin produced from raw, crushed garlic. This is destroyed by age and cooking - cooked garlic has virtually no antibiotic value. I crushed a fresh garlic clove, placed it in a handkerchief and squeezed a couple of drops in my son's ear, he was asleep in minutes with no pain in the morning. I've also sauteed noodles in olive oil & sprinkled fresh crushed garlic on it to address sinus problems."
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