Effective Natural Earache Remedies for Pain Relief

mouthwash

Posted by Rob (Kentucky) on 04/28/2022
★★★★★

Day 3 of a bad earache coming on. Tried H2O2 and Garlic oil the first 2 days, but neither worked. So I did something crazy. I soaked a cottonball in Green Mint Antiseptic Mouthwash from Dollartree (Blue Mint also works) and plugged it in the bad ear. In about 30 minutes the pain was gone. For a quick fix until morning this is amazing.

Todays mouthwash was originally invented in 1879 “Listerine” – for sterilizing surgical wounds. Sometime in the 1970's it was marketed as a mouthwash.

Ingredients contain essential oils (e.g., eucalyptol “eucalyptus”, menthol “peppermint”, thymol “thyme”, and methyl salicylate “wintergreen” and 12% alcohol). All of which are used to fight infections.

White Vinegar

Posted by Trista (Sydney, Australia ) on 03/15/2022
★★★★★

A couple of weeks ago my daughter started holding her ear saying it hurt.

Never had this happened before.

So I took out the otoscope to have a look and sure enough she had some bubble like appearance behind the eardrum membrane.

I came to this site and decided to try white vinegar and water 1:1 dilution.

Using the syringe you get with kids panadol, I put a couple of drops in the ear and counted to 5 then drained. Did this to both my ears 1st, an hour or so prior to make sure it didn't hurt... I did find the temperature to be too cold so I used boiled water for the dilution for my daughter's ear... made sure it was lukewarm before using it.

She didn't complain of a sore ear after that. I asked if it felt better and she said yes.

Checked her ear the next day and she had less bubbles. Used the solution again that day and the next day the bubbles were gone. I did it sporadically every couple of days after to be safe.

We bought an otoscope to keep an eye on her ears as she had blockages when she was a toddler.

It does come in handy.

Wintergreen Essential Oil

Posted by Rob (Kentucky) on 03/21/2021
★★★★★

Wintergreen oil is known to address ear infections/pain. It contains aspirin-like compound methyl salicylate which may help reduce pain and swelling. Wintergreen essential oil is also toxic for bacteria and microbes. It is known to penetrate the skin easily and so can be effectively used to treat infection in the ear topically. As well as being an excellent natural pain reliever Wintergreen has various other benefits too, it acts as a stimulant in terms of healing bones, and is a diuretic that helps in detoxification the area.

How I Use It:

Massage around the affected ear using 2 drops of wintergreen oil. Repeat 2-3 times a day. Or, you can add it to a carrier oil like jojoba 1:1 ratio. It is easily absorbed. These are adult formulas.

Warning: It is said that wintergreen is not to be used on kids under 12 years old. There are other oils that are safe for them like lavender, peppermint, and rosemary. Do a patch test before using. Avoid direct contact with the eye and open wounds.

Rubbing Alcohol and White Vinegar

Posted by Marsh (Denver) on 06/25/2013
★★★★★

Earth Clinic & it's followers are the BEST! A nasty sinus infection left behind a plugged left ear that was driving me crazy. After 5 days of discomfort I tried the 50/50 mixture of alcohol & white vinegar yesterday morning about 10am. It caused more fullness which was even more uncomfortable, which had me believing it was a mistake. Then around 11pm last nite there was a noise in my ear that sounded like a door slamming. It was my ear opening!!! I put 2 more drops in last night and this morning ~ better than the drugs the ENT ($105 dr appt and $50 prescriptions) gave me last year for the same thing that lasted for 6 months. Thank you all for sharing.

Rubbing Alcohol and White Vinegar

Posted by Carbon Scorn (Boston, Ma) on 09/21/2011
★★★★★

In my early Twenties my scuba instructor, ex-US Navy, told me how to rid myself of my very regular and annoying ear infections. Mix 50/50 white vinegar and rubbing alcohol in a dropper. Tip yoru head to the side and put 3 drops in each when ever you complete a dive (or whenever you feel your ears starting to itch or hurt). Wiggle the outer ear and the base of the ear to be sure it settles deep, add a few more drops if you need to, wait one minute then tip your head and let it drain out into a tissue. Then do the other ear. Well, I've done this so many times I can not count. It works every time, and I've also done this with my kids whenever I saw them starting to scratch their ears when they were toddlers. They have never once needed to be seen by a doctor for an ear infection.

My description of the science at work here? Ear wax is acidic by nature, that's how it protects the area from bacteria. And ear "wax" is hydrophobic (it doesn't like water), so its coating keeps the ear canal free of bacterial breeding dampness. The white vinegar is simply helping to restore a high level of acidity while the alcohol dries up any water.

P.S. prior to learning this trick I used to use Hydrogen Peroxide with mixed results. After learning more with age I realized that the Hydrogen Peroxide, after oxidation, leaves behind water, aka a damp environment for any residual bacteria to flourish. Using this 50/50 of vinegar & alcohol mix post a hydrogen peroxide flush yielded desirable results every single time. Soon I totally left out the hydrogen peroxide step. Oh, and never cover your ear after flushing as that again inhibits the dry environment required to put an end to the bacteria.

Cigarette Smoke

Posted by Supportnatural (Calgary, Ab, Canada) on 08/02/2011
★★★★★

Hi I saw this work at the emergency. A woman in great pain due due to an ear infection was shaking and crying. A Persian woman offered to blow cigarette smoke into her ear. The woman in pain refused at first but eventually accepted. They stepped out of the hospital. Five minutes later the woman in pain looked calm and no longer in pain. Cigarette smoke doesn't cure but relieves pain.

Garlic

Posted by John (Cumberland, Md) on 02/08/2011
★☆☆☆☆

WARNING!

Garlic has given me tinnitus for five weeks now. Really worried. Do not, Do not put garlic in your ear

Olive Oil

Posted by Msg (Somewhere, Europe) on 03/15/2010
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Hi, having benefited from many of your ideas here, for which I am very grateful, I thought I'd share one that is tried and true:

Having had numerous siblings and numerous children, I can recommend without reservation the olive oil-on-a-piece-of-cotton remedy for earaches. Works for all ages, in my experience. by 48 hours the latest, earaches are gone. The olive oil only has to saturate a bit of the cotton (the side that goes into the ear) and the cotton should be stuffed (not deeply!!) into the ear and kept there. We put a biggish piece of cotton so it won't be able to get too deep. It can be changed as often as you want but we always just leave it there till the next shower.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Eva (Denham Springs, Louisiana, United States) on 05/26/2009
★★★★★

Most of the children on my father's side have had to have tubes put in their ears. I suffered from many ear infections throughout childhood. Typically, it was from swimming, but I even got it from taking a shower or bath occasionally.

Ear drops from the doctor were warm, oily, expensive, and took about a week to cure the infection. My mother heard that you could get rid of it with hydrogen peroxide and I have never looked back. Any time my ear starts to hurt, I put a few drops of 3% hydrogen peroxide into my ear and let it sit until it stops bubbling. Then, I drain out the ear and put one drop of rubbing alcohol. The peroxide cleans and sanitizes the ear canal. The drop of alcohol mixes with any water or peroxide left in the ear and evaporates it quickly.

This method usually takes care of the infection overnight, and I haven't had an earache for more than two days since I started using it. I don't know how safe this is, because I'm not a doctor. I do know that I have been doing it for the past 14 years and still have good hearing and no known problems with my ears.

Cayenne Pepper

Posted by Justis (St. Louis, MO) on 02/03/2009
★★★★★

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.

Apple Cider Vinegar, Sea Salt

Posted by Vera (Houton, TX) on 07/10/2008
★★★★★

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.

Cigarette or Newspaper

Posted by Rudy (Hollister, Ca) on 04/03/2007
★★★★★

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

Turpentine

Posted by Rob (Kentucky) on 04/04/2025
★★★★★

Turpentine (Gum Resin) Oil for Ear-ache

Blend a spoon of clean turpentine with an equal amount of almond or olive oil and place a cotton ball squeezed in that mixture in your ear overnight. This would help alleviate the ear infection. From Article: The Sacred Heart Review, Volume 5, Number 6,3 January 1891

Deafness generally arises from deficient secretion of wax in the ear. The following remedy is in some cases useful:— Oil of turpentine, half a dram ; olive oil, two drams; mix, and insert a couple of drops in the ear at bed-time.

Source https://www.oldtimeremedies.co.uk/tag/ear

Mullein Tincture

Posted by Rob (Kentucky) on 11/26/2023
★★★★★

I've been having a nagging ear-ache for a few days now. My GF used my “Otoscope” to look into my ear but saw nothing… normal.

I had to go to a family function and my ear was killing me but did not want to put oily balms or garlic smelling oils in my ear being around family members asking…. “what's that smell…?”

So, after showering, I walked to my herbal preparation area in my kitchen thinking… OK what can I use that won't smell? I grabbed my mullein tincture, tilted my head and applied 25 drops into the canal and plugged it with a cottonball.

I then proceeded to finish getting dressed. 5 minutes later, I noticed the pain was gone so I just left the cottonball in my ear. Got into my car and drove to my family gathering. 1 hour later pain still gone.

Now, why did I choose Mullein Tincture?

Mainly because I did not have any mullein flower oil and it takes 2 weeks to make it. So on to plan B.

It is believed that Europeans discovered the medicinal potential of common mullein in the island of Thapsos, in Greece, hence its botanical name, Verbascum thapsus. Ancient physicians, such as Galen, Hippocrates, Plinius, and Dioscorides wrote about the herbs's various medicinal uses.

The entire plant is active herbally. So pervasive was the use of Mullein in early America, one of the Missouri pioneers named Helderman, was heard to offer this valuable advice to his young grandson: "Young sprout, you see that plant (Mullein) over there? That'll heal about anything."

Mullein leaves and flowers are classified in traditional herbal literature as expectorants (promotes the discharge of mucus) and demulcents (soothes irritated mucous membranes). Historically, mullein has been used by herbalists as a remedy for the respiratory tract, particularly in cases of irritating coughs with bronchial congestion. Some herbal texts extend the therapeutic use to pneumonia and asthma. Due to its mucilage content, mullein has also been used topically by herbalists as a soothing emollient for inflammatory skin conditions. Today, people have discovered it works very well for COVID lungs.

So, if you are suffering from an ear-ache and you have mullein tincture, stick it in your ear!

Aloe Vera

Posted by Rob (Kentucky) on 05/22/2022
★★★★★

My girlfriend had an earache from breathing all the pollen in the air this spring. She describes it as a constant throbbing pain deep inside her ear. Just by chance I have been reading a book called “Curandero Hispanic Ethno-Psychotherapy & Curanderismo: Treating Hispanic … By Antonio Noé Zavaleta Ph.D” translation: Treating Hispanic Mental Health.

In the back of the book, Dr. Antonio talks about Mexican home remedies used for various health problems. One was using aloe vera leaf for earache. They heat the gel from the leaf and place it gently on the outer ear for an hour or so. This remedy usually solves the problem in cases where the infection is not the cause of the problem. Aloe vera helps to correct abnormalities in the ear. The same properties that help it reduce swelling, inflammation and pain when you have a skin burn are also effective when used in the ear. When applied, it can help to restore pH balance and deflate swelling tissue, reducing itchiness and pain.

The best part is that it's all natural and safe for any age. So, using my GF as a guinea pig... here is how I extract aloe for her ear-ache.

Cut enough peeled aloe leaf to place into a garlic press. About ½ by ½ gel cube will do. Gentle squeeze the press so the gel is forced through the little holes on the press to release the liquid inside the gel cell membranes. Next, use a medicine eye dropper to drop 3 - 5 drops into the children's ear or 15 – 20 for adult.

More if you desire, it does not hurt. This is most easily done when your lying on your side or head tilted to the side. After applying, put a cotton ball in the ear for a few minutes or hour to keep the aloe from draining out. Keep in mind that putting cold liquids into the ear is quite uncomfortable and could lead to dizziness. If you keep your aloe vera leaf in the refrigerator, you may want to heat it slightly in the microwave before use. The aloe should be room temperature, not hot.

Aloe vera left at room temperature can be applied comfortably. Results: She woke up with no pain. Yah! All hail the Sabila Catus!

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by Mama to Many (TN) on 12/06/2022

Hi Rob,

I have done this for years (I am sure I first saw it here at Earth Clinic! ) and my kids love this. My adult daughter asked me to do this for her when she was stopped by the other day; she's been under the weather.

It disinfects and dissolves/softens ear wax!

~Mama to Many~