Earaches
Natural Remedies

Effective Natural Earache Remedies for Pain Relief

Garlic

24 User Reviews
5 star (17) 
  71%
1 star (7) 
  29%

Posted by Vina (Marian, Ohio) on 10/04/2007
★★★★★

your garlic cure is awsome -- i tried your garlic cure for ear infection it work like a charm thank you god bless you.

Replied by Dawn
(Springdale, Pa)
01/10/2012

I'm new on this site...... And I love it. It's so helpful. Thanks!


Garlic
Posted by Marie (Arlington, WA) on 05/21/2007
★☆☆☆☆

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!!!!

Replied by Cooky
(San Fran, Ca)
11/21/2012

DO NOT put garlic juice in your ear it will burn your ear... just go to the store and buy some garlic and mullein ear drops for your ear and just follow the directions on label.

Replied by Lisa
(Thousand Oaks, Ca, Usa)
11/21/2012

Hi Cooky, Actually, you don't even need to go buy the drops. You can save yourself money by making your own garlic ear oil. I would do this whenever my kids got an earache through all the years of raising them. It always worked like a charm.

I would take a bit of olive oil and gently heat it and then put a clove of garlic in it and let it steep. After it would cool down, I'd remove the garlic clove, gently warm it and drop it in their ears then put a cotton ball in. Very simple and very effective. Never had to take my kids to the doctor for earaches, that's how effective it was. Hope this helps, Lisa

Replied by Mmsg
(Somewhere, Europe)
11/22/2012

Lisa, I did a simpler version and it also always worked, never took them to doctors for earaches: I just put olive oil on a piece of cotton and put it (not deeply) in the ear for at least two days - changing once in about 12 hours. Earache usually gone in 24 hours, but I kept it there a day more, to make sure it was really all gone. I still do that if I feel the slightest tingle in my ear.

Replied by Lisa
(Thousand Oaks, Ca, Usa)
11/22/2012

Hi Mmsg, It's always good to hear your input on things! So, you mean I didn't even need to use the garlic?! I learned this a very long time ago about the garlic oil so I don't know what my source was. I always figured it was the garlic doing the most beneficial part. Since you're in Europe, is this a known tradition? Is this common for people to do as a folk remedy? Because America is such a melting pot, I find this kind of knowledge has been lost for the most part. Many of the things I know are from Europeans who wrote books or articles. I started studying long before I had kids and this knowledge helped sustain me through all my child- rearing years (which I'm still in! LOL) They were such people as Paavo Airola, Viktoras Kulvinskas, Tine Thevenin, articles in Mothering magazine back in the early 80's, etc. As a result, I never had to take my kids to the drs! I try to pass this on to women raising their own kids. Hope you do too! Best to you always, Lisa

Replied by Mmsg
(Somewhere, Europe)
11/22/2012

Lisa, I never knew about the garlic, that's why I never used it. I would imagine it is indeed more potent with garlic, but just the oil-in-cotton did work for us. I learnt this from my grandma, who was from Russia.


Garlic
Posted by Melissa (Machesney Park, IL) on 12/05/2006
★☆☆☆☆

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.

Replied by Jinc's
(Greenville, SC)
04/01/2007
★☆☆☆☆

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.

Replied by Jo
(Australia)
12/09/2016

How did this go? Did your ear burn badly or did it heal the infection? I just accidently poured undilute garlic oil in my ear and the burn was bad! Worried I did something stupid..


Garlic
Posted by Barbara (Dunwoody, GA) on 03/30/2006
★★★★★

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.


Garlic
Posted by Anonymous (USA) on 11/16/2005
★★★★★

Garlic for ear ache: one garlic tooth. heat not too hot. cut a piece from garlic. wrap in a cotton ball with vick 's vapor rub then insert in ear. Not both ears. in no time you'll feel better.


Garlic and ACV

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Christina (PC, Florida) on 10/23/2006
★★★★★

Garlic and apple cider vinegar syrup cured a yeast infection in my ear, a sore throat and all else that acv and garlic does!!Put chopped garlic into a glass jar, add 2-4 tbs of raw apple cider with the mother, close jar, let sit 24-48 hours. Either take by spoonful every few hours, or put into ear w/ qtip, or mix with equal part of olive oil and eat the healthiest salad dressing EVER!


Garlic Oil Recipe

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Mama to Many (Tennessee, US) on 09/06/2014
★★★★★

My son had a terrible earache. I gave him some OTC pain medicine because he had to go to work. Then I began a batch of garlic oil. When he came in later, I put a few drops of the garlic oil into each ear. He has been fine ever since. I have used this oil in the past for ear pain. Usually I use it at least once or twice a day. Used with a warm rice sock, pain will usually be resolved quite quickly. I believe if you have a ruptured ear drum, it is not recommended to use anything in the ear. In that case, the oil could be rubbed under and around the ear.

Recipe for Garlic Oil

1/2 cup freshly minced garlic cloves

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil

Mix together and let sit on the counter for ten days. Shake three times a day. After ten days, strain out the garlic with a coffee filter. Label and date and STORE IN REFRIGERATOR! This way it will last all fall and winter. I will leave it out for days at a time when treating someone with an acute condition. Perhaps adding some vitamin E oil would help it to last even longer.

I usually store it in a glass bottle with an eyedropper. I put the glass bottle into a mug of hot water for 5 minutes before using it, so the oil will be warm in the oil. That feels better than cold oil, especially for children.

I didn't have ten days to wait to treat my son. So, I strained out a little bit of the oil after a few hours. It will get stronger and stronger over the course of ten days.

I also use this oil on the chest and/or back for a cough. It will make the person being treated smell terribly of garlic, but it works. For a small child, I rub it into the bottoms of the feet. It works VERY well for a stubborn cough and I love that I can treat a child without even waking him up at night.

Lalitha Thomas, author of, "Ten Essential Herbs, " from whom I got the original recipe, will use it internally for a cough or as a natural antibiotic. (1 teaspoon per adult dose, equivalent of 1 garlic clove.) She does not use the coconut oil, but I like to use it as it also has anti-viral properties.

Where I live, cold and flu season are around the corner. It is a good time to be sure to have Garlic Oil made up ahead of time!

~Mama to Many~

Replied by Tim
(Alabama, US)
03/20/2015

Thank you for sharing this oil recipe. It was a life saver over this past winter. I have started another batch to keep over the summer for that one in a million just in case moment. Managed to be bed ridden for almost a month. Between this and Apple Cider Vinegar add to Black Tea over Ice, I am ninety five percent better. Love this Earth Clinic and all that share. Thanks again Mama to Many.

Replied by Mama To Many
(Tennessee)
03/20/2015

Dear Tim,

Thanks for sharing your success story! I am so glad you are feeling better!

~Mama to Many~


Hand on Ear Method

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Gean (Salina, KS) on 03/13/2009
★★★★★

At the very first sign of ear pain, put your hand over your ear for a few minutes, warming your ear. If your hair is long enough, pull some hair over your ear and cover with warm hand. Keep it there until pain goes away. If you have access to a hat or head band, cover ears to keep warm. If very bad you can cup both hands and make a "tunnel" from your mouth to your ear, blowing warm air. The key is not to wait at all, but do it at the first sign of pain. You can do this wherever you happen to be, and can save you lots of trouble. I've told my kids to do this, and no one in the family has had ear pain for many, many years. If time has gone by and you've had the ear pain for hours, then you may need a heated salt bag or some of the other treatments, although it wouldn't hurt to try the above. But, remember for the next time that a stitch in time saves nine.


Holy Basil Leaves

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Matt (Trenton, FL) on 06/17/2007
★★★★★

I kept reading that holy basil leaves would kill the pain. I didn't wanna chop fresh ones up so i just found a small bottle of the liquid from a company out of India. I put 2 drops into my ear with the pain and it seem to get rid of the pain within minutes. I don't know about everyone else but i know anti biotic will get rid of the infection i just need to get rid of the pain myself until they do their job. This sure helped.


Hydrogen Peroxide

19 User Reviews
5 star (12) 
  63%
1 star (4) 
  21%
(3) 
  16%

Posted by Abhi (Tamil Nadu) on 10/25/2017

i am getting pain in my ear (bottom part) after using hydrogen peroxide. it is really pains baddly. please suggest anything.

Replied by Rob
(Kentucky)
12/06/2022
★★★★★

This is from my Aunt who is 86 years old. She says to put 3 - 5 drops of 3% H2O2 brown bottle into the ear canal followed by a cottonball placed over the opening. Then go lay down for a while. Let the peroxide bubble and disinfection the ear canal. This worked for her 5 kids from the 1960's and up.

Mama to Many
(TN)
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~


Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Mundaring (Perth, Western Australia) on 11/20/2012
★★★★★

Thank you EC community for helping me discover remedies I had no idea about. Had an excruciating earache which doc prescribed antibiotics for. No thanks! Checked EC to discover Hydrogen Peroxide may kill the little gremlins causing my earache. YES! Happily dipped the "cottonbud" (Aussie for Qtip) into H2O2 3% and dripped a drop or three into the ear, tilted head while it bubbled for a few seconds. Repeated a few hours later and went to bed. VOILA! Woke up 6 hrs later and.... THANK GOD... no earache. Shalom.


Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Jas (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) on 06/08/2011
★★★★★

It worked! I was a bit skeptical about putting it in my ear but it hurt so much... So I got 3% Peroxide and a cotton ball... Soaked the cotton ball, tilteld my head to side then put inside my ear and squeezed so the liquid can go inside my ear... Kept my head tilted to side for a few minutes, couldnt hear anything but as soon as I straightened my head out the peroxide dripped out and I could hear again, and pain was almost gone!!! I did that a about three times in an hour... Went to bed and my earache is pretty much gone this morning!! Still a bit sensitive but nowhwre near the pain last night! Thanks EC once again... Awesome site


Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Jules (Denver, Colorado) on 09/30/2010

Here's a twist, two plus days ago I dropped hydrogen peroxide in my ear because I thought it needed to be cleaned. There was no popping or fizzing and when I tried to drain it, nothing came out. Now my ear is aching, my glands are swollen, can't hear a thing and my ear feels full of water. I've tried to drain it; jumped around, alchohol, heat, antihistamines, oral acv, gse... Anyone have some advice? I'm in so much pain and can't hear a thing but the inside of my head!! :(

Replied by Lisa
(Stamford, Ct)
01/23/2011

What did you end up doing to relieve your symptoms? By accident I took full strength 29% H202 in my ear and now it is a little achey. Hope you're feeling better!

Replied by Elaine
(Edmond, Oklahoma, Usa)
03/03/2011

You need to irrigate your ears with warm water and maybe a little liquid soap and peroxide after you use hydrogen peroxide in your ears. The Peroxide caused the ear wax to dislodge and swell. You can buy a ball syringe at any pharmacy. I use my water pic and it seems to wash all the "trash" out of my ears pretty well. If you wait too long this will turn into an infection and you'll have to see your doctor. Judging by the date I imagine you already have. Many years ago my doctor told me it is quite alright to irrigate your own ears. In fact he gave me a syringe to do it with.

Replied by Anonymous
(Pdx, Or)
08/19/2012

If the wax is lodged in the ear, go to the nurse treatment room and get a ear irrigation- it is inexpensive, and it painless process.

Replied by Kevin
(Canada)
01/28/2023

I call BS on this post. Looks like robo-posting is all over the internet trying to dis-credit natural remedies.


Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Matt (Fremont, Ca) on 02/04/2010
★★★★★

Let me start by saying that I have used this site many many times, but this is the first time I am writing in. The reason I chose to write in now is because this remedy is quite extraordinary. It works! I had my wife help, but she poured 1/4 tsp of Hydrogen Peroxide into my infected ear and it worked immediately. If you are like me, be prepared for what could be a loud POP! After the POP! my ear felt better. Thanks to all that make this site what it is! :)


Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by dadude99 (Cottonwood, AZ,) on 07/05/2009

Right now i have a realy bad ear ache that has ben going on for 2 days. yesterday it was the 4th of July, so the bangs made it worse. i tryed pain killer, and it worked pretty well. this morning i started to hear ringing, so i tryed proxide, and now it is stuck in my ear bubbling. so DONT USE PROXIDE!

Replied by Alicia
(Madrid, Spain)
07/18/2009

Maybe you put it straight from the bottle without diluting, I tried it one part(10 drops h202) diluted with mineral water (20 times the amount of h202) and worked marvelously and at the same time I gargled it and got rid of ear ache and sore throat due to infection. I reccomend doing it every 5 hours and 48 hours later you're fixed. Maybe you can't take it in this solution either but it helped me to the max and I reccomend it. I'm also using it for a toe nail fungus and day by day it's getting better and better. Have a nice one.



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