The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by emt_scheid911 (Detroit, MI) on 05/15/2009
★☆☆☆☆WARNING!
Hello,
I came to the website in search of something to help with my ear pain which I associated with having impacted wax with a q-tip yesterday. I read about the peroxide and used it and was immediatly regretful! I became so dizzy that I passed out immediatly and when I woke up I didn't stop vomiting for the next 2 hours. It took the whole day for the dizziness to go away. And after all that-nothing changed in my ear whatsoever. I went to the doctor and he said to make sure you MIX the peroxide 50/50 with warm water, and to make sure the peroxide is WARM. If you put it in your ear cold-you will get the side effects that I did. So-I'm not saying it doesn't work because clearly for some it does. Just make sure you WARM THE PEROXIDE and make sure you DILUTE it, and make sure it really is ear wax because I ended up having an infection and a ruptured ear drum!
Take care guys!
Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Beverly (Tucson) on 09/19/2015
She's not lying. A nurse told me to make sure to not put anything (she was referring to water--but it's still the same principle) cold in your ear because it could make you pass out and/or vomit. Always make sure that whatever you put in is warm.
Garlic
Posted by Susy (Woodland Hills, CA) on 03/10/2009
★★★★★
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.
Oregano Oil
Posted by London (Sandusky, Ohio) on 04/28/2009
★★★☆☆BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS
Yes, I've tried Oregano Oil for an Ear infection and It worked, but it burned the heck out of my Ear!! Just rub the outsides of outer ear, and it will make it's way to inner ear, without causing you to go nuts with the burning.
Urine
Posted by Teresa (Nacogdoches, USA) on 06/20/2008
★★★★★
Although it may sound gross to some, here is a remedy that's been used by my family for generations.It has worked on me, my siblings and my children. It is now known that your own urine has natural antibiotic properties unique to the individual who contributes the sample. However, your child must be old enough to urinate into a cup (with your help of course). Catch the urine in mid stream in a cup. Take 1 teaspoon and pour into the ear canal followed by a cotton ball then lay the child down for a nap. You will never spend another dime on antibiotics for ear infections if this remedy is used.
Garlic
Posted by Candi (Spring Hill, Florida) on 09/17/2009
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.
Garlic
Posted by Ashley (Celle, Germany) on 12/21/2011
★★★★★
I have never read a recommendation to put garlic juice into your ear. Onion juice is usually recommended, or a chunk of garlic wrapped in tissue.
Garlic is highly potent and should be used accordingly. I currently have a chunk of raw garlic in each ear wrapped in toilet paper to help clear up ear pain from a cold/flu that's been coming on slowly. I also just ate two cloves of raw garlic, crushed and doused in olive oil to protect the stomach.
I put the crushed and oiled garlic onto a spoon and take about half to all of it at once, depending on how big the clove(s) is/are, then I swallow the crushed clove with a swig of water like a pill. This helps me to best avoid the strong taste of garlic.
Olive Oil
Posted by Kia (Columbia, South Carolina) on 11/25/2007
★★★★★
Sweet Oil: I'm 26 years old and I lived with my grandmother a majority of my life. For as long as I can remember, anytime I would get ear aches, she would put sweet oil in my ear. Sweet oil can be found at any grocery store. All you have to do is get the sweet oil, pour the sweet oil in a tablespoon, and heat it up. I usually put a lighter under the spoon to get it warm, (not too hot). Next, get a cotton ball and soak up the sweet oil. Put the cotton ball(s) in your ear(s), and the next day you will be cured. This remedy has never failed me or anyone else in my family. Its guaranteed to work.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Sandy (In the sticks, Nevada) on 11/24/2007
★★★★★
We have been using hydrogen peroxide for years to fight off earaches and colds. My kids and I used to go to the dr. all the time for earaches and end up with a big dr. bill and antibiotics. Then we heard about peroxide. I keep the peroxide in a small glass bottle with an eyedropper. The moment anyone starts to get a sore throat or their ears hurt even a tiny bit, we put one eyedropper full in each ear. Hold the bottle in your hand to warm the peroxide a bit (otherwise it feels like ice water going in) and have the person lie flat on their side. I like to leave the peroxide in until it stops bubbling, but even a few minutes may be enough to help. Drain the peroxide out when you are done and dry the ear thoroughly. A nurse told me that the peroxide would burn a hole through the lining of the ear(Has anyone ever heard of this before?), but we have done this for almost 10 years with no problems.
Garlic
Posted by Lisa (Thousand Oaks, Ca, Usa) on 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
Cayenne Pepper
Posted by Robin (Warriors Mark, Pennsylvania) on 11/17/2007
★★★★★
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!
Olive Oil
Posted by Michelle (Lamora, Mexico)
★★★★★
When I would get earaches as a child my mom would warm a spoon over the fire or even with a match/cigarette lighter, for a few seconds then dump either olive oil or onion juice on the spoon then dump it in both my ears and put cotton balls in them. Then she'd let me lay on a hot water bottle this usually helps. But once when I was younger I tried to do that for my sister and I heated the spoon too hot and burnt her so you have to watch for that
Chamomile
Posted by Rob (Kentucky) on 10/11/2024
★★★★★
If it be a child with earache, strong decoctions, such as chamomile tea, are douched or dropped in the canal.
INDICATIONS FOR PARACENTESIS OF THE MEMBRANA TYMPANI IN OTITIS MEDIA ACUTA. *BY H. V. WÜRDEMANN, M.D., MILWAUKEE, WIS.
The Laryngoscope, Volumes 2-3,1897. Ophthalmic and Aural Surgeon to the Children's Hospital; to the Milwaukee County Hospital for the Chronic Insane; Director to the Wisconsin General Hospital; Secretary of the Section on Ophthalmology and Otology of the Wisconsin State Medical Society, 1897.
Hydrogen Peroxide
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.
Rubbing Alcohol and White Vinegar
Posted by Kiran Shrimali (A) on 10/11/2017 1 posts
★★★★★
First of all I like to thank those who have put up this solution for swimmer ear. I am using this solution and I got immediate result.
I have added 90% RUBBING ALCOHOL and 10% WHITE VINEGAR, I am using small nasal spray bottle for spraying it inside my ear canal and outer ear and all around my ear, after 1-2 min I clean my ear from inner and outer portion of my ear with cotton . Within 3 days I got the result. My ear which was deformed, it came back to its normal. I was having Ear Pimple and skin rashes all his problem got resolve.
My swimmer ear infection was extended to outer ear skin till my half face. So for this I have taken an antibiotic called "Flucloxacillin 500mg" empty stomach 2hr before food one table in a day for a week. This helped me to get my face recover for infection. I also some time use ear drops from the pharmacy when I feel itching in ear.
Once again I like to thank all those people who have share their experience for this swimmer ear infection.
Keep your ear clean and healthy and swim well.
Tea Tree Oil, Coconut Oil
Posted by Natalie (Washington Dc) on 02/12/2017
★★★★★
I've been suffering with a recurring ear infection for 2 years now, had my 4th one most recently and in the past I've had to go to urgent care to get topical antibiotic ear drops to cure it. I'm out in CA for work and my insurance does not cover doctors here, and I know the garlic oil trick has never worked in the past. I came across tea tree oil being diluted in VIRGIN coconut oil as they are both, anti bacterial, anti viral and anti fungal trying to get ride of the infection. 3 days on this treatment and I can confidently say I am cured. I will keep taking the following dosage 15 drops of tea tree oil diluted in a tablespoon of coconut oil 3Xs a day for 7 days.
I saw results the first day and I was able to sleep without any pain in my ear. I'm so glad I don't have to keep going to urgent care for this, as this is a recurring problem since I produce too much wax in my ears and therefore end up getting frequent ear infections as a result.
Cigarette Smoke
Posted by Charlee (Baltimore, Md) on 08/20/2014
★★★★★
My husband told me to light a cigarette and put it in my ear because I had really bad pressure in it. I looked at him like he was crazy but I also looked up the ear candle that day and I said I'm NOT doing that so I lit a cigarette and put it in my ear and I couldn't believe, it was still smoking itself ( being fire safe)!!! Anyways I could actually feel the smoke in my ear and it popped and I did it again a few hours later and I have no pain! It does work!
Rubbing Alcohol and White Vinegar
Posted by Tommy (Fremont, Indiana) on 05/01/2012
★★★★★
Thank you I did the half and half of white vinager and alcohol it worked fine! Thank-you again
Vinegar
Posted by Obeybunny (Santa Ana, Ca, United States Of America) on 12/30/2011
★★★★★
What do you do about Ear aches, ear infections?
This is what I always do when I have an ear infection and it works every time, no matter how mild or severe the infection is.
Step 1: Take some vinegar. Dilute it to 50% vinegar and 50% warm water (just a few degrees above your normal body temperature).
Step 2:Tilt your head and poor in the vinegar water until your ear canal is full. Keep the vinegar water in there for 5 seconds and then dump it out.
Step 3: repeat step 2 at least twice.
Step 4: clean out your ears with a Q-tip (which are ear-cleaning cotton swabs on sticks)
Do these steps every day until your ear infection hasn't returned for 2 days. You can "vinegar up" your ears as often or as little as you like. If you're home all day, go ahead and wash out your ears with vinegar water on an hourly basis- you'll recover to full health in your ears faster this way.
And I do mean it cures "severe ear infections. " You may be doubled over in pain, deaf in both ears, and have been suffering with the infection for more than a month (as my mom was before she discovered this cure)- but if you follow the above instructions, you'll return to normal within a week.
Rubbing Alcohol and White Vinegar
Posted by Courtney (Los Angeles, Ca) on 12/04/2011
I have an earache and I tried the alcohol and white vinegar remedy, but so far all it has done is ease the pain very lightly and it is making my ear canal feel as if it is burning almost. The "burning" does not hurt, but I can tell it is there. Maybe I did not mix the alcohol and white vingegar correctly. Please help me I am in pain and I have class tomorrow.
Cigarette Smoke
Posted by Jessica (Dallas, Tx) on 12/02/2011
★★★★★
Just tried cigarette smoke for an earache and can't believe it worked! Had sinus issues the last few days.. Everything else had mostly cleared up but I was left with horrible pressure and popping in my ears (I think due to some post nasal drip). I lit half a cigarette, placed in ear, let it sit there for about a min while I hunched over to keep it in place. The popping stopped!
