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 Doug (Hartford City, IN) on 01/17/2009
★★★★★
Ear Ache - Hydrogen Peroxide: I tried about half a cap of Hydrogen Peroxide in my ear. I think only half of that made it in, rest ran down my face. I left it in for a few minutes, until it seemed like the bubbling had started to die down. Ears definitely feel better, clogged sinuses seem clearer also. I felt very dizzy and a little nauseated when doing the second ear, had to lay down on the bathroom floor.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Sea Salt
Posted by Dolphina (Christiansburg, Va. ) on 01/15/2009
★★★★★
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!
Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Navae (Portland, OR) on 12/22/2008
★★★★★
I use this site as a reference library for all the ailments our family encounters! It has been a lifesaver.
Yesterday i woke up with a horrific earache - it just came out of nowhere. It was making me dizzy and nauseous.
I am a stay at home mom of 3 little boys - i don't have time to be out of commission.
So - i came here as usual and found the Hydrogen peroxide remedy. i poured about a eighth of a cap-full (3 ml), tilted my head and poured it in. It was rather uncomfortable, mainly because of the liquid being in my sensitive ear, and the bubbling.... LOTS of bubbling :) But i don't think it was so bad that i couldn't do it on the kids.
anyway - i did it about once every 2-3 hours totaling 3 times. The last time was right before i went to bed.
I woke up this morning feeling 100%!
**other things i was also doing: GSE and Oregano oil in water to kill it from the inside, and immune boosting herbs. (if you use gse/oregano oil, please look up dosage info first!!!)****
Olive Oil
Posted by Kathy (Weatherford, Texas) on 12/09/2008
★★★★★
You might have to try several things. I tried hot oil treatment with THYME and it helped. Also I used alcohol drops. hydrogen peroxide hurts and it bubbles, and this is much better.
Garlic
Posted by M (San Diego, Ca) on 11/19/2008
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.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Kathy (Houston, TX) on 10/17/2008
★☆☆☆☆WARNING!
Warning: peroxide for ear pain
For some people this may work, but for me Never again. My fiance kept telling me just pour the peroxide in your ear it will feel better. The pain was very bad and I have had this ear rupture before on my from the pressure well I said fine. So i poured just a little in my ear and with in 10 minutes it ruptured and it drained puss and blood out of it. Very gross and expensive. All ways check with your doctor mine told me never to use it again on my ears.
Garlic
Posted by Sarah (Youngstown, OH) on 09/11/2008
★☆☆☆☆
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.
Olive Oil
Posted by Kathy (Mountain City, TN) on 09/09/2008
I want to try this Sweet Oil remedy. What is Sweet Oil? Where can it be found at the grocery or at Walmart?
EC: Sweet Oil is another name for Olive Oil.
Cayenne Pepper
Posted by Missy (Sherwood, Arkansas) on 09/07/2008
★★★★★
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!
Oregano Oil
Posted by Stella (OH) on 07/29/2008
★★★★★
I was in the begining stages of another ear ache. The pain had just started to become intense. I immediately did:
H202 method in both ears.
Applied Oil of Oregano on outer of the ears 3X a day.
1 drop Oil of Oregano in the ear 1x a day (optioanal, this burns a bit).
Did this for one week.
Ear ache all gone! Again, no antibiotics, Awesome!
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.
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 Ouchy McNumbface (Suffolk, England) on 06/02/2008
★☆☆☆☆WARNING!
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.
Coconut Oil and Garlic
Posted by Shabbir (Bangalore, India) on 05/30/2008
★★★★★
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.
Rubbing Alchol and Peroxide
Posted by Chanda (Fayetteville, AR) on 05/01/2008
★★★☆☆WORKED TEMPORARILY
I have been suffering from a chronic earache for two weeks now, and nothing is working!! The ATB did not help. My doctor did recommend a mixture of alcohol, peroxide and regular tap water and it did alleviate the pain for a day. Mix equal parts(a capfull of each) place in ear for 5 mins and then shower to irrigate. I dont reccomend the ear pick, my doc did this last year and I ended up with a horrible infection due to the injury from it!! I'm now hoping the old faithfull sweet oil works!!!
Ear Remedy Warning
Posted by Shari (Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada) on 04/27/2008
★☆☆☆☆WARNING!
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.
Cigarette Smoke
Posted by Renee (El Dorado, Kansas) on 06/04/2007
★★★★★
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.
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
