There are few things in this world more annoying than getting an ear infection. In addition to feeling generally congested, your head also has an aching sensation, making you miserable.
When you contract an ear infection, you immediately want it to go away.
But how do you make an ear infection go away? What can you do to soothe the pain and irritation?
Fortunately, there are tons of home remedies for ear infection available. Here is a list of 22.
Olive Oil
One of the best home remedies for ear infections is to use olive oil. Olive oil provides tremendous relief from pain and aching. To use olive oil for your earache, start by warming it up so that it’s lukewarm. After your olive oil is lukewarm, draw some of it into an ear dropper. Hold the ear dropper over your ear canal and squirt some drops into your ear.
To hold the olive oil in your ear, plug it up with a cotton ball. Keep the cotton ball inserted in your ear for a minute or two, massaging the outer ear as you wait. Once a couple of minutes have passed, clean out your ears with a q-tip or paper towel.
Doing this once or twice a day will help to relieve pain, and perhaps even eliminate your ear infection.
Basil
High in antioxidants, basil does an excellent job of fighting against bacteria. By using basil in your ear, it can help to stave off pesky infection-causing bacteria, reducing pain and possibly even eliminating your earache.
To use basil for an ear infection, start by crushing up a few basil leaves until you are able to extract the juices. Once the juices have been extracted, use your fingers to rub the juices just inside your affected ear. Again, doing this once or twice a day will work wonders on your earache.
Tea Tree Oil
Another oil that can be used to treat ear infections is tea tree oil. Possessing antimicrobial, antibacterial, and antiseptic properties, it can serve to clean out your ears, taking any harmful bacteria with it. Tea tree oil can be used alone or mixed with other oil such as olive oil.
To use it for ear infection purposes, start off by warming it until it’s room temperature. Use around 1 tablespoon total. Once it has been warmed, you can draw it into an ear dropper. Hold the ear dropper over your infected ear as you lie on your side, dropping small drops of the oil into your ear canal. Leave it in your ear for around 2 or 3 minutes.
By doing this once or twice a day, you will start to see a difference.
Apple Cider Vinegar
The next home remedy on our list is apple cider vinegar. Loaded with antibacterial and antifungal properties, it does a terrific job of staving off any bacteria which may be present in your infected ear. To use this vinegar for your earache, start by mixing ¼ cup of it with ¼ cup of water.
After you have mixed these two substances, take a cotton ball and soak it in the mixture. Once the cotton ball is soaked, apply it to your infected ear, letting it sit for around 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove the cotton ball, and lie on your other side to let the vinegar run out of your ear.
Doing this once or twice a day will go a long way in easing your earache.
Warm Water
The simplest of ear infection remedies is just to use warm water. Warm up some water in a pot on the stove or in the microwave. After the water has been warmed, pour it into a water bottle. Then, place the water bottle on your affected ear, using a towel to hold it in place. By holding the water bottle in place for 5 to 10 minutes, you will provide your ear with quite a bit of pain relief.Peppermint Oil
Another oil that you can use to ease pain from an inner ear infection is peppermint oil. You can either buy peppermint oil as is or crush up peppermint leaves until you’ve extracted peppermint oil yourself. Once you have access to the oil, draw it into an ear dropper.
Make sure the ear dropper is clean. Drop 2 or 3 drops of the oil into your affected ear, allowing it to remain in the ear canal for 2 to 3 minutes. It’s also wise to put some of the oil around the outside of the ear canal. After the oil has sat for 2 to 3 minutes, wipe it out with a paper towel.
Doing this once or twice a day should help ease the pain of your earache.
Garlic
Garlic is loaded with both antimicrobial and pain-relieving properties that make it great for ear infections. There are a few different ways that you can use the seasoning. One way you can use it is by making your own garlic oil. By mixing garlic with another oil, you can make an oil that can be dropped into the ear canal. This will help to kill bacteria and ease the pain.
The other way you can use garlic is by putting it in water for around 5 minutes. After the water and garlic have mixed together, take a towel and dip it into the substance. Take this towel and apply it to your infected ear.
You should start to see results after doing this a few times a day.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Sometimes, an ear infection occurs as a result of wax buildup. If this is the case, you will need something a little different to soothe it - hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is capable of breaking through the wax and combatting harmful bacteria in the process.
To use hydrogen peroxide to relieve your ear infection, mix some 3% hydrogen peroxide with water in a cup. Take a cotton ball and dip it into the mixture. Next, take the cotton ball, and drip some of the mixture into your infected ear.
By doing this once or twice a day, you should start to feel a reduction in overall pain.
Radish
Radishes can be used to heal a number of ills, from dehydration to inflammation, to high blood pressure, and more. Of course, the reason that they make this list is that they are also capable of healing an ear infection.
In order to use radishes to cure your earache, start by cutting them up and mixing them with an oil such as olive oil. Heat this mixture on the stove until it reaches a lukewarm temperature. After it’s been heated, filter out the radishes, pouring the oil into an ear dropper. Now, drop 2 or 3 drops of oil into your infected ear.
Doing this 2 to 3 times a day will almost certainly help make your ear infection go away.
Onions
Onions have been proven to ease many different ailments, from inflammation to high blood pressure, and more. In addition, onions can also be used to ease the effects of an ear infection. Filled with antimicrobial properties, they work to eliminate all harmful bacteria in the ear canal.
To use onions, warm them so that they’re hot enough to be squeezed. Once they are, squeeze them into a container. Then, use an ear dropper to drip this juice into your infected ear.
Repeating this throughout the day will almost certainly make a big difference.
Salt
Regardless of who you are, you’re almost certainly bound to have some salt around your house. Fortunately, salt can be used to ease the pain of earaches and infections. It does this by attracting the fluid that builds up in your ears.
In order to use salt, heat up about a cup of it at low heat for about a minute. Once you’ve done this, put the salt into a soft cloth. Once the cloth is closed up and secured, place it on your infected ear for around 10 minutes.
Doing this regularly should help to reduce both aching and swelling in the ear.
Mullein Flower Oil
One of the less common ear infection remedies is mullein flower oil. This is an oil which is often sold as an extract in bottles. It can be found online in a number of different online retail stores. Possessing anti-inflammatory properties, it works great for earaches.
To use this oil, first, pour some into a bowl. Next, take a cotton ball and dip it into the oil until it’s fairly saturated. Now that your cotton ball is saturated with the oil, place it over your infected ear for around 5 minutes.
By repeating this process throughout the day for a couple of days straight, you should start to feel some definite results.
Mango Leaf Juice
Another natural juice that works to reduce the effects of ear infections is mango leaf juice. This juice carries natural antibodies which kill bacteria and reduce swelling in the infected area.
You can obtain mango leaf juice by grinding a few mango leaves into the extract. Once you have done this, you should warm the juice just slightly. After warming, put the juice into an ear dropper, dropping 2 or 3 drips into your infected ear canal.
By doing this 2 or 3 times a day, the pain and swelling in your ears should start to subside.
Ginger
Characterized by strong antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, ginger is a terrific substance to use in the treatment of inner ear infection. By killing off harmful bacteria and reducing swelling, it serves to ease any ear pain that you may feel.
To use ginger, start by crushing it up so that you can extract its juice. Once you’ve done this, put the juice into an ear dropper. After the juice has been drawn into the ear dropper, drop around 2 or 3 drips into your affected ear.
Doing this 2 or 3 times a day for consecutive days will almost certainly reduce swelling and pain.
Mineral Oil
While mineral oil is typically used to treat constipation, it can also be used to ease the pain of ear infections. It does this by breaking apart wax buildup, allowing the ear freedom from compressed wax which can often causes earaches.
To use mineral oil to treat an ear infection, start by drawing it into an ear dropper. Once it has been put into an ear dropper, drip 2 or 3 drops into your infected ear.
By doing this throughout the day, you should start to feel some wax breakup. Shortly after, you should start to feel some pain relief.
Bishop’s Weed Oil
Another natural oil which can be used to quell the effects of ear infection is Bishop’s Weed Oil. Chock full of antimicrobial characteristics, it works to fight against harmful bacteria, ultimately clearing and sanitizing the ear canal. Bishop’s Weed Oil can be found for sale in bottles on most online retail stores.
To use it for ear infections, start by injecting it into an ear dropper. Once the oil has been put in the dropper, drip around 3 or 4 drops into your affected ear. Keep it in the ear for around 2 minutes, allowing it to truly soak in.
Repeat this throughout the day, and you’ll be sure soon to notice a difference.
Eucalyptus Oil
One of the best home remedies for ear infection is eucalyptus oil. An antimicrobial oil, it does a terrific job of flushing out harmful bacteria and cleaning the inner ear simultaneously. Like with Bishop’s Weed Oil, eucalyptus oil can be easily found for purchase in bottles online or in store.
This oil can be used in one of two ways to treat ear infections. Your first option is to actually drip it into your infected ear. Your other option is to use it in the context of aromatherapy. In either case, consistent use is required but will turn out some impressive results.
Neck Exercises
While using oils and juices can be very useful in healing your ear infection, one of the easiest ear infection home remedies is doing neck exercises. There are a variety of different exercises you can do in order to reduce the amount of stress on your sinuses.
Useful neck exercises include everything from neck extensions to neck rotations, to lymphatic drainage massages, and more. By loosening the muscles around your head and neck, and redirecting the fluids in your ear canal, these exercises will relieve pain and the ache in the ears.
Banana Tree Juice
Another juice you can use to quell the effects of an ear infection is banana tree juice. Made out of the bark of banana trees, this juice possesses both antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. This juice can be bought in bottles either online or in a physical store.
Once you have the juice in your possession, pour some of it into an ear dropper. Drip around 3 or 4 drops of the juice into your affected ear, and allow it to sit there for 1 or 2 minutes. Doing this once or twice a day consistently will help to reduce swelling and relieve pain.
Sesame Seed Oil
Also known as gingelly oil, sesame seed oil is packed with antibacterial and antifungal properties. This allows it to eliminate the majority of the bacteria with which it comes into contact. To put it simply, it’s one of the best earache remedies around.
You can either make your own sesame seed oil by crushing your own sesame seeds, or you can buy the oil in bottles online or in stores. Once you have the oil, take a cotton ball and dab it into the oil. After the cotton ball has been saturated, place it over your infected ear. Hold it there for 2 or 3 minutes, and then remove it.
Repeat this process as necessary until your pain and aching start to subside.
Herbal Tea
Another one of many great earache remedies is the herbal tea. There is a variety of useful herbal teas which can eliminate the ill effects of your earache. They can be used in a variety of ways, meaning that you can drink them, apply them to your skin, or use them in aromatherapy.
Useful herbal teas for ear infections include ginger, ginseng, rosehip, mint, and much more. These teas contain antiseptic properties which help to clear the immune system, ridding your body of harmful bacteria.
Linseed Oil
The last of the home remedies for an ear infection on our list is linseed oil. This oil possesses antimicrobial characteristics which make it great for eliminating pesky bacteria. It’s suggested that you use this oil along with other substances such as garlic or ginger.
However, it can be used perfectly well on its own. Simply drip a few drops of it into your infected ear, let it sit for a few minutes, and clean it out. Doing this consistently will almost certainly result in reduced pain.
