10 Incredible Home Remedies for Acute Otitis You Should Know

10 Incredible Home Remedies for Acute Otitis You Should Know

Here you will find the most common home remedies for acute otitis media. Even if it is sometimes difficult to find the right home remedy, sometimes it is not that far away. You already have most of the home remedies in your household, as the name suggests.

Your child tugs on his ear again. Uh-oh. Or maybe earaches are keeping you awake at night. Regardless of age, ear infections are no fun.

While most cases of ear infections go away on their own, there are a handful of home remedies that can help, such as applying a hot or cold compress, using over-the-counter pain relievers, or adjusting your sleeping position.

“There are several home remedies for ear pain,” says ENT doctor Dr. Anh Nguyen-Huynh . “Try them in the first two or three days if symptoms are mild.”

We explain how some of these home remedies work, what to avoid and when to see a doctor.

Home remedies for earache

This excruciating pain in the ear can be uncomfortable, but using one of these home remedies can help relieve pain.

Hot or cold compress

Use an ice or heat pack and place it on the affected ear to relieve pain. The temperature you use is up to you. But make sure to wrap it in a towel so it isn't too cold or too hot. If it's too hot you can cause burns.

You can also alternate between a cold and warm compress every 10 minutes.

Over-the-counter (OTC) painkillers

Painkillers such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen work as advertised and help relieve the pain.

Both adults and children can rest more easily when they take acetaminophen or ibuprofen in the correct dosage. These medications reduce pain and fever so you feel more comfortable.

You can even take over-the-counter pain relievers if you're taking antibiotics.

sleeping position

How you sleep can affect ear pain. Prop your head on two or more pillows so that your affected ear is higher than the rest of your body. Or if your left ear has an infection, sleep on your right side.

Less pressure means less ear pain. It could be effective, although a few centimeters won't make much of a difference in measuring pressure. But if it makes you feel better, then do it.

Neck exercises

Rotating and stretching your neck can help relieve pressure that has built up in your ear canal.

Ginger

With its anti-inflammatory properties, applying ginger juice around the external ear canal (not in the ear canal) can relieve pain.

Hydrogen peroxide

Put a few drops of hydrogen peroxide in your ear. After a few minutes, drain in a sink. Rinse your ear.

To avoid

Not all remedies are created equal. Dr. Nguyen-Huynh suggests avoiding these home remedies for ear infections.

oils

Whether it's garlic, tea tree, or olive, people swear by putting oil in the ear to help with ear infections.

Garlic

While garlic has antibacterial properties, Dr. Nguyen-Huynh cautions. If you use it for an ear infection, it won't get to the source of the problem. And even if you have a hole in your eardrum, there are no studies that show it's safe to put garlic in there.

Over-the-counter anesthetic drops

We recommend avoiding over-the-counter numbing drops that use benzocaine to numb the pain and antipyrine to reduce pain and inflammation.

“The effect is very short, and sometimes it does the opposite and stings the ear,” he says.

When to see your doctor

Your symptoms will persist after two or three days, even if you've tried over-the-counter or home remedies.
Your ear hurts a lot or you have other symptoms that bother you.
You have a fever over 40 degrees Celsius
Other common conditions like temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ) can masquerade as an earache. TMJ causes ear pain because your ear canal and your jaw joint share a nerve.

“If you experience ear pain along with difficulty chewing, speaking, or yawning, you should see a dentist or TMJ expert to ensure you are treating the correct condition,” advises Dr. Nguyen Huynh.

The good news? Hot and cold compresses and OTC pain relievers can also help relieve TMJ pain until you get things sorted out.

The following articles may also help you as they look at the same topic from a different light:

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