How to Treat an Earache Naturally with Home Remedies

Earaches can be particularly troubling for young children. Earaches can often be treated at home, without a visit to the doctor, or overuse of antibiotics. Behind the eardrum is a thin tube called the Eustachian tube. This tube drains to the back of the throat. This area also adjusts pressure from your inner ear to meet the outside world. Young people and sometimes adults develop earaches from changes in altitude, plane rides, or simply having a ear structure that doesn't allow drainage and contributes to frequent earaches. The last is the reason kids often "grow out of them" as the structure of their ear changes, ear drainage improves.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Get the Mucus Moving
   Eat something very spicy or chop an onion. Anything to help your ears drain and remove pressure will work.

2. Echinacea & Goldenseal
   Drink a tea of Echinacea and Goldenseal. These herbs help discourage infection and help dry out the fluid in your ear. If you do not have the dried herbs, you can buy a tincture of the two from any health food store. Place a few drops in hot water to make tea. As another alternative, you can purchase capsules of these herbs at the health food store.

3. Ear Drops
   This step should only be used if you have never had a perforated ear drum and do not have ear tubes. Use caution before using this step with young children. Place 3 drops of the following mixtures in your ears:
   * 3% hyrdrogen peroxide
   * Warmed mineral (baby) oil. Don't heat it, simply warm it by running the bottle under warm water.
   * Garlic tea made by steeping crushed garlic in hot water for until the water cools completely.

4. Don't Blow
   Refrain from "blowing" your nose. Gently wipe your nose instead. Blowing hard will force drainage back into the Eustachian tube and into your ears.

5. Drink Water
   As always, drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated while it heals.

6. Chew gum
   The movement improves drainage from the ears. Try to find a gum that is not loaded with sugar, or artificial sweeteners, at the the health food store.

7. Alternate Hot and Cold
   Use a compress, heat pad, hot water bottle, or anything warm on the aching ear. Next, place a cold compress of ice or a cool cloth on the ear. Alternating hot and cold can help the ear to drain and reduce pressure in the ear.

Resources

• How to Treat Allergies Naturally
• How to Cure Nausea Naturally
• How to Treat Heat Rash Naturally
• How to Use Nettle to Treat Allergies
• How to Cure Acne Naturally
• How to Treat Bronchitis Naturally