Whether it's a young boy or girl brought to tears or an adult dealing with throbbing sensations that can derail even the best days, earaches can be a real, well, pain. For some, earaches come on as a sharp pain. For others, it's more of a pent-up pressure that just won't ease. They can last anywhere from a few hours to multiple, frustrating days, and can also be a sign of larger ear diseases and symptoms.
Earaches can be caused by a range of issues. One of the most common reasons people get earaches is because they have a larger ear infection or disease. Other common causes of earaches include trauma or injury to the ear or other area of the head, something getting stuck in the ear, dental and other jaw issues and ear wax buildup.
Some of these issues might require medical attention, especially if you think there has been specific damage to your hearing or the pain does not go away within a week or so. However, there are some things you can do to lessen the pain you are experiencing and potentially clear up your earache.
Ready to combat these nasty ear pains the next time they arise? You can use these earache remedies for adults and children at home and on the go to stop these annoyances from getting in the way of your day to day.
One of the most popular natural remedies for earaches is applying warmth or coolness to the affected area. Of course you don't want to burn or freeze the sensitive skin in and around your ear, but using a heat or ice pack wrapped in a tea towel or a cloth dampened with warm or cool water can help soothe the throbbing sensation that comes with earaches.
Heat is used to relax muscles all over the body and improve blood flow, and it can do the same to your ears. Try to apply the heat to the aching area for about 20 minutes so it has a chance to help muscles loosen and potentially ease the pressure in and around your ear. Alternatively, cooling the area can help reduce inflammation, which might also be causing you problems.
Cold and windy conditions can sometimes make earaches hurt even more. If you find this to be the case for you, make sure you cover up your ears when the temperature drops or you head out into windy/rainy weather. Dig out those earmuffs and hooded jumpers and put them to good use.
One of the most common earache remedies in homes around Australia is the medicine residing in your bathroom cabinets and drawers. Painkillers that have the ingredient Paracetamol can work wonders for keeping discomfort to a minimum until the issues subside. Of course, only use Paracetamol and any other medicine as directed.
Sometimes earaches can develop from too much earwax buildup. This is one reason why a regular cleaning routine is so important. If you feel like excess earwax is contributing to your earache problems, cleaning inside your ears can remedy the issue. It's important to be careful when you do this, as inserting a cotton swab, your finger or anything else into your ear can actually do more harm than good.
It's just as easy to push wax in further and damage your eardrum. Instead, try using a dropper to put olive oil or other approved chemical drops from the chemist into your affected ear. These might soften the earwax enough that it falls out on its own.
There's a chance that how you sleep can help you lessen earache pain. Sometimes sleeping on the opposite side to that of which is causing you pain can alleviate some of the pressure on the troublesome ear. Another option is to sleep with a second pillow so your head is elevated higher than the rest of your body. This might help any buildup in your ear drain better and lessen pressure.
While going for a jog or eating a salad might not be natural remedies for earaches when you're in the middle of a painful few days, living a healthy lifestyle can help you avoid experiencing these issues in the first place. This is especially true for those who get earaches due to living with ear diseases such as tinnitus.
Sometimes you know exactly why you have an earache, which can make choosing a way to tackle it a bit easier. Other times they just pop up out of nowhere. Whatever the case, natural earache remedies work differently depending on who is experiencing pain and the cause of the discomfort. While drops are good, and thorough cleaning or a heating pack might work in some cases, these remedies won't help when the issue is due to physical trauma or a damaged ear drum.
Feel free to give some of these earache remedies a try at home. But if you think you have major earache or hearing issues, it's best to consult an expert.
