Ear Ache at 2 a.m. - Treatment??

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My grandson had a terrible ear ache last night at 2 AM naturally! Does anyone have a recipe for a home treatment we could have used for his pain? He was a very miserable boy! Thanks.

-- Daisy (shaferd@msn.com), November 08, 2001

Answers

My kids haven't had earaches for a while, but my Amish friend's children get them all the time. She keeps a bottle of olive oil on the back of her stove close to the pilot light and when they are having a hard time sleeping she puts a drop or two in the hurting ear. It won't of course cure an infection, but it soothes the pain to get them through the night. She uses one of those little bottles that you can put medicines in with the eye dropper on top.

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), November 08, 2001.

The pediatrician could give you a perscp. for pain killing ear drops. They are reccomended to use for a wait & watch period BEFORE dosing the kids on antibiotics. Hmm, would there be any counterindictives for using clove oil to numb the pain? It is found at India/mediterianian & health stores. Sitting the kid upright & giving a hot water bottle/heat pad to hold to the ear. Don't allow anyone to smoke around the child.

Ear infections seem to hurt most often & worse at night since they can't drain like they often do while you are upright.

-- bj pepper in C. MS. (pepper.pepper@excite.com), November 08, 2001.


garlic oil helps get rid of it, warm. i know there is much controversy over this, but we love to "candle" our ears. the heat takes away the ear ache. also, you can put their head on a hot water bottle or (again, controversy) on a heating pad on low. lastly, a blow drier on low blowing in the ear will help take the pain away.

-- marcee (thathope@mwt.net), November 08, 2001.

My mom did the ol' olive oil in the ear with a bit of a cotton ball to keep it from leaking out and then a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel for the sore ear to lay on. Only she always made these remedies to danged hot so the cure was worse than the cause. :o) I am afraid I do the modern solution here. A dose of children's ibuprofen to sooth the ache until morning when we may need to go to the doctor. If I have them on hand I use the pain easing ear drops (Auralgan?)but the bottle is sooo tiny for the price and they weren't all that great. Good luck!

-- Alison in N.S. (aproteau@istar.ca), November 08, 2001.

My mother has eight children all grown.. She comes from a family of 13 children.. My mother and grandmother always said DON"T put kids to bed right after bed after a bath... The water sits in ear and turns bad.. It may take a day or even a few but it'll turn up infected in ear.. Beleive me it WORKS.. We yet to have one and my children also.. Good luck.. Maureen

-- Maureen (onemaur@yahoo.com), November 08, 2001.


I used to have a lot of earaches as a small child, and my mom would give me extra pillows at night or have me sleep in the recliner. That way the fluid can drain better. Hope this helps: those middle of the night earaches are no fun!

-- Sarah K. (ladynuala@hotmail.com), November 08, 2001.

Put a pillow or two under the matress at the head end, this way the head is always elivated[ cant move pillows in sleep] helps ears drain so pressure dosnt build up. My son has had one under his matress since his first and only ear infection.

-- kathy h (ckhart55@earthlink.net), November 08, 2001.

He is probably lactose intolerant. (Pasteurized milk, pudding, gravy, ice cream & pizza cheese) Fastest cure for viral is zinc lozenge (see label for dose) disolved between gum & cheek on that side. Don't know any for bacterial - native Americans blew tobacco smoke into them

-- Elizabeth Quintana (rockshelter@webtv.com), November 08, 2001.

My younger daughter had ear infections when she was small. Here's a trick our pediatrician told us about. Have the child lay down with the painful ear up. In the ear that hurts try pouring a capful of hydrogen peroxide. Let it bubble for a few minutes. Something about the bubbling action changes the pressure in the ear. My daughter has outgrown the ear infections, but if she's stuffed up now with a cold she'll sometimes ask me to put peroxide in her ear.

-- Nancy in Maine (paintme61@yahoo.com), November 09, 2001.

I am now in the process of drying Muellin to add to Olive Oil....It should set 6 weeks before it is ready..... Have heard garlic is another good thing for earache. The little ones have earaches a lot and I am tired of them being stuffed up with anti- biotics

-- Lynnda (venusovenus@hotmail.com), November 09, 2001.


Put 3 or 4 cloves of garlic through a garlic press and squeeze the oil out through a square of pillowcase or similar material into a small (a tsp or 2) amount of olive oil. Mix well and warm the oil a little. Have the person lie down with the offending ear up and fill the ear canal with the oil. Let it sit for a few minutes. Try to get out any air bubbles by pulling gently on the earlobe. Drain the oil out. Keep the leftover unused oil in the fridge in case you need it again - although my sister and I use this treatment on our kids and ourselves and have never had to do it more than once. The only downside is you smell like a salad for a couple of days:)

-- Paula (chipp89@bellsouth.net), November 09, 2001.

I've had terrible ear aches all my life, anytime I'm in even the slightest wind. While I don't know the cause of this little one's ache, I know that a hair dryer on the warm setting, and low fan setting makes mine go away almost instantly when held a few inches away. Incidentally, I am the only one in the family that has great difficulty in "popping" my ears when changing altitudes. Connection? : )

-- Rheba (rhebabeall@hotmail.com), November 09, 2001.

I agree, take away the dairy. The most common reaction to a dairy allery is ear aches. Then there is the colic. My son even had behavior problems. Doctor wanted him checked for ADD. It was milk. Delayed reaction. Has ice cream today, tomorrow he is impossible. You should also withdraw dairy if the child has a raspy cough.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), November 10, 2001.

Ooops, I want to add that if the child has bright red cheeks, or a bright red, hot ear, that also is food allergies. Most common, dairy.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), November 10, 2001.

ONE OF THE BEST SOLUTIONS TO MOST CHILDHOOD LATE NIGHT PROBLEMS IS SIMPLE DIVERSION AND A GOOD ONE IS THE TOY CALLED THE BUMBLE BALL! THE VIBRATIONS GIVEIN OFF ARE QUITE STRONG. SO IF YOU WERE TO SUSPEND ONE OF THESE BALLS IN A PAIR OF PANTY HOSE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE CHILDS MATRICE YOU WILL BRING THE EFFECT OF DRIVING IN A CAR WITCH WE ALL KNOW WORKS AS GOOD AS ANY OTHER MEDICATION.AND IS ALSO A LOT WARMER THAN GOING OUTSIDE. THATS CALLED BUMBLE BALL

-- JIM STAMP (STAMPER @ ATT .CA), January 20, 2002.


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