My husband has a terrible ear ache tonight. Does anyone know of a cure? It started with a ringing in the ear this afternoon and now real grabing-like pain but no dizziness. We have tried peroxide in the ear already. Thanks a million!

-- Karen (mountains_mama2@hotmail.com), March 27, 2002

Answers

Sorry to hear about the earache. I know how painful that can be. I've had some luck with Aspirin or Tylenol, a decongestant, and lay on a hot water bottle. If you don't have one, a ziplock bag will work- just don't fill it too full.

-- Gayle in KY (gayleannesmith@yahoo.com), March 27, 2002.

clove oil will help an earache,, also depends on whats causing it

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), March 27, 2002.

We always warm olive oil and pour it in the ear and then use cotton to keep it from running out. BE VERY CAREFUL when warming the oil. It heats very quickly and of course, you don't want it more than lukewarm to put in an ear. Before putting in the ear drop a little on the inside of your wrist to check the temp., like you do for a baby's bottle. We just pour a little in the lid of the bottle to warm.

Good luck!

-- Anna in Iowa (countryanna54@hotmail.com), March 27, 2002.

You can try a couple of drops of warm (not too hot!) olive oil. I'd go ahead and do this to both ears to even out the feeling you get.

-- Bren (wayoutfarm@skybest.com), March 27, 2002.

Anna, you posted the same time I did. :o) LOL I've always read that clove oil was good for a TOOTH ache.

-- Bren (wayoutfarm@skybest.com), March 27, 2002.

Hi Karen, When I was a youngin' I had lots of earaches, my granny use to warm some cod liver oil, and put a bit in my ear. Then she would stuff it with cotton and tape it there. After a bit, it quite hurtin', and I could take the tape/cotton bandage off. Sometimes Grannies are just the smartest people you would ever know.....

-- Kristean Thompson (pigalena_babe@yahoo.com), March 27, 2002.

Sorry about your hubbys ear..I take garlic tabs (if you have fresh all the better) orally. And the olive oil warmed like stated in other replys. A day or two of taking garlic usually gets my tinnitus back under control too. Ginko is sometimes used for tinnitis too. Hope he gets some relief. I would definitely but a warm towel or something up there. Good luck and hope he can get some relief.

-- Sher (riverdobbers@webtv.net), March 27, 2002.

Hi Karen, I make an ear oil. I use olive oil base, with mullien and garlic. Works everytime! In His Grace, Sissy

-- Sissy Barth (iblong2Him@ilovejesus.net), March 28, 2002.

As a little kid just starting school, I started getting earaches. Very painful. Dad came up with putting a dry terry bath towel in warm oven till it heated up (heated quick so be careful, dont scorch it or start a fire) and held that against my ear. Pain went away. Sounds a little goofy but it worked. I imagine a hot water bottle would have same effect and lot safer/longer lasting. Hadnt thought about it, can you still buy a hot water bottle?

-- Hermit John (hermit@hilltop_homestead.zzn.com), March 28, 2002.

This was certainly a timely question. My 7 yo daughter cried for 2-3 hours yesterday with earache. We tried the homeopathics but they didn't seem to help. Finally, we distracted her with a movie. The hot water bottle was soothing.

This morning the ear is draining a clear yelowy fluid. I've given her "grape" flavored decongestant, Flonase nasal spray, and we've done the nasal/sinus rinse.

Any other suggestions on what else to do? Should I go ahead and put the warm olive oil in or not interfere with the draining?

-- Lav, Maryland (lavenderbluedilly@hotmail.com), March 28, 2002.

We use a hair drier on low heat blown into the ear, at an angle and a distance. About 10 minutes takes care of it. You will feel the difference. My grandmother used to heat the inner portion of a slice of onion and put that in the ear.

-- Pat (hiddentreasuresfarm@hotmail.com), March 28, 2002.

All of the suggestions above are good, but also be careful not to let the ear become chilled for a week or so - wear ear muffs. Once you have gotten rid of it, you don't want it coming back!

-- Chenoa (ganter@primus.ca), March 28, 2002.

MY SEVERE EARACHE OF A WEEK DURATION WAS MY ONLY WARNINF OF MY HEART ATTACK - HAD THAT - EARACHE GONE. BE CAREFUL IF IT FEELS LIKE MUMPS OR STARTS TO RADIATE TO JAW BONE. [TX].

-- BILLIE SCHNEIDER (CANYONKATY@HCTC.NET), March 28, 2002.

ms. karen the clove oil numbs the pain & will help soften wax that might be dried & pressuring the eardrum. the peroxide will help disove the protiens in earwax as well. but w/ the tinnitus[ringing] there is a real chance that he has physical damage to the eardrum/inner ear. if at all possible get someone w/ experience to take a look w/ an otoscope at his ear. if the eardrum is perforated the last thing you want to do is pour liquids in there!

ms. lav, w/ the yellow drainage you described your daughter has an infection, it could be middle or inner ear. please have an experienced person look at her ears. any infection can lead to 'blood poisoning' and other infections.

you sound like you are into home health care so i would also reccommend that you buy an otoscope for your own use.15.00-170.00$ there are instrutional books & your health care provider should be able to give you a mini-course in what to look for. btw a crying childs ears will usually look red & infected even if they are not so experience is needed. good luck!

-- bj pepper ,in central MS. (pepper.pepper@excite.com), March 28, 2002.

We just went thru this last weekend with our son. Try Enchininea extract. We only had to use once and did it again just for backup measures. We have not had another complaint.

-- (stephanie.wilkerson@experian.com), March 28, 2002.

If a child's ear drains fluid after an ear ache, the ear drum has ruptured. An ear ache is beacause the drum is bulging and infected, once it ruptures, no more ear ache, but still infected. Usually a trip to the doctors. I always know when my son is getting an ear ache because he hears a fan whirring in his ear.

-- tricia (never-enough-pets@excite.com), March 30, 2002.

When I was young my Grandfather would light a cigar or his pipe and blow the smoke in my ear which has a soothing effect. Don't ask me why but it worked. So find someone whom smokes a cigar and have at it.

-- Wm. Rutter (wrutter@uniontel.net), March 30, 2002.

I am so glad Tricia posted that, because she is exactly right. As any mother knows earache is a common complaint with children. I used to take my oldest to the doctor regularly for this, always coming home with the requisite prescription antibiotic. For awhile we went through this routine once a month or so. That was until I discovered how to resolve this issue at home. I usually clean out the ear with Hydrogen Peroxide. I do this for about 10 - 15 minutes to give the peroxide time to dissolve and float out the impurities. Then I follow with garlic oil from store bought garlic oil capsules. You really have to look for the capsules, making sure that the primary ingredient is soybean oil. Pure garlic oil is so strong it will burn the ear canal. After using the oil if the child's ear is particularly itchy I add a few drops of either olive oil or vegetable oil. I put the garlic oil in the ear and let it sit there for a few minutes before having them dump the contents out on a piece of paper towel. I never put cotton into the ear. I usually try to repeat the oil the next day. My children's ears usually get better with just two treatments. If however you child has a ruptured ear drum, she should really be taken to a doctor. The doctor can check the ear drum to see if it is a sever rupture or not. My pediatrician told me when my eldest son's rupture happened(this was in the days before I knew the garlic oil trick), That most ruptures are small and will not damage the hearing. However I have known children with severe ear problems as a result of incomplete healing and scar tissue from previous ruptures. I also would not recommend using ANTHING not prescribed by a doctor in a ruptured ear. Garlic oil keeps my kids from ever getting to the rupture stage, but once there the child should see a doctor and go the traditional antibiotic direction. This is because that ear needs quick and complete healing.

Little Bit Farm

-- Little bit Farm (littlebit@farm.com), March 30, 2002.

Thanks to those with suggestions for treatment for my daughter.

Karen, hope your hubby's ear is better.

-- Lav, Central Maryland (lavenderbluedilly@hotmail.com), March 30, 2002.

You might also want to stay away from Dairy products if you or your child has cronic ear aches. That is one of the symtoms for dairy allergy.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), March 30, 2002.

This is what my Mom has done with us for years and we've never had to go to the doctor for an ear ache. Get a garlic gel capsule, prick it in the end with a needle, and squeeze the garlic gel into the ear. Tape a cotton ball over the ear and lay on the opposite side. Although you have to deal with the smell, we've always been able to cure the normal ear ache with the garlic gel capsules. Hope this will work for you.

-- c.d. (his4ever@mac.com), March 31, 2002.

Yup, as stated above, mullein flower/garlic oil is the best thing around for ear aches.

-- Renee (rmgoyette@hotmail.com), March 31, 2002.