12 Home Remedies for Earaches (Safe for Children & Breastfeeding)
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Waiting patiently will usually get rid of an earache, but they aren’t pleasant. This list of 12 home remedies for earaches for children and adults to help quickly relieve pain. We also have tips to avoid ear infections in the future.
What causes an earache?
Ear pain is most commonly associated with fluid buildup behind the ear drum linked to a middle ear infection. This is also known as acute otitis media (AOM).
Thankfully, you don’t need antibiotics to treat most ear infections. They are viral infections, not bacterial infections. In fact, using antibiotics may cause adverse reactions.
The study “Antibiotics for acute otitis media in children“, reviewed earache treatments for several thousand children. They noted that, “Adverse events (such as vomiting, diarrhea or rash) occurred more often in children taking antibiotics.” Children treated with antibiotics did not get better faster than those who simply waited for the infection to pass.
Ear pain may also be caused by injury, or water or other fluid trapped in the ear. (This includes swimmers ear.)
Safety Tips for Treating an Ear Infection at Home
For infants and toddlers, warm compresses and steam are the safest earache remedies. You may also use plain, warm drops of olive oil or coconut oil. Never use ear drops or oils inside the ear if a child has ear tubes or there is a chance of eardrum perforation.
Older children and adults, including nursing mothers, may use any of the treatments. Do not stick anything deep into your ears, which may cause hearing loss.
Please see your healthcare practitioner if:
- pain is extreme
- your child has a fever over 100.4°F
- discharge is coming from the ears
#1 – My Favorite Home Remedy for Ear Pain – Warm Compresses
When I was a little girl, I remember having an ear infection accompanied by one extremely sore ear. To help me feel better, my mom took a small throw pillow and warmed it up in the oven. She left it in a bit too long, though, and it began to singe. She put the fire out, and I rested my head on one slightly charred pillow – and the pain went away.
Nowadays most houses have microwaves, which make it easier to heat a warm compress for earache treatment. You can buy or make a compress.
We recommend hot packs from Core Products, a small business located in western Wisconsin. They make soft covered hot/cold packs that we use as foot warmers at night and for treating headaches and earaches.
To make a simple warm compress for ear pain relief, place popcorn or rice into an old sock or small pouch. Seal the end and heat in short bursts until warm. Hot water bottles are a great option if you don’t have a microwave – just make sure you don’t get the water too hot.
#2 – Steam
Sometimes you can’t keep a warm compress on your little one’s sore ear. Instead, try plugging in a humidifier or taking a warm shower. (This works for adults, too.)
Colds and sore throats lead to swelling and inflammation in the airways. Opening and relaxing airways with warm, moist air can relieve pressure and ease ear pain.
#3 – Garlic Oil
There are dozens of variations of garlic in olive oil for earaches. One of the ones I like best is the “Children’s Ear Oil” from Herbal Antibiotics. This combines garlic and eucalyptus for a double anti-bacterial, anti-viral punch. Clear the ear infection, and you clear the earache.
Store in a tinted bottle in the refrigerator and use within two weeks.
Children’s Ear Oil
Adapted from Herbal Antibiotics
Ingredients
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 4 ounces (1/2 cup) good quality olive oil
- 20 drops eucalyptus essential oil
Directions
Place garlic and olive oil in a small sauce pan on low heat. Cook overnight or for eight hours.
Strain, squeezing well to get as much oil as possible out of the garlic. Add eucalyptus essential oil and mix well. Store in a tinted bottle.
To use: Place glass eyedropper in a stream of hot water for 1 minutes (to warm dropper). Dry quickly (to retain heat) and suction up ear oil from bottle. Place 2 drops in both ears every half hour or as often as needed for 2 to 7 days. Never place fluid into the ear if there is any chance of a ruptured eardrum.
#4 – Mullein Oil
Common mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is used for treating respiratory ailments and many other illnesses. (See Mullein Plant – Benefits and Uses for more info.)
To make an earache treatment, we infuse the flowers in olive oil. Apply the mullein oil the same way you apply the garlic oil.
To infuse the flowers in oil, gather enough blooms to partially fill a small jar. Cover with olive oil and let sit for a week or two. Strain and place in a tinted bottle.
I let my blossoms set in a shallow bowl or on a plate for an hour or so before putting them in oil. This allows buggies hiding in them a chance to escape. You can also add a clove of chopped garlic to your oil for extra germ fighting.
You can also buy mullein oil, such as the Earthley’s Earache Ease.
#5 – Essential Oil Ear Ache Treatment Rub
This recipe is from the book “Be Your Own Doctor” by Rachel Weaver. Remember, do not apply undiluted essential oils directly to the skin – always use a carrier oil.
Do not use this as an earache remedy for small children, who may rub their ears and then rub the oil into their eyes.
Essential Oil Earache Rub
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 10 drops tea tree essential oil
- 10 drops lavender essential oil
Mix all ingredients and apply gently around the ears at the first sign of infection. Reduces infection and relieves inflammation.
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These essential oils are safe for topical use for nursing mothers.
#6 – Herbal Steam Inhalations
Herbal steam inhalations help reduce nasal swelling caused by cold, dry winter air. They also increase airflow to the eustachian tubes.
To prepare an herbal steam inhalation, simply heat a pot of water and pour it into a bowl or basin. Add a handful of fresh or dry herbs such as German chamomile, elderberry flowers and/or lemon balm. Lean over the basin and inhale the steam. To get the most out of the treatment, use a large towel to create a tent over your head and trap the steam.
#7 – Apple Cider Vinegar
As I researched home remedies, I’ve found that people use apple cider vinegar (ACV) to cure just about everything. Earaches/ear infections are no exception. Dee from San Diego, California writes:
“Apple cider vinegar also works great when getting an earache. My ENT told me to put some in the ear at the first sign of trouble. Leave it there for a minute, and then let the ACV run out the ear. Repeat one more time 12 hours later.”
#8 – Hydrogen Peroxide
My friend, Julie, told me her mom used hydrogen peroxide as a home remedy for earaches for all 12 of her children.
The easiest way to use hydrogen peroxide for earaches is to soak a cotton ball with H2O2. Then use the wet cotton ball to squeeze a few drops into the ear canal. Gently irrigate the area afterward with warm water to clear any debris.
#9 – Hot Herbal Tea
While you’re applying warmth from the outside, you can also apply warmth from the inside. Echinacea, German chamomile, and holy basil are herbs that promote healing and relaxation.
Echinacea boosts the immune system, and fights infections that affect the ear, nose and throat area.
#10 – Onions
Onions are a preferred earache remedy in the book Be Your Own Doctor. Some people simply cut an onion in half and place it over the affected ear.
Others gently heat a small portion of the onion until warm but not soft, and tuck the heated onion into the ear. Some people wrap the onion in a warm, moist cloth; others use it directly on the ear.
Another option is to squeeze out some onion juice, heat gently, and put a few drops into the ear. Recommended onion ear compress time is around 10-15 minutes, or until the onion cools. Rest quietly while treating, and gently clean out the ear with warm water after the onion treatment.
#11 – Homeopathic Earache Relief Ear Drops
Homeopathic earache relief drops with herbal extracts, such as Similasan, have been in use for decades. Similasan earache relief drops active ingredients include:
- Chamomilla 10X – for sensitivity to drafts, soothing
- Mercurius solubilis 15X – relieves fullness, sensitivity to cold
- Sulphur 12X – reduces itchiness, sensitivity to water
#12 – Natural Pain Relievers
Anti-inflammatory herbs such as willow bark may help bring relief. Willow bark contains salicylic acid for pain, and is also antimicrobial.
Preventing Earaches Before They Start
If chronic ear infections are a problem, look for environmental factors. Households with smokers have more ear issues, and infants who are breast fed have less issues than their formula fed counterparts.
Food Allergies and Ear Pain
Food allergies can contribute to chronic ear infections. If you deal with chronic ear infections or other chronic health problems, try adjusting your diet.
Common allergens include dairy, gluten, eggs, soy, peanuts, and tree nuts. Work with your health care provider to see if you can identify any problem foods. Keeping ears clean and dry can also help prevent ear issues.
Xylitol Helps Prevent Ear Infections
Finnish researchers gave daycare children five servings of two pieces of xylitol sweetened gum per day. These children had roughly half as many ear infections.
Another study using larger doses three times per day was not as effective. Please see “Ear Infections and Xylitol” for more information.
Try Lymph Drainage Massage for Chronic Ear Pain
For ongoing ear pain issues, try using the video above to improve lymph drainage for the ears.
Sources
American Academy of Pediatrics, “The Diagnosis and Management of Acute Otitis Media”
Study: Ear infections less likely in breastfed babies
The Role of Food Allergy in Otitis Media with Effusion
More Home Remedies
I hope you found this post helpful. Don’t forget to check out the Full List of Home Remedies , including:
- 12 Home Remedies for Coughs to Help Quiet and Soothe
- 7 Easy Sore Throat Remedies
- 9 Home Remedies for Congestion – Natural Decongestants That Work
This article is written by Laurie Neverman. Laurie is a lifelong learner with a passion for natural remedies and holistic healing. She’s successfully improved her eyesight, cleared her psoriasis, and gotten off of prescription medication.
Last updated in 2023.
my left ear has been plugged up for a week already. sometimes I have pain most of the time I don’t.
What gets me is that I can’t hear anything and it’s really worrying me. I haven’t gone to the Dr. cause my Daughter tells me that nobody goes to the Dr. for an ear ache. Please help me Thanks Manuel
If pain is chronic or debilitating, you should see a trained health professional. It’s not safe or legal for me to diagnose specific conditions over the internet. If your pain is not resolving, there may be sinus involvement, too, which can be more difficult to heal.
get a mint leaf and stick it in, works wonders
Interesting.
Love the apple cider vinegar technique.
Has anyone ever heard of using vicks on a cotton ball, placed inside the ear?
I have heard of that but have not tried it.
From 2 days my left side ear was little block but today whole day my head and my eyes was paining a little bit, but now my right ear so severely paining that i cant sleep. Please tell me instant solution to stop my earache fast.
Please see a trained healthcare professional if pain is severe. You may have a secondary infection like a sinus infection if your whole head is hurting. If pain is not severe, try something on the list.
My 8 year old grandson had a ear ache and I used warm colloidal silver in it. Silver is a natural antibiotic and kills and bacteria that may be in your ear. it will totally cure an earache within 7 minutes if caught early enough . Otherwise it may take a day or two to totally cure the infection. 3 to 5 drops 7 minutes then drain out.
Hi there,
My sonics 6 years old and he is having ear infections this is the second time he is on antibiotic and Motrin for pain now the doctor said he need cirgury because he also have hard time breathing at night, now I am trying to find a home made medicine. Any suggestion?
I cannot safely diagnose and treat your son over the internet. If you don’t agree with your doctor, please get a second opinion.
I have a bad earache. I’ve read all these comments. So how long should I leave warm olive oil in my ear to help the pain?
Leave it until it cools.
I had real bad vertigo and dizziness for over a year, and neck pain. Went to an EMT, Physical Therapy, Ear Washout, and nothing helped. I was also given a neck brace for my neck. I had a hearing test and I have good hearing, but lately I have been having jaw pain, earaches, and sinus problems. Do any of these have to do with one another? I still get dizzy when I ly down or when I arise in the morning and was wondering if this has anything to do with dizziness or earaches?
Dizziness and ear aches are very likely connected, as your sense of balance depends on your inner ear.
I am not a doctor, so it’s not legal or safe for me to give advice on specific medical conditions, but you may want to look into a chiropractor, and to see if you have problems with an overgrowth of candida, which could possibly play a roll in these problems. I noticed many of your symptoms on the list that I just talked about in my recent candida post at https://commonsensehome.com/candida/.
You should go to the vestibular lab at your nearest hospital / doctor. They should check you for BPPV, as your symptoms sound as though it could be that.
hi, my wife and I cleaned our ears with hydrogen peroxide. Few hours after that, she started complaining of severe ear ache. I feel fine but she was in pains. She felt batter after taking off the shelf pain reliever but I still keep wondering what caused the pains.
If you have severe or long lasting pain, please see a trained healthcare professional. There’s a possibility that the ear drum may have been perforated or the ear tissue scraped and open, and the peroxide could have irritated the wound.
My ear is aching and I am having cold.After the study i came to know that due to the mucus,the mucus is streaching the ear drums.plz help me to solve this problems.
If the basic remedies don’t give you relief, please see a trained healthcare professional.
Thanks everybody for your experience
I am glad I could have received a lot of help from your experiences
Thanks
Jani Thijsen
Aruba
what if its your eardrum, what to use then?
If your eardrum is damaged, you should see a doctor to try and avoid permanent damage and hearing loss.
My daughter is 9. She woke up crying. I put 3 drops of peroxide in her ear, waited 5 minutes. Then I warmed up olive oil and put 3 drops in. Both times she waited a few minutes and then laid on her side to drain her ear out. She was crying hard. She said she wanted to go to the hospital. 15 minutes later while watching her favorite movie she hasn’t said a word. So the warm olive oil did the trick.
So thankful she’s feeling better.
i used an ear oil (with mullein, garlic oil, etc) to treat my ear ache. My ear ache went away quickly but it plugged my ear. Any tips for unplugging it, it’s been a few days now 🙁
You could try steam or a hot pack, but if it is painful or persistent, you should probably see a trained healthcare provider.
My son has a bad ear ache which one should I try?
If pain is severe, please see your doctor or other trained healthcare professional. If pain is not severe, heat is usually the easiest option to start with.
When I was a small child and had an earache my grandma would use warm sweet oil. I have a horrible earache now. I have no sweet oil. Would baby oil do the same thing? If not can I use white vinegar instead of cider vinegar? Trying to get rid of this earache but have no way to the store until morning. HELP PLEASE
I don’t know what sweet oil is. Have you tried a warm compress or hot shower? Those are some of the easiest options. If pain is severe or debilitating, please seek medical help.
Sweet oil is olive oil.
Sweet oil is olive oil.
I have had a head and chest cold with allergies for about 6 weeks the last two of thoughs weeks I have had both of my ears clogged and a loud ringing in then, but no pain. Is it just fluid in my ears or infection.My Dr. put me on a 5 day antibiotic and steroid and my ears are still clogged. Please help,
Please see a trained health care provider for extreme or long lasting pain. It is not safe or legal for me to give advice to specific individuals.
I had these same symptoms for almost 2,months and finally went to a different hospital than I did the first few times…they did chest xrays and found out I had pneumonia in both lungs.
I’m glad you got a second opinion and finally got proper treatment.
My earache started yesterday. I tried using steam and ACV and the pain subsided! I was really happy, but then my ears seems to be clogged. I tried it again today (because there was still a little pain) but this time with alcohol followed by ACV. After the alcohol dried, I proceeded on putting a drop of ACV. Surprisingly, instead of being relieved, the pain returned and I could feel my ear more clogged than it was yesterday. The pain I felt was like that of a wound that had contact with a cleansing agent or something acidic. What could have went wrong? Did I miss to do something? Is there anything else that I should do? Thanks for the response.
If you have pain that feels like wound pain, not just a general ache, you should probably get it checked out by a health professional, just to make sure that you haven’t perforated your ear drum.
Sure will visit one. Thanks!
you know what guys we are spending much to what we call doctors sometimes are not helpful.am experiencing an earache now sounding like a wound and I visited a doctor and explained,was given prescription of diff tablets but nothing worked for me and am confused.please help.At first it was said its Otitis media and got treated but left with a pain in my ear the I re-visited ENT but nothing fruitfull.
I’m sorry, I can only give general information. It’s not safe or ethical for me to attempt to diagnose or treat specific causes of ear pain.
My ears hurt so bad and the pain isn’t letting me pay attention in school, what can I do!?:'(
If pain is severe and lasts a long time, please see a medical professional. There may be a punctured ear drum or other serious injury.