Natural remedies for earaches can be dangerous when administered by those who are not familiar with the remedy or the problem. Not all ear pain comes from the ear itself.
As one who has had numerous problems, including swimmers’ ear, I would like to share what I’ve discovered. Let’s start with the basics, warn of other treatments, list a couple of possible causes and then cover how-to’s.
Please keep in mind that different causes may require different treatments. I find it is useful to get the ears clean first. Then the discovery of the cause can follow. Having clean ears can assist medical professionals determine the cause.
TO START:
The first thing I do when I get an earache is to clean the ears. I start with a few drops of hydrogen peroxide to soften the wax and to attack possible infections. I then thoroughly drain out any excess. I then follow that up with ear candles. On occasion, I will use a heating pad for about 15 minutes before using the hydrogen peroxide. But, this usually isn’t necessary.
Using a heating pad might be useful when the user tends to stick things in their ear to clean them. Things like cotton swabs or hair-pins. These methods tend to push the wax down onto the ear-drum where it gets packed in. An ear-nose-throat doctor warned me against doing this once. The heating pad helps to soften and loosen it up some. In the case of a fever, it may actually push some of the wax out. Hair dryers aren’t as effective as a heating pad.
OTHER TREATMENTS:
I tried the garlic remedy and ended up with a bunch of gunk that clouded up my eyes so that I couldn’t see. I removed the garlic cloves and used an eye wash. The gunk cleared up fairly fast. The emotional scar or scare (notice how little difference there is between the word scar and scare?) took a bit longer to get over, however.
I haven’t tried the olive oil treatment. So, I have no idea there. I have noticed, though, that many homeopathic remedies that one can buy at a health food store contain some type of oil.
I haven’t tried vinegar either. But, here’s a web site that tells how to use it:
POSSIBLE CAUSES:
*Toothache or infected tooth/root: My whole jaw hurt. I didn’t have a toothache that I knew of. I just knew that my ear hurt a lot and cleaning it didn’t help. Then a piece of the tooth came off which caused me to go to the dentist. There was an infection there that caused that tooth to be removed. The dentist confirmed it. The tooth was causing the fake ear ache. When the tooth was removed, so was the ear ache.
*Swimmers ear: I swam in river water that had that fungus stuff floating around on it in patches. And, just my luck, I landed in a bit of it. I got swimmers ear in both ears. One of the things I was instructed by the medical doctor to do was to use hydrogen peroxide in my ears. The stuff made a loud crackling sound and it itched insanely. The fungal problem is what made it itch.
*Sinusitis: According to one website, sinusitis can cause ear aches. I don’t remember an ear ache when I had sinusitis. But, then, everything hurt. A website that talks about sinusitis and ear aches is: http://www.edgarcayce.org/health/database/health_resources/sinusitis.asp
*Mal-adjustment of the cervical or other vertebrae. A bone spur on one of the vertebrae might also cause ear aches and other problems like hiccups. This type of problem would most likely show up on an x-ray. Chiropractors are the least intrusive route to go for fixing this problem.
There are likely many other causes of ear aches including bugs, debris or too much wax. Getting the ears clean is often what’s needed the most.
HOW-TO’s:
Hydrogen Peroxide drops: Lay or lean on the side not being treated. Pour a small amount of the liquid into the cap or use a dropper. Then pour the stuff into the ear being treated. Put cap back onto bottle. Let the liquid crackle and pop for a while. Then roll over so that the ear can drain. It is useful to have tissue or a paper towel handy for any excess to drain into. When fully drained, do the other ear if it is needed. A word of caution, this process may make one dizzy for a couple of minutes. I have found that HP works for both bacteria and fungus. Also, keeping the ears warm and open to air after HP treatment seems to help.
Ear candles: One can make their own. But, it is recommended that one buy them already made until there is sufficient experience before attempting to make them oneself.
Supplies needed: a section of heavy foil, wide masking tape, a lighter wand, a mirror, a timer, a pot or bowl of water and an ear candle.
The foil should be about 18 to 22 inches long. A third of the way from one end is where tape is laid in the middle. I then puncture the middle of the tape. This is where I stick the end of the ear candle. The foil protects my face from heat and ashes. The tape gives me more control over the hole and keeps it from ripping too much.
One lays on their side with neck support. (Be sure to turn off ceiling for floor fans first.) the small end of the ear candle goes through the hole and is securely placed in the ear as far as it will go without pain. It will only go so far because it is tapered to prevent deep penetration. Experiment to be sure. While the candle is burning, it needs to be at a slight slant so that the (ashes) burned off cloth drops to the foil.
Set the timer for 2 to 5 minute intervals. The function of the timer is to keep one from falling asleep. Make sure the timer is in easy reach without much movement. Movement may disrupt the foil or the balance of the candle.
The mirror will aid in both the lighting of the candle and in keeping an eye on how far down the candle is. The farther down the candle is the better because it will draw more wax out.
An ear candle is gauze that has been treated with wax and has been formed around a mold so that it looks like a skinny candle that is open at each end. One end is tapered. The top, wide open, end is lit with flame. I find lighter wands for this to be most useful.
When the candle gets down to 1 and an half to 2 inches from the ear, take it out and put it into the water. Then unwrap the remainder to see how much wax was removed. The dark golden brown stuff is the wax removed. This is the same wax that sometimes comes out of the ear on it’s own when there’s too much.
There is often some light colored ashy residue found with the wax which could be from the candle itself. I’ve been told that this is ear wax also. But I don’t actually know.
These candles draw out wax by means of heat primarily and the way in which the cone burns. This is largely why I personally prefer professionally made ear candles.
Don’t try to remove all of the ear wax in the ear since this plays an essential role in the health of the ear. The objective is to clear out enough that it pulls out debris as well. Debris is often not much more than excess skin cells or dust. We all get extra wax from time to time. Most of the time it expels the extra on it’s own. Sometimes it doesn’t. An ear ache can signal a blockage or an overproduction as well as an infection.
Also, please remember that ear candling isn’t a cure for anything other than excess wax and debris. It won’t kill a fungus that causes swimmers ear. It won’t kill bacteria that causes infection. It just makes it easier to treat those problems.
These candles cost about $2 to 3 each. Colors, scents and herbs don’t do anything but raise the price of the candle. Also, expect to do this process several times before you get the hang of it and get used to the sounds it makes.
SUMMARY: When there is an ear ache, take basic steps to clean the ear and treat it with hydrogen peroxide. If the problem persists beyond a couple of days, please consult a medical health professional. Finding the cause is the second part of the solution. Selecting and using the right treatment for the cause is the last step. A random selection of a home remedy may cause more problems than it’s worth.
Ear candling is just for removing excess wax. The majority of information and youtube information (pro and con) is faulty. I have not been able to determine that candling does anything more than help clean the ears.
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