Ear Ache Home Remedies

Ear aches are a pretty common ailment that affects both children and adults. The three principal reasons for ear pain are infection in the middle ear, blockages caused by swelling or mucus build-up, and prolonged exposure to cold.

If your ear ache has lasted for greater than a couple of hours it's advised that you look for medical care, but in the event that a physician is not available, there are several ear ache home remedies that will give some relief, at least temporarily.

Most home ear ache remedies are made of some type of gentle warmth applied to the ear. This causes blood to race to the spot which in turn helps to lighten the earache.

Here are the best ear ache home remedies:

1) Add 2 or 3 drops of warm vegetable or olive oil to your ear and add a bit of cotton to hold it in your ear. This generally provides virtually quick relief from ear pain, but use caution. If you have a pierced eardrum or if the oil coats your eardrum and the doctor needs to take a look at it, he may need to flushyour ear to remove it. That can be exceedingly painful so best to avoid it by using other low heat methods.

2) 1/4 cup of salt wound tightly into a handkerchief, clean sock, or other like sized patch of fabric tied off with a rubber band around it is another ear ache remedy you can try. Heat it a little in a microwave or low heat oven then lie down with your ear on the handkerchief.

3) Use a blow dryer set on low to blow warm air into the ear. It normally only takes a few minutes for this to work. Be certain to hold the blow dryer at a good distance from the ear to keep from burning the ear. At least 18 inches is suggested with a to and fro motion just like you were drying your hair.

4) Heating pad, hot water bottle, or hot wash cloth. All provide low heat to help relieve an ear ache.

These are some of the ear ache home remedies that have been proven to work over time. It seems that any ear ache home remedy that can provide a low heat to the ear will help to ease pain so I am sure there are many variations on these that could be used also.