For an earache, home measures can sometimes provide temporary comfort, but they don’t reliably cure an ear infection. The safest approach depends on whether the problem is in the outer ear, middle ear, or caused by something such as earwax.
Safe ways to ease discomfort
- Warm compress: Place a comfortably warm (not hot) cloth against the outside of the ear for 10ā15 minutes.
- Pain medicine: If safe for you, acetaminophen/paracetamol or ibuprofen can help with pain. Follow the package directions and consider your other medicines and medical conditions.
- Rest and fluids: Staying hydrated and resting can help while a respiratory infection or viral illness resolves.
- For congestion: If an earache occurs with a cold, saline nasal spray can help relieve nasal congestion. Decongestants aren’t appropriate for everyone.
š« Don’t put these into the ear
Avoid putting olive oil, garlic oil, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, vinegar, essential oils, or herbal mixtures into an aching ear unless a healthcare professional specifically recommends it. These substances can irritate the ear canal or cause injury if the eardrum is perforated.
Also don’t use cotton swabs or other objects to dig inside the ear.
When to see a doctor
Get medical advice if the pain is severe, lasts more than a day or two, keeps returning, or is accompanied by fever, hearing loss, dizziness, swelling around the ear, or fluid/pus/blood coming from the ear.
Seek urgent care for severe swelling behind the ear, facial weakness, severe dizziness, or rapidly worsening symptoms.
Most importantly, antibiotics aren’t necessary for every ear infection. Some infectionsāparticularly viral middle-ear infectionsācan resolve on their own, while others may require prescription treatment. A clinician can determine which type you have.
