For an earache, home measures can provide temporary pain relief, but they don’t necessarily cure an ear infection. The safest approach depends on whether the problem is an outer-ear infection, middle-ear infection, earwax, or another cause.
Safe comfort measures
- Warm compress: Hold a comfortably warm cloth against the outside of the ear for 10–15 minutes.
- Paracetamol (acetaminophen) or ibuprofen: These can help with pain when they’re safe for you. Follow the package directions and consider your other medicines and health conditions.
- Stay hydrated and rest: Particularly if the earache occurs with a cold or other infection.
- Saline nasal spray: If congestion from a cold is contributing to pressure in the ear, saline can help clear the nose.
🚫 What not to put in the ear
Avoid putting garlic, olive oil, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, essential oils, or homemade mixtures into a painful ear unless a healthcare professional has specifically advised it.
This is especially important because you may not know whether the eardrum is intact. Some substances can irritate or damage the ear if there is a perforation.
Also avoid cotton swabs, hairpins, or other objects inside the ear canal.
When to get medical care
Have an earache evaluated if it is severe, lasts more than a day or two, keeps returning, or is accompanied by fever, hearing loss, dizziness, or fluid/pus/blood coming from the ear.
Seek urgent care for severe swelling around or behind the ear, facial weakness, severe dizziness, or rapidly worsening symptoms.
And remember: not every ear infection needs antibiotics. Some resolve without them, while others require prescription treatment. A clinician needs to determine the cause before deciding on treatment.
