I have always suffered from ear aches during the cold windy season, and if I am swimming (I had repeated infections when I was in my teens). My doctor has recommended that I clear my ears by sucking in and pushing out to make the muscles below the ear work out.
Each time I feel an earache coming on, I repeat these exercises and it works wonderfully. No more aspirin, no more sleepless nights.
Try it!
Source: Dr Rusca
By Nerida from Switzerland
I've had some colds/bronchitis recently (still have a cough) and now one of my ears is completely plugged up. I've tried the Murine Ear Wax Removal, Hydrogen Peroxide, and Alcohol, but so far nothing has worked. Anyone have any suggestions or do I need to see the doctor? Thanks.
I can usually unstop my ears with warm water, peroxide and an ear bulb. I just keep compressing and squirting water in my ear until it opens up. Sometimes it takes 4 or 5 times. But, my husband has had times when his ear would not open up not matter what he used.
If you have bronchitis, you really need to see the doctor before it goes into your chest. My daughters have this often and the longer you wait, the worse it gets.
If it is just your ears that are stopped up, saline solution sprayed into your nose will help clear up your ears. You might need to spray it a couple of times, then remember to use it when needed. It beats having to take a decongestant and feel bad while it works.
A year and a half ago, I had a really bad cold that plugged up my ears for several weeks. Nothing would make them pop. After a couple of rounds of antibiotics to clear the ear infections that had settled in, one ear popped, but the other stayed stubbornly plugged up. My primary doctor referred me to a specialist, and that is when it was discovered that I have a genetic hearing loss!
Hey there!
At our house, most things are handled by "Dr. Mom", and she has found out through a friend that oregano oil works wonders. I buy the capsules and if you take it three times a day while ill, it'll kick most things in short order. It works particularly well for upper respiratory problems, or sinus issues. Try it, and if it's particularly bad, take grape seed extract at the same time.
Good Luck!
Go to a health food store and buy a Neti Pot, or a sinus irigation pot. They are wonderful for colds, allergies, and the like. Every time I use mine, my eustachian tubes open. I've gotten off all meds and feel so much better. We even had to get my husband one of his own, since after using mine, he refused to give it back. Stay away from dairy--it'll may your problem much worse.
I too would like to share my recent experience with ear fullness as recently as Labour Day weekend 2008. I woke up in the middle of the night to a resounding ringing in both ears, sharp pains, and fullness fairly mild in my right ear but completely full in left ear. My ears were red, nose was congested and I had an headache from ear-to-ear. If I covered my right ear it was almost as if someone was trying to talk to me from behind a brick wall. I consulted with a doctor at a walk-in clinic and they diagnosed my situation as a severe sinus cold, which sounded reasonable as my wife was coming off a cold that she caught from my daughter, who likely got it from some other child at her daycare facility. The headache, eye issues and nose congestion went away but I had a terrible sensation of ear fullness in my left ear that left me unable to sleep at night because of it. What was prescribed to me to combat this was an antibiotic called Biaxin, which contains clarithromycin, for a 7 day period.
"Hold the nose and close mouth and blow really hard seemed to work for my daughter, so far one ear is unplugged, we'll keep trying for the other ear. "
This is HORRIBLE advice. DO NOT DO THIS ESPECIALLY WITH CHILDREN. It may feel like you are unplugging your ears, but doing this can cause a very serious outer ear infection, which is untreatable with antibiotics, very painful, and can last up to 4 weeks. Unfortunately I know from experience. Watch where you get your medical advice! You can also damage your eardrum permanently doing this!
I have a really bad ear ache. It is so bad, my teeth feel like its aching too. What do I do?
By alissa from Erie, PA
Take 5 drops of tea tree oil an 6 drops of sweet oil or olive oil mix well. Put it in the ear stop pain and infections.
Have it examined to rule out Temporomandibular Disorder, the deranged jaw joint problem. There's only 1/8" between ear canal and that joint, and pushing on it that way can be diagnostic. Long time dental hygienist, Kim
I have a bad earache on the left side of my face and swollen gland on the left as well. My face is very tender and sore on left side and I keep getting an odd shooting pain in my face and ear. What should I do?
By Claire
It sounds like you scratched your ear and got an infection. Go to the doctor for some antibiotics! In the mean time you can lay with the swollen side up and soak your ear with peroxide, then blow dry it. The warm air will feel good, and keeping your ear dry is important.
It sounds like you might have an abcessed tooth . Sometimes a toothache can cause your face to swell and you will have pain in your ear and your entire face . Good luck .
I have suffered ear aches for about 5 years, ever since I had mono. My left ear will ache with the slightest cold breeze, along with the right but not as much. It is a deep inside ache. When I caught mono, I was sleeping next to a cold window in winter with my left side next to the window (makes sense my left ear is the bad one). If it is cold outside and I don't wear a hat, they hurt. If I clean my ears with a q-tip, the next day they hurt. I also get vertigo when the ear pain is bad. If I have a sore throat, it is worse on the left side.
When I had mono, my lymph nodes were very swollen in the back of my neck, worse on the left side. Ever since then I have neck pain and stiffness and aching, all on the left side primarily. I will see a ENT doctor very soon. What do you think? I ask because I currently have a bad left ear ache with off and on strong to slight vertigo, and a slight sore throat. My left tonsil was clogged, I had never had that, and I removed the yucky clog yesterday.
By Andi from Hubbardston, MA
My 10 year old has an ear ache. Tylenol is not working. I have no heating pads and no rice to make one. What can I do for him?
By Kristin C.
What could I do to make my ear ache go away?
By Stephanie from Savannah, TN
Forget about home remedies, and get to a doctor. You could have an infection, requiring antibiotics, which could cause you to lose part or all of your hearing in that ear, unless you treat it.
Where ear infections are concerned, you only have a very SMALL window of treatment opportunity--about two weeks, according to my ENT specialist--before permanent damage can take place.
So please, get to a doctor quickly.
Right now I have mono and I have a really bad ear infection in my right ear. It hurts so bad, every time I cough, swallow, etc.
I get this sharp pain on the inside of my right ear. What can I use to help with the pain?Can you tell me what to do for the relief of an earache from getting bathwater in the ear?
You know how you put your finger in your ear and wiggle it as if to get water out or something like that. Well I did that and got a quick throbbing pain.
I've had this earache for a week and it hurts. I can't hear very much and it hurts when I burp. There was some bleeding but that stopped.
