An earache may occur for many different reasons. Some individuals feel pain in the ear when they have from toothaches, sinus infections or a sore throats. An infection in the middle or outer ear will cause pain. Arthritis in the jaw or temporomandibular joint syndrome, or TMJ, can also cause pain in the ears. Treating an earache depends on the cause of the pain. Some home treatment options can relieve the pain, while in other cases, the pain requires prescription medication.
Step 1
Place a cold pack or a cold wet washcloth on the ear for 20 minutes to reduce the pain of an earache, according to MedlinePlus.
Step 2
Apply a warm wet washcloth or a heating pad against the ear to help with the pain.
Step 3
Drop olive oil or over-the-counter drops made for earaches into the ear to relieve the pain. Do not instill any drops, unless instructed by a physician, for an ear with a ruptured eardrum.
Step 4
Take an over-the-counter, nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drug, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, for the ear pain.
Step 5
Chew gum to help relieve the pressure in the ear from an infection, or from high altitudes, such as an airplane flight that causes pressure on the eardrum.
Step 6
Remain sitting upright if the ear pain increases when lying down. Sitting up can help relieve the pressure on the ear canal.
Step 7
Clean excessive earwax, which can harden and cause a painful blockage in the ear canal. Remove the hardened earwax by dropping hydrogen peroxide, mineral oil or baby oil into the ear canal twice daily until the wax softens, but no more than four to five days, according to MayoClinic.com. Then irrigate the ear to remove the wax by flushing the ear with warm water.
Step 8
Visit a physician for any symptoms of an ear infection or a ruptured eardrum, including pain in the ear, fluid coming from the ear, a fever or dizziness. The physician will prescribe antibiotics to clear up the infection, which will also relieve the pressure and pain in the ear.
Step 9
Treat an outer ear infection, also referred to as swimmer’s ear, by placing antibiotic drops into the ear canal, according to TeensHealth from Nemours.
Step 10
See the doctor for any additional medical conditions causing the ear pain. Referred pain from the throat, mouth and sinuses can cause pain in the ears. Treating the original problem will stop the ear pain.
