From infants to senior citizens, people of all ages experience ear pain. Sometimes ear pain occurs intermittently or it can be a chronic condition. In some circumstances, you might be able to use mineral oil to help ease ear pain, but always check with your doctor before attempting treatment.
The Facts
Ear pain or earaches can stem from several causes, including ear infections, upper respiratory infections, foreign objects in the ear, compacted earwax, injuries to the ear and sudden, loud noises. Depending on the cause, the pain can develop on the external part of your ear, in the ear canal or on the eardrum. Ear pain can affect just one ear or occur on both ears simultaneously.
Efficacy
MedlinePlus, a medical information resource established by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, notes that most cases of compacted earwax can successfully be treated at home, using mineral oil or baby oil. When used as a cerumenolytic--wax-softening solution--mineral oil often can break down large chunks of earwax that might be causing ear pain, gradual loss of hearing, buzzing in the ear or a plugged-ear feeling. If you fail to notice improvement of ear pain and other symptoms within two to three days of your mineral wax treatment, your doctor might need to remove the compacted wax.
Method
In order to soften pain-causing compacted earwax, Julie Briggs, a registered nurse and author of the book "Telephone Triage Protocol for Nurses," suggests you place two drops of warm mineral oil directly in the ear canal twice daily for two days. Flush the wax from the ear canal using a bulb syringe and body-temperature water or coax it out by allowing a small amount of water to enter the ear during a warm shower, as recommended by Dr. David Horowitz, assistant professor of clinical medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and coauthor of "The American College of Physicians Home Medical Adviser."
Considerations
Dr. Raymond Baker, author of the book "Pediatric Primary Care," notes that warm mineral oil can relieve ear pain caused by middle ear infections, so keep a container of the oil handy in the event your child might develop one of these painful infections at night. Also called otitis media, middle ear infections frequently develop in toddlers and young children, and typically cause ear pain, as well as fussiness, tugging at the ear and a fever. Additional home remedies that might help mineral oil in relieving the ear pain include over-the-counter oral pain medication and warm compresses applied to the affected ear, according to MayoClinic.com.
Warning
In certain cases, such as when you might be suffering from a ruptured eardrum, instilling a liquid such as mineral oil into your ear canal for ear pain could worsen your ear pain or lead to further complications, such as an ear infection. Never place any liquid in your ear canal if you suspect that you might have a punctured eardrum. According to MedlinePlus, signs of a ruptured eardrum include buzzing in the ear, ear drainage, an increasing severe earache and hearing loss.
References
- MedlinePlus: Wax Blockage
- "Telephone Triage Protocol for Nurses"; Julie Briggs, RN; 2006
- "American College of Physicians Home Medical Adviser"; Dr. David Horowitz & David Goldmann; 2002
- "Pediatric Primary Care"; Dr. Raymond Baker; 2001
- MayoClinic.com: Middle Ear Infection Home Remedies
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