When an ear hurts, most people use folk remedies first. Sometimes they help, especially if the cause of the pain is known for sure. But in some cases, using folk remedies for the ear on your own, you can provoke serious complications. Therefore, if acute severe pain has arisen for no apparent reason, you must go to the doctor. But if the ear hurts after hypothermia or flu, you can try to undergo treatment at home.
Causes of ear pain
In fact, there are not so many reasons why ears can hurt. The pain itself signals that the ear is injured or that strong inflammatory processes are taking place in it. Therefore, it is impossible in any case to ignore this symptom and wait until everything goes away by itself. Most often, ear pain is caused by:
- Accumulation of fluid behind the eardrum. May be the result of severe inflammation of the middle or inner ear or a symptom of barotrauma. The liquid presses on the thin membrane and provokes severe pain.
- Damage (injury) to any part of the ear. Folk remedies for ear pain in this case will definitely not help. Moreover, if the tympanic membrane ruptures, infection can easily enter the inner ear and cause serious complications. You must immediately seek help from specialists.
- Ingress of water or foreign bodies. These can be not only small objects, but also various insects, which can usually be easily eliminated on your own. But trying to remove a foreign body stuck in the ear canal is not worth it - you can injure the ear or pierce the eardrum. The pain in the ear that occurs when water gets into the ear, folk remedies can also alleviate, since its cause is usually a banal sulfur plug.
The activity of pathogenic microorganisms. Most often, acute inflammation is caused by bacteria and fungi. If they have not yet penetrated deeply enough, then the chance that folk remedies for ear treatment will help is quite high. But if the infection has fallen behind the eardrum, it will not be possible to get rid of it without the use of antibiotics, and delay threatens with serious complications.- Inflammation of the nerve endings. It can be caused by a variety of reasons - from ordinary hypothermia to very serious diseases. Therefore, it is necessary to be especially careful when using folk remedies for ear pain. For example, ear pain can be one of the signals indicating inflammation of the meninges (meningitis), and if not recognized in time, it can even be fatal.
The activity of pathogenic microorganisms. Most often, acute inflammation is caused by bacteria and fungi. If they have not yet penetrated deeply enough, then the chance that folk remedies for ear treatment will help is quite high. But if the infection has fallen behind the eardrum, it will not be possible to get rid of it without the use of antibiotics, and delay threatens with serious complications.With a cold, even a banal runny nose can cause severe pain in the ear, due to which there is a difference in pressure on both sides of the eardrum. Gives to the ear and acute toothache. So there are plenty of reasons why this very unpleasant symptom occurs.
Therefore, especially if the ears hurt inside, how to treat - use folk remedies or still use antibiotics - let the doctor decide.
The best folk remedies
Treatment of the ear with folk remedies in adults is most often based on alcohol preparations. Onion and garlic drops and turundas are also effective. These are simple and quick ways to warm your ear well and kill most pathogens at the same time. However, these agents are irritating to the delicate skin of the ear canal.
For people with sensitive skin, decoctions and herbal infusions are often used, as well as various oil solutions. They act softer and require longer use, but they are completely safe even for pregnant women and are no less effective.
Wax ear candles are also very useful, but they require relative immobility for 10-15 minutes, so this method is inconvenient during working hours.
Here are some of the most popular proven methods for treating the ear with folk remedies in adults:
Compress with warm oil. Perfectly helps with hypothermia or runny nose. Heat olive, sea buckthorn, almond or ordinary sunflower oil in a water bath, drip 3-6 drops, cover with a cotton swab, wrap the ear warmly and leave overnight.- Chamomile decoction. Perfectly helps with otitis media: quickly relieves inflammation and relieves pain. A tablespoon of dried flowers is poured with a glass of boiling water and insisted in a thermos for at least 2 hours. After filtering, the ear is washed with a solution, and then you can drip it with drops.
- Tincture of lemon balm for alcohol. It helps not only for pain, but also removes tinnitus. But you will have to prepare it in advance. A tablespoon of chopped herbs is poured into half a glass of vodka and infused for at least 2 weeks in a dark, dry place. Dripping the strained tincture 3-5 drops 1-2 times a day.
- Onion with honey. An excellent remedy for otitis media. It warms up perfectly, quickly relieves inflammation, kills pathogenic bacteria. Freshly squeezed onion juice is mixed with bee honey 1: 1 and instilled 2-3 times a day into the sore ear. Can also be applied to children over 6 years of age.
- Nut juice. An excellent remedy for otitis media or fungal infections freshly squeezed juice from walnut leaves. It contains huge amounts of iodine and essential oils that have antibacterial properties. It is not easy to obtain, but the result is worth it. Instill in the morning until symptoms disappear.
Decoction of bay leaves. Can be used both externally and internally. It perfectly cleanses blood vessels, relieves inflammation, and improves blood circulation. Boil five dry bay leaves for 10 minutes in a glass of water, and then leave for 2-3 hours. Dripping 5-8 drops into each ear, drinking a tablespoon in the morning and evening. The course of treatment is 2-3 weeks.- Juniper vodka. Juniper is one of the most powerful medicinal plants with pronounced antibacterial properties. Half a glass of dry berries is poured with the same amount of vodka and infused in a dark place for at least 2 weeks. Dripping 3-5 drops into each ear for 2-3 weeks.
- Black poplar leaf juice. One of the oldest folk remedies for ear pain in adults. It is necessary to squeeze it only from fresh leaves and instill 3-5 drops in a sore ear. It helps not only with otitis media, but also with any fungal and inflammatory diseases.
- Plantain juice. It is able not only to relieve inflammation, but even to significantly improve hearing. True, only with prolonged use. Bury freshly squeezed juice in 3 drops in the morning and in the evening. Suitable for adults and children. You can make an alcoholic tincture (only for adults!) - pour the plantain leaves in a mortar and pour the gruel with vodka 1: 1. Insist 2-3 weeks, use in the same way as juice.
Garlic turundas. They remove inflammation and tinnitus, warm up well, kill pathogenic bacteria. Finely chop a clove of garlic and crush in a mortar, mix with honey, wrap in gauze and insert into the ear canal. Keep for 15-30 minutes. For sensitive and irritated skin, pre-soak the gauze with warm oil so as not to get burned.
Compress with warm oil. Perfectly helps with hypothermia or runny nose. Heat olive, sea buckthorn, almond or ordinary sunflower oil in a water bath, drip 3-6 drops, cover with a cotton swab, wrap the ear warmly and leave overnight.
Decoction of bay leaves. Can be used both externally and internally. It perfectly cleanses blood vessels, relieves inflammation, and improves blood circulation. Boil five dry bay leaves for 10 minutes in a glass of water, and then leave for 2-3 hours. Dripping 5-8 drops into each ear, drinking a tablespoon in the morning and evening. The course of treatment is 2-3 weeks.
Garlic turundas. They remove inflammation and tinnitus, warm up well, kill pathogenic bacteria. Finely chop a clove of garlic and crush in a mortar, mix with honey, wrap in gauze and insert into the ear canal. Keep for 15-30 minutes. For sensitive and irritated skin, pre-soak the gauze with warm oil so as not to get burned.These are just 10 of the most effective ways to heal your ear with folk remedies. In fact, there are many more and many of them are really great help. But if the cause of the pain is not clear, we strongly recommend that you turn to alternative methods of treatment only after a preliminary diagnosis by a specialist.
