6 Effective Earache Remedies
Earaches can be a debilitating condition that can take you out of your regular day-to-day routine due to the nonstop pain and difficulty sleeping. While some ear infections that are caused by bacteria require antibiotics for treatment, not all of them do. Rather, there are many at-home remedies you can use to heal your ear infection quickly.
OTC Pain Relievers
Any head and neck doctor in Los Angeles will recommend OTC pain relievers as a first-line of treatment against an ear infection. Both acetaminophen and ibuprofen can assist in controlling the pain associated with acute ear infections. Even if you’re on antibiotics, your ear infection specialist Los Angeles will likely recommend OTC pain relievers to assist with any pain from your condition.
Compresses
Any otitis media specialist Los Angeles can explain to you the importance of both warm and cold compresses on the body. The compress should be placed over the ear. Most patients find that they prefer one over the other, and their head and neck doctor in Los Angeles will recommend sticking with their preferred compress type or alternating from hot and cold every twenty minutes.
Chiropractic Adjustment
Your ENT for ear infections Los Angeles may suggest visiting your local chiropractor for a manual adjustment. Sometimes the cervical spinal discs can become too compressed with bodily pressure. This can cause nerves to be overly irritated, including those in the ear. A manual adjustment can assist with decompressing the spine and work to reduce your ear pain.
Neck Exercises
When you talk with your ear infection specialist Los Angeles they may recommend some soothing neck exercises. As you learned above, neck pressure can refer pain to the ear by putting pressure on the ear canal.
Many neck exercises can be easily used to help alleviate this pressure. Consider exercises that involve rotation of the neck as these are very beneficial to reducing pressure.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Your otitis media specialist Los Angeles may recommend using some hydrogen peroxide drops a couple of times a day. You’ll simply need to place a few drops of this substance into the affected ear. Once inside, the hydrogen peroxide will need to sit for several minutes. You’ll need to keep your head bent towards the opposite ear during this treatment to ensure the drops stay inside of your ear. Once several minutes have passed, you’ll want to drain your ear and wash it out with distilled water.
Garlic
While not every ENT Los Angeles recommends this form of natural treatment, many people have stood by using garlic as a natural treatment. Now, you won’t be putting garlic cloves in your ear as that’s not at all effective in treating ear infections. Rather, you’ll soak crushed garlic in water for several minutes. Then, remove the garlic pieces and apply the remaining oil into the ear canal. Leave it in for several minutes, and then remove it. Be sure to use distilled water to wash out your ear canal.