Oh no my ear hurts! I just got out of the pool and I have the worst earache what can I do? So many people in the summertime end up with an earache, especially kids. What is the cause of an earache? Most earaches in kids are usually caused by swimming in a pool, which is referred to as swimmer’s ear. Swimmer’s ear is an infection of the outer ear that can be severely painful, cause blockage in the ear, fever, swelling, redness, dizziness, and could possibly affect your hearing if not taken care of immediately. If you know your child is prone to getting earaches/swimmer’s ear try to prevent it from reoccurring next time your child goes swimming. Yes, there are simple ways of preventing an earache.
One way to prevent an earache is to wear earplugs. I know some children have a bad habit of constantly touching or tugging on their ears while in the water so the earplugs may not stay on. Best option then would be the Aqua Earband. The Aqua Earband is worn like a headband that will help protect your child’s forehead and ears at the same time. Children will think they look really cool wearing this at the pool so it has a better chance of staying on. Are there any home remedies to treat an earache?
There are so many different home remedies you can use to treat an earache. A few of favorite home remedies for an earache are the following.
Home remedy #1 for treating an earache is using garlic oil drops- Tilt the child’s head and place 3-4 drops into the ear. Keep the head tilted for 1-2 minutes to allow the drops to work allowing any drainage to come out. Then remove by using an ear syringe.
Home remedy #2 for treating an earache is grapefruit seed extract mixed with olive oil- Mix 3-4 drops of the grapefruit see extract with ½ tablespoon of olive oil in a bowl. Mix this up. Then use a dropper to place some of this mixture into it. Squeeze 4 drops into ear. Place a piece of cotton.
Home remedy #3 for treating an earache is white vinegar and warm water- Make a water and vinegar mix by using a capful of white vinegar and 3 tablespoons of warm water. Grab a dropper or an ear syringe and squeeze some liquid into it. Tilt the child’s head and place 5 drops into ear. Keep the head tilted for 3-4 minutes. Then place a piece of cotton. After one hour remove cotton and repeat this method again using the leftover mix from before.
Home remedy #4 for treating an earache is salt, water, and heat- Mix 1 tablespoon of regular table salt with ¼ cup of water. Heat this up in the microwave for 30 seconds. Allow it to cool down so it won’t burn the child’s ear. Use an ear syringe or eye dropper and place a few drops into ear. Then while the child’s head is tilted place some of the salt mixture onto a cotton ball place into ear.
Home remedy #5 for treating an earache is using warm water and chamomile flowers. Fill a small pan with water. Allow the water to heat up for 5 minutes. Then place a few flowers into the water and allow it to come to a rapid boil. Let this cool down. Place a few of the chamomile flowers on top of a wash rag. Then slowly grab the wash rag carefully from the bottom without the flowers falling off and place directly onto the ear. Hold the wash rag there for 15 minutes. Make sure the flowers are touching the ear as much as possible. Remove and do again.
Other home remedies to treat an earache are peroxide, warm baby oil, olive oil mixed with tea tree oil, and onion juice. All children are different so some of these home remedies may or may not work. With my children home remedy number 5, 4, and 1 seem to work the best.
